The Girl with the Blood Red Hair
by Red Slayer
Summary: A young courier cuts a bloody swathe throught the Mojave, killing all who get in her way of vengeance. Will a young Brotherhood scribe be able to dispell the urge for vengegence, or join her in her killing spree? Contains bloody violence.
1. The Girl with the Blood Red Hair

The Girl with the Blood Red Hair

The Goodsprings General Store was quiet. The only sound was the murmur of the old radio in the corner. Chet sat behind the counter on a chair older than him, a lit cigarette in his mouth. He blew out a puff of smoke and put his feet up on the counter. It was a slow work day today, Chet had only had 3 customers so far, but he didn't mind. It was rare that he got a chance to relax.

Business was good in the General Store. People often came in late at night, too drunk to remember where their house was. Chet was kind enough to remind them, but not before convincing them to spend a large amount of caps in his shop. The fact that he was the only ammo vendor in Goodsprings also helped his sales. No competition meant that people were forced to come to him for all their killing needs.

It didn't look like anybody was going to come into the shop any time soon and Chet was hankering for some booze. One of his favourite things about his shop was that it was right next to the saloon, meaning he could go down there for a drink, then come back to his shop quickly to continue the working day. Chet ground his cigarette in the ash tray and started to get to his feet. That's when she arrived.

A girl walked into the Goodsprings General Store, a girl with blood red hair. The hair ran down to her shoulders, and added an almost extravagant beauty to her. She couldn't have been much older than 25, and was wearing a Vault 21 Vault suit that showed off her attractive figure. Her face was slightly pale and mostly emotionless. Her grey eyes were just as pale as her skin, and had a hint of innocence in them, but Chet had a feeling that was just for show. Chet realised that this was the girl that the robot had rescued a few nights ago. From what he'd heard, the girl had taken two bullets in the head and the robot had dragged her to Doc Mitchell for treatment. Chet had to admit Mitchell did good work. There wasn't even a scar on her pretty little head.

The girl walked up to the counter, looking around the shop as she did so. As she approached, Chet felt his heart beating. He hadn't seen a girl that was even mildly attractive in Goodsprings for a good many years, now this girl had walked in and was taking his breath away. He took his feet down from the counter and turned on the charm as the girl reached him.

"Howdy, what can I do for you?" Chet said, a friendly smile on his face. The girl didn't return the smile.

"I need a weapon." She replied without much emotion.

"You've come to the right place. What kind of gun would you like?"

"Not a gun. I need a melee weapon."

"Like getting up close and personal do we?" Chet said in a mildly suggestive tone. The woman didn't react to his flirting. "This little beauty should do the trick." He reached under the counter, and pulled out a shovel. He plonked the shovel on the counter for the girl to behold. She looked slightly interested, and picked up the shovel to look it over.

"Not only can this baby smash people's skulls in, but you can also use it to dig up graves. You'd be surprised how many graves in the Mojave have useful stuff in them. It can be yours for only 35 caps." Chet's sales pitch worked like a charm.

"I'll take it." She said, dropping the caps onto the counter as she did so.

"Excellent." Chet said enthusiastically before scooping up the caps. The girl tied the shovel to her back with a leather belt, making a makeshift holster. "Will there be anything else?"

"Stimpaks."

"How many?"

"5 will do me."

"Excellent, that will be 500 caps." For the first time since entering the shop, the girl showed some emotion. Granted the emotion was anger, but it was an emotion none the less.

"What?" An expression of pure rage appeared on her face. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Sorry, but it's 100 caps per stimpak. Stimpaks are worth quite a lot these days." The girl growled in frustration.

"Fine." She huffed, before turning and walking towards the door. Any chance Chet would've had with the girl was gone now. He sighed before reaching for another cigarette. Before he could light it however, the girl came back. Before Chet could do so much as smile, she struck him over the head with the shovel she'd bought moments ago. The force of the blow smacked Chet's head against the counter, crushing his head between the shovel and the counter. He screamed in pain before falling back off the chair.

"What the hell?" He screamed, attempting to get to his feet as he did so. Red spots danced before his eyes, his vision was blurry, and he tasted blood. Using the back wall for support, he got to his feet and reached for his 357 magnum revolver. At that exact moment, Chet's vision returned, and he saw that the girl was running at him with the shovel. A look of complete and utter rage filled her face. The innocent look in her eyes was gone, filled with pure hate, and her mouth was set in a snarl. He tried to bring the revolver up to fire, but she struck first. She slid over the counter and in one fluid movement smacked Chet's hand. The force of the strike knocked Chet's hand against the wall, breaking it. He screamed in pain as the bones in the hand audibly shattered and the revolver fell from his hand.

Chet wanted to attack. He wanted to fight back, but the girl was far too quick. She wielded the shovel like it was made of paper, effortlessly swinging it with great speed and strength. He backed away, but there was nowhere to go. Behind him was a small space wear his mattress was, and the only other way to go was over the counter or the past the girl. There was no way he was going either of those ways. An evil smile played across the girl's lips as she saw his helplessness, and she quickly attacked again. She jabbed Chet in the ribs with the handle of the shovel, before swinging the metal point of the shovel like she was swinging a golf club. The shovel's metal point struck Chet in the face with crushing force, knocking him flying back. His life flashed through his life as he flew and he realised that he hadn't really accomplished anything, other than ripping off a few townsfolk. His reverie was interrupted as he hit the floor with a thud, all the air officially out of his lungs and his jaw broken. He lay unmoving as she walked up to him for the finishing blow.

"How rude of you to flirt with me without even asking my name." The girl said, her voice filled with venom. "It's Layla by the way." Chet tried to reply, but he was filled with too much pain, and paralysed by fear. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHO RIP ME OFF!" She yelled before driving the point of the shovel into Chet's neck. The blade of the shovel skewered Chet's neck with ease, spraying blood everywhere. Chet gurgled for a few seconds as blood poured from his neck, then went silent. Layla wasn't finished however. She struck Chet's face with the shovel again and again, visibly shaking with anger as she did so. Eventually she relented her assault, and returned the shovel to the holster on her back. Chet's face could now barely be called a face. It was a pile of blood, giblets and pieces of brain, making Chet himself completely unrecognisable.

Layla walked away from the brutalised corpse, and sat down on Chet's chair behind the counter. She took a moment to compose herself, letting her anger die away. Then she leaped into action, rising to her feet before going to the back of Chet's shop and finding a black bag. 

When a customer went into the Goodsprings General Store the next day, there was no sign of the shop's proprietor. There was however a large amount of blood, and pretty much Chet's entire stock was missing. Nobody ever figured out what had become of Chet, and before long somebody else took over his shop.

The night that Chet died, Layla had stuffed the body in the black bag, waited till nightfall, and dragged it to the Goodsprings Cemetery. She ran into Victor on the way, but he hadn't noticed how suspicious it was that she was covered with blood and pieces of brain, and dragging a foul smelling blood soaked bag. She then buried Chet in the graveyard; funnily enough she'd used the grave that the man in the chequered coat had forced her to dig a few nights ago.

She'd then killed Doc Mitchell, buried him too, and slept in his house. She left early the next morning, and when the people of Goodsprings awoke she was gone.

Now Layla walked down the lonely road out of Goodsprings, with only one thing on her mind. Revenge. She was going to track down the man in the chequered coat along with his buddies, and she was going to do things to him so horrific that they'd make angels cry. Nobody messed with the girl with the blood red hair. Nobody.


	2. Play Nice

**_I would've put author notes in the last story but didn't know how. Now then, the stories in this series will contain large amounts of blood and gore, strong language and some may contain sex references. Sorry if the quality of writing isn't that good but this is my first fan fiction story so positive reviews will be appreciated.  
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Play Nice

Layla had a pet hate. This wasn't some idle hate, like people who hate birds who crap on their heads. They don't feel the need to go out and kill every bird of that species, then revel in their agony. Layla's hate was that kind of hate however. It was like a white hot, burning hatred that filled her body and threatened to corrupt her very being. This hate was directed not at a person, a place, or a creature, it was aimed at a group. And not just any group, the biggest group in the Mojave: the New California Republic.

Layla didn't just hate the organisation as an entity, she hated every single person who formed that entity. It didn't matter who they were, male or female, young or old, Layla hated them. Just being around a member of the NCR caused her to shake with rage, and usually ended up with her standing over said NCR member's corpse. This is why it was incredibly difficult for Layla to resupply at the Mojave Outpost.

She was fairly wounded, her armour and weapons were in need of repair and she was running dangerously low on supplies, and the only place she could restock on everything she needed was at the Outpost. To Layla, this felt like she was asking the NCR for help, and she was greatly opposed to doing that. She would rather walk naked into a radscorpion nest than beg the NCR for assistance. Seeing as it was either that or die however, Layla reluctantly conceded and walked up the hill to the Outpost. Once there, she found a giant statue showing off the NCR's ego, a base full of boring, stuck up idiots, and one particularly annoying soldier who would repair her things, but for a staggeringly large price.

So all in all, it wasn't the most fun visit ever, especially since Layla had to exercise an immense amount of self control to avoid going into a blind frenzy and beating all the soldiers to death with her shovel. The only real fun she had on the base was chatting with a young woman named Cass in the base's bar. They sat there late into the night, drinking whiskey and talking about why the NCR was shit. Layla woke up the next morning with a mild hangover, but with a smile on her face, which was about as rare as snow in the Mojave. One other interesting thing happened there however though; she met the Legion. Caesar's Legion to be exact.

Feeling quite bored after waking up she somewhat reluctantly accepted a job from an NCR lackey named Ranger Ghost. Ghost asked Layla to investigate the nearby town of Nipton, because apparently Ghost couldn't be arsed to do it herself. The option of a cash reward had convinced Layla, and she ventured to Nipton with a pair of binoculars she'd stolen from the Outpost. Once there, she'd seen smoke, burning buildings, crucified Powder Gangers, and an ungodly amount of burning corpses. As she walked through what remained of the town gate, scanning the area with her binoculars, she wondered what kind of force of nature could do something like this. Then she saw it. A single red banner, blowing in the breeze, and adorned with the image of a bull. She instantly recognised it as the flag of the infamous Caesar's Legion. Most people would have fled right then, running back to Ranger Ghost with their tail between their legs. Layla was not most people.

She'd walked further into Nipton, towards the Town Hall. That's when she met Vulpes Inculta. She had found herself immediately attracted to Vulpes, which was rare for her as usually her permanently burning NCR hatred dominated her mind, preventing any other emotions from getting through. Vulpes' confidence, the power that radiated from him, and his decisive manner of speaking enraptured her. She found herself agreeing with everything he said, and agreeing to spread word of the Legion's deeds. When he left she felt like slapping herself. As she walked back to the outpost, she criticised herself for behaving like a horny school girl. When she got back though, she realised that she did actually agree with Vulpes' philosophy. It wasn't just infatuation, what he'd said actually meant sense. He had claimed that the people of Nipton were degenerates, and deserved to die. He had dispensed brutal justice to punish them for their sins. If the rest of the Legion felt this way, she could see herself joining. Layla quickly passed on word of the destruction to Ranger Ghost, then left the outpost. That's when **she** came along.

Layla now found herself walking down the hill leading out of the Outpost. Finding herself low on caps, she quickly attacked and killed several traders who were leaving the Mojave Outpost. She surprise attacked them at the bottom of the large hill, and they stood no chance. Before the bodies even got cold, Layla heard footsteps approaching. She turned around, shovel at the ready, to find herself face to face with two NCR rangers. The first was a man of average height who had no real distinguishing features. He wore the standard ranger attire of a grey shirt with tan pants, cowboy boots, a thigh holster and a bandoleer around the chest. This man was of no interest however. He clearly wasn't in charge. That privilege belonged to the second ranger. The second ranger was a woman of average height but with an air of authority and power around her that put Layla on edge. The woman wore NCR ranger patrol armour, and had a ranger cowboy hat on her head. Her eyes were hidden by dark, aviator sunglasses. Though the eyes were invisible, Layla knew that the woman was looking at her with a hard, determined gaze.

"Well well, what do we have here?" The woman asked in an annoyingly confident voice. "It would seem these traders had a bit of an 'accident'. You wouldn't have happened to see the cause of this 'accident', would you?"

"No." Layla replied in a monotone voice.

"Really? Then, do you mind if I ask you some other questions?" Taking Layla's silence as a no, the woman carried on. "It seems that several NCR personal have suffered similar 'accidents', as these traders. Soldiers posted near Primm, and soldiers that were sent to attack the NCR Correctional Facility, have all suffered what seems to be the same unfortunate set of circumstances. These 'accidents' all have three things in common. 1) They are seemingly spontaneous and unprovoked. 2) They all seemed to have been caused by a blunt instrument, most likely a shovel." The woman looked at the shovel in Layla's hands, the tip of it coated with blood, both fresh from the recent kill, and more dried blood from other kills. The ranger sneered at Layla for a second, then carried on talking.

"3) There have been no witnesses to any of these 'accidents' but several sources have reported seeing a young woman with long red hair nearby shortly before each of the 'accidents' took place." The woman looked at Layla's shoulder length, blood red hair, and sneered again. "You wouldn't have any idea what caused these bizarre 'accidents', would you?"

"Why don't you just get to the point?" Layla snapped, anger seeping into her voice.

"Alright fine." The woman dropped all civil pretences, and began to talk slowly and seriously. "We've been searching for you for a long time Courier. We know you killed two soldiers at the NCR camp outside Primm, and we know you've been aiding the Powder Gangers. We also know you killed several NCR soldiers during their attempt to reclaim the Correctional Facility from the Gangers." _Damn _Layla though to herself, backing away every so slightly. _This could be a problem._

"The NCR's only goal missy, is to bring law and order to the Mojave." The ranger (Who Layla had nicknamed: The Bitch) continued speaking, her voice sounding more and more smug by the second. "If you play nice with the NCR, we'll protect you. You however, don't like to play nice with the NCR do you? We're out there fighting raiders and the Legion, and you feel the need to kill our soldiers. Now that's not very nice at all."

"I thought you were going to get to the damn point." Layla's grip tightened on her shovel. She considered taking a swing at The Bitch, and the rage building up tried to convince her this was the way to go. There was still some part of her speaking clearly however, and that part noted that the male ranger had a caravan shotgun on his back, and was standing away from his boss. If Layla took a swing at The Bitch, the male ranger would get out his shotgun and blow her brains out before she could react. There was no cover nearby, so if a shootout broke out the Rangers would almost undoubtedly win. If it came to that, Layla would go down fighting however.

"So impatient aren't you? Alright, here's the deal. Our job is to go out and kill those who threaten the Republic. Basically, we get paid for putting bullets in the bad guys' heads, and now we've been sent to put a bullet in your head." _Someone beat you to it._Layla thought bitterly, remembering the man in the chequered coat. "This is a warning. In three days we'll be coming after you again. If the NCR still hate you by then, we'll kill you. If however, you manage to clean up your act and become buddies with the NCR by the time we come back, then we'll let you live, and hopefully we'll never see each other again. The long and short of it is, either you clean up your act in three days, or you'll be worm food." With that, The Bitch and her partner turned and started to walk back up to the Mojave Outpost. "Remember, three days!" The woman called out as she walked.

Layla would've taken a shot right then and there, but the fact that there was a base full of NCR soldiers close enough to hear a gunshot gave her pause. She had no intention of making nice with the NCR. Just being in that base and pretending to be friendly had made her nauseous. If Caesar's Legion regularly killed people like that woman, then joining them was beginning to seem like an extremely attractive prospect. For now however, she had to deal with the ranger Bitch. She would be back in three days, and since Layla had no intention of cleaning up her act, they'd end up in a fight to the death. _I'll be prepared._ Layla thought as she followed the road to Novac. _And when I'm done with that bitch, two more NCR lackeys will have suffered 'accidents'.  
><em>

Layla spent the next two days travelling to Novac. On the way she helped some legionaries deal with a few NCR grunts, found a combat knife to replace her rusty old shovel, and ran into The Bitch two more times. Each time she taunted Layla, reminding her to 'enjoy her last few days on Earth', and advising her to 'play nice with the NCR'. The only thing Layla was planning to play with any time soon was her knife when she slit that bitch's throat. She spent the last few minutes of the second day looking around Novac, buying herself a room and preparing for her confrontation with The Bitch tomorrow.

As the sun rose over the Mojave on the morning of the third day, Layla stood on the bridge leading west out of Novac. Following the path across the bridge would lead you to Nelson, but Layla stayed on the bridge, waiting for The Bitch to play her hand.

"Hello again." A familiar voice said, coming from behind her. _Consider her hand played._ Layla spun around to see the female ranger and her sidekick standing on the other end of the bridge, their backs to the road leading to Nelson. Layla stood ready, her back to Novac. She was wearing leather armour, had stocked up on medical supplies, ammo, and chems, and was ready to kick ass. She had a bandanna wrapped around her head, and wore a look of determination on her face. Her pale eyes stared defiantly at The Bitch, daring her to make the first move. "You couldn't play nice with the NCR could you? In fact, you had to take it one step further. We know a former NCR ranger named Andy has had an 'accident' recently. Though it was different to the other 'accidents' that you've been a part of, we know that this 'accident' happened over the last three days. Just for that, I'm going to make your death slow and painful. Tsk tsk, what a shame." She quickly drew a cowboy repeater rifle, while her sidekick drew his caravan shotgun.

"Sorry to disappoint." Layla said confidently, backing away and pulling out a stick of dynamite as she did so. "But I don't really play well with others." The Bitch and her sidekick hesitated for a second when they saw the dynamite. If even one bullet hit the dynamite they'd be blown to kingdom come. While they hesitated, Layla pulled out a lighter with one hand, holding the dynamite in the other hand.

"Don't you dare." The Bitch warned, all cockiness having left her voice.

"I told you…" A sinister grin appeared on Layla's face. "…I don't play well with others." With that she lit the dynamite, and quickly threw it, before leaping off the bridge. Layla didn't see how The Bitch and her sidekick reacted; she was too busy falling to the road beneath the bridge. Time seemed to slow down as she fell, and the explosion of the dynamite that she heard a second later almost seemed to be in slow motion. As the road shot up to meet her she prepared herself for impact. She managed to land on her feet, though a dagger of pain shot up her right leg as she did. She fell to her knees, and checked her Pip Boy to see that she had damaged her leg on impact, and quickly administered a stimpak. As the pain started to fade away, she remembered The Bitch. She looked up to the bridge, and saw that the explosion had blown a sizeable chunk out of it. She could just see the corpse of The Bitch's sidekick hanging off the side of the bridge, but no sign of The Bitch herself.

Layla had chosen the bridge as their battleground for the sole reason that there was a massive amount of cover on the bridge's underside. Several large support beams stood beneath the bridge in a straight line, with concrete barricades on either side of them that stretched for a fair distance. There were plenty of places for her to take cover, and the only two entry points were the right and left side of the bridge. Layla could easily watch both entrances, so there was no chance of The Bitch sneaking up on her. Diving behind one of the concrete barricades, she drew her own cowboy repeater. She took a quick dose of buffout, instantly feeling the strength fill her body, and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. Crouching behind the concrete barricade, she heard a gunshot and quickly went prone. She heard the bullet fly over her head, and risked a glance over the barricade to see The Bitch, calmly walking towards Layla, her cowboy repeater smoking from the shot she just fired. The Bitch was coming from the right side of the bridge, and wasn't even bothering to get into cover. Layla quickly leaned over the barricade before firing her own cowboy repeater in The Bitch's direction. The shot hit her square in the chest, but recoiled off her armour. The bitch laughed before firing back. Layla quickly crouched down again to dodge, swearing under her breath. _With that damn armour it'll take a headshot to drop that bitch! _She thought angrily.

The Bitch strode confidently over to the barricade that Layla hid behind, occasionally firing at the barricade to keep Layla pinned down. After firing 5 shots, she stopped walking to reload. Layla heard the gunfire stop, and quickly leaned over the barricade to seize the initiative. The Bitch was still fairly far away, but Layla was confident she could get a headshot from this distance. She fired a single shot at The Bitch's face, but her target quickly rolled to the side. Despite that armour, she was surprisingly quick. She rolled behind one of the pillars supporting the bridge and used it for cover. Layla swore again as The Bitch leaned out and fired another shot, having finished reloading before rolling into cover. Layla crouched down but the bullet hit her left arm. The leather armour Layla wore didn't have a left sleeve, so the arm was defenceless. Fortunately the bullet didn't impact directly, but simply flew past the arm, leaving a bloody scratch as it went. As she crouched behind cover, Layla examined the wound.

It was a bloody gash of medium size, that extended from her forearm to her bicep. It didn't look too serious, but she bandaged it using the medical supplies in her bag just in case. While she was doing this, the sound of footsteps told her that The Bitch was closing in. Thanks to the extra endurance offered by the buffout Layla took earlier, she was able to ignore the pain of the wound, and reached into her bag to look for a more effective weapon to use against her foe. Finding none, she readied her cowboy repeater, and prepared to fire again.

"I'll tell you what. If you give up now, I'll put you in a cell for the rest of your life instead of killing you. How's that sound?" The Bitch shouted before laughing to herself. Layla's rage boiled to breaking point. The Bitch's complete and utter arrogance enraged Layla, and she decided to capitalise on the rage by taking a dose of psycho. For Layla, psycho had the added effect of increasing her rage to the point that she became a mindless killing machine. She didn't know if this was a natural effect of a drug or because of her violent personality, but whatever the reason, a mindless killing machine sounded like it would be just what she needed in this situation. Layla took some psycho out of her bag and pressed the needle to her skin. Thanks to the buffout, she barely felt the pain as the needle pierced her skin. She pressed the plunger on the end of the needle, and a few seconds later felt the drug fill her system. The effect was instantaneous.

The rage she felt grew, filling her body and mind. The rage rose to a white hot intensity, until all Layla knew was rage. Her vision turned red, and all her thoughts fused together to fuse one overpowering thought. _That bitch is going to fucking die!_

Layla leaped over the barricade, obsessed with killing her foe. The Bitch was surprised by Layla's actions, and caught off guard as Layla charged. Layla fired madly with the cowboy repeater as she charged, and The Bitch rolled behind another pillar to dodge the bullets, then leaned out to fire shots of her own. Layla continued to run, not even bothering to dodge The Bitch's shots. The Bitch's first shot missed, and she was forced to load another bullet as Layla quickly closed the distance between them. The second shot was more accurate. It flew straight into Layla's stomach, and flew out the other side. Despite this effective shot however, Layla didn't slow down in the slightest. The combined effects of the buffout and psycho pushed her onwards, made her ignore the pain, and focus only on her rage. The Bitch quickly loaded another bullet, a cold sweat now running down her head, and leaned out to fire. Instead of firing however, she was tackled to the floor as Layla reached her.

Layla tackled The Bitch to the floor, both of them dropping their cowboy repeaters as she did so. Layla didn't slow down for a second, quickly drawing her combat knife and driving it into The Bitch's throat. The Bitch grabbed the oncoming blade, and tried to push it back. She was strong no doubt, a strength probably formed from years of NCR training. Layla was strong too however, and the chems in her veins pushed her onward. She was focused on one thing, and one thing only. Nothing else mattered. If the ground itself had opened up, Layla wouldn't have loosened her grip in the slightest. The Bitch pushed back, but the knife didn't move an inch. Then, ever so slowly, it began to descend. The Bitch pushed back with all the strength she could muster. The muscles in her arms cried out in protest as she pushed them to her limits. She was now covered in sweat, and a mask of fear covered her face. Layla gritted her teeth, and with one last effort she pushed the knife down. The Bitch's grip was broken, and the knife shot into her neck with no resistance. The knife stabbed into The Bitch's jugular, and straight through the bone out the other side of her neck, where it embedded itself in the road beneath her.

The Bitch looked down at her in horror, blood beginning to pour out of her mouth. Layla ripped the knife out of The Bitch's neck with all the strength she had left, and blood began to spurt out of it. The Bitch gurgled something, then went silent. Blood began to pool around her corpse, and Layla was soaked with it. She yelled to the sky in triumph. Her joy was short lived however, as her vision, coloured red by the psycho she'd taken, began to go hazy. Her head started spinning, and she began to feel nauseous. Before she had time to register any of this, she fell forward onto the corpse and everything went dark.

As Layla's eyes opened, she felt a deep nausea build up inside her. She quickly got to her feet, ran away from the corpse, and threw up onto the road. After emptying her stomach contents, she tried to compose herself, a difficult task since her head was spinning. She suddenly realised that it was dark. _How long have I been unconscious?_ She checked the clock on her Pip Boy and saw that she'd been out for several hours. Her nausea chose this moment to rise up once again, causing her to vomit on the roar again. _Note to self: Never mix buffout and psycho again._ It was then that she realised that her casual use of highly addictive performance enhancers wasn't the reason she was feeling like crap. The reason for that was that there was a bullet hole in her stomach.

She looked at the hole and suddenly felt a need to throw up again. She suppressed it, and examined the wound. It seemed the bullet had penetrated her so called 'armour', went through her abdomen and clean out of her back. On further examination, it seemed that bullet had amazingly missed any and all major organs. How that had happened Layla had no idea, but she was glad for it. The reason that she had been feeling so sick was because her blood was pouring all over the road. She had no idea how much blood she'd lost since she'd fallen unconscious, so she knew that she needed to head to the female doctor back in Novac. Layla couldn't remember her name, but knew that she at least dressed like a doctor, so that was a start.

That wasn't the only think Layla had trouble remembering however. She had no idea how she'd gotten the wound. After she'd taken the psycho, everything was a blur, the only thing she could remember was a burning rage. She looked over at The Bitch's corpse and immediately knew what her rage had been directed at. _At least I won. _She thought to herself as she slowly walked over to The Bitch's corpse. _Though I don't think I'll try the kamikaze strategy again anytime soon._

Upon further inspection of the corpse, it was clear that The Bitch was well and truly dead. There was a large knife wound that completely pierced her neck, and she was currently soaked with her own blood. _So am I for that matter._Layla thought absentmindedly. Layla quickly searched the body for anything useful, and besides The Bitch's cowboy repeater, which could be used to repair her own, there was nothing of much use. On a whim, Layla took The Bitch's aviator sunglasses, and saw that The Bitch had died with her eyes open. Said eyes stared blankly upwards, and the face was stuck in an expression of horror. Layla smiled a little inside, knowing that The Bitch had died in agony. With that, she put The Bitch's cowboy repeater in her bag, picked up her own repeater, and made her way back to Novac.

She got some strange looks as she walked into Novac, a hole in her stomach, a gash on her arm, covered with blood and vomit, but she ignored the idiotic stares she received and made her way to the doctor whose name she couldn't remember. Doctor ? didn't seem very capable yet to both Layla's and the doc's surprise, she was able to treat the wound. Layla's gash was stitched up, her wound was taken care of, and she was sent home with a large amount of painkillers.

Layla lay in bed in her hotel room that night, painkillers doing their job, with a smile of satisfaction on her face. She had killed 2 rangers (3 if you counted Ranger Andy), but that wasn't what she was satisfied about. No, the satisfaction she felt was due to the fact that she had resisted the NCR. She had rebelled against them, and survived. The way Layla saw it, the NCR were trying to take over the Mojave, and make everything and everyone a part of their precious 'republic'. Anyone who resisted was arrested or 'dealt with' by rangers like The Bitch. Layla had showed the NCR that she would not blindly follow them like everyone else, and with any luck she had showed them true fear by killing their rangers. She knew for a fact that The Bitch and her sidekick weren't the last rangers that would be sent after her, but she didn't care. She wasn't scared of the NCR, and she knew for a fact that they couldn't stop her. _Soon I'll make them pay._ Was the only thought on her mind as she drifted off to sleep, feeling happy for the first time in a long time.

**_I hope you enjoyed it. Also, bear in mind that the character mentioned in the description (Not the courier, the other character) will make an appearance in the next chapter._**

**_P.S: I don't think I've ever wrote the word 'bitch' so many times in one story. :)_**


	3. Rap Sheet

**_If anyone is actually reading this, it's much appreciated. By the way, I'm sorry but I can't fulifll the promise I put at the end of the last chapter. This chapter and the next chapter were supposed to be together, but it ended up being too long so I split them in half. Don't worry, the other girl in the summary will appear in the next chapter. Also, since this chapter was supposed to be fused with the next chapter, it's not terribly long. Anyway, enjoy!_**

Rap Sheet

Ambassador Crocker was so deep in paperwork he couldn't see his feet. Now that the Legion had started moving further into the Mojave, more of his men died every day, and for each life ended he was presented with a small pile of paperwork. He had to read reports of how they died, sign forms to declare them legally dead, and send letters of condolence to the deceased's family. Being the ambassador of the Republic in the Mojave was not an enviable position, but Crocker wouldn't change it for the world. He was as patriotic about the NCR as it was possible to be, and managed to survive his daily workload without going mad because he knew that he was serving the NCR in his own way. Right now he was too busy to think about that however, as he was too busy reading about how a ranger had been disembowelled by a legionnaire.

"Sir, I have something that you may want to look at." Crocker's secretary, Liza O'Malley, burst into the office, carrying a folder in her hand.

"Not now Liza, I'm very busy." Crocker replied. Used to negotiating, Crocker's voice was friendly and charismatic, yet had a sense of authority behind it that demanded respect.

"It's urgent sir. This folder just arrived from General Oliver." Crocker cringed upon hearing the name. He wasn't Oliver's biggest fan that much was certain, and Oliver wasn't exactly friendly with him either. He sighed loudly, then motioned for Liza to put the folder on his desk. She did so and bid a hasty retreat.

With no small amount of apprehension, Crocker stopped the paperwork he was already looking over and opened General Oliver's folder. To his surprise, the folder wasn't Oliver trying to get approval to launch an airstrike or something similar (Oliver preferred to deal with problems by shooting them till they stopped), but was actually a threat assessment. And the threat being assessed wasn't the Legion, but a single person. Crocker looked at a small photograph attached to the front page of the folder, and saw the face of a young woman staring back at him.

The girl couldn't have been much older than 25, and had shoulder length red hair. Her skin was pale, as were her grey eyes. There was no name on the page, but there was a full description in addition to the photo. Crocker didn't see how this girl could be a threat to the NCR. Then he read on.

_My god. _Crocker thought to himself as he read all about the girl's crimes. She had killed a massive amount of NCR personnel in the past few months. According to the folder, this girl had killed two NCR soldiers in the NCR camp outside Primm, and had helped the Powder Gangers fight off the NCR's assault on the correctional facility that served as the Gangers' base. These were only her first offences however. According to the folder, the girl had also killed a former ranger in Novac, had slaughtered everyone at an NCR checkpoint blocking the way the Nelson, and, to Crocker's great surprise, she had single handedly killed everyone at Camp Forlorn Hope. Every single soldier, officer, and everyone else at the camp were all dead. Oliver, thoughtful gentlemen that he was, had even provided photos showing the destruction.

It didn't stop there however. According to the folder, she had then gone on to Helios One. She had infiltrated the base using an NCR disguise, then made her way into the tower in the middle of the base. Once there, not only did she manage to get the solar reflectors operational, but she then distributed the power to an unknown destination and armed the plant's Archimedes Plant Defence System, causing a spaced based laser weapon named Archimedes 1 to launch a laser strike at the base, killing all the NCR personnel there. According to the report, she had then killed the two scientists, Fantastic and Ignacio Rivas, as she left.

Her most recent act of violence against the NCR had been at Boulder City. News travelled slowly down that way, so the NCR personnel at Boulder City hadn't heard of her yet. Lieutenant Monroe had enlisted her to negotiate with the Great Khans there, who had NCR soldiers hostage. Instead, she murdered all the NCR soldiers in the area, allowing the Great Khans to escape.

Crocker sat back in his chair, disbelief covering his face. If the folder was entirely accurate, this woman had been responsible for 50% of all NCR deaths for the past two months, the other 45% being the Legion and the final 5% being 'other sources'. This girl was a force of nature. Crocker knew for a fact that if something wasn't done to stop her, she could prove a very substantial threat for the NCR, especially if she joined the Legion. The likelihood of her joining the Legion seemed quite low however, due to the Legion's sexist nature. Regardless, she needed to be dealt with.

The folder stated that two NCR rangers had already been sent to deal with her. They had been found dead outside of Novac. The male ranger had been caught in an explosion that had all but demolished the bridge. The female ranger had been stabbed through the neck. On the final page of the folder was General Oliver's idea for how to deal with the girl. His suggestion was that they send a squad of ten rangers after the girl, and didn't surprise Crocker in the slightest. It showed Oliver's typical lack of caution or strategy. Oliver had a habit of simply throwing waves of men at any problem the NCR faced. In Crocker's opinion, a monkey could take over Oliver's position and lead the NCR's military forces better than Oliver. Crocker knew that, while this girl was a threat, she could also be a very powerful ally, and according to the locations the folder specified, she seemed to be heading towards Vegas. Crocker quickly formulated a plan in his head, and started to write a letter on his notepad. He ripped the page off the notepad and got to his feet.

"Liza, call Marie Pappas in here would you please?" He called out to his receptionist, before sitting back down again. About a minute later, Marie Pappas walked into the office, and stood before the desk. Pappas was the head of the military police in New Vegas, and had eyes and ears all over the Strip.

"You wanted to see me sir?" She didn't bother to salute, since technically Crocker wasn't a member of the military. Crocker took the front page showing the girl's description out of the folder, before handing it to Pappas.

"Tell all your men near the Strip's front gate to keep a lookout for this woman. If they see her, then they should pass along this letter." Crocker then held out the letter to Pappas. She took it with a staggering lack of enthusiasm, and left the office. Crocker sat back in his chair, thinking. _Now, when/if she enters the Strip, she'll read that letter inviting her here to talk to me. With any luck she'll accept my invitation and won't kill me._ _With even more luck I can convince her to help the NCR. _Now that the situation had been somewhat resolved, Crocker returned to his previous paperwork.

**_I know this part had no action but don't worry, there'll be a large amount of action in the next chapter, and maybe even some character development if you're lucky._**


	4. Company

**_Alright here we are, the introduction of Veronica. Lot's of fighting in this one, so enjoy and feel free to review.** Also, a little dash like this: **_**- **_means that the perspective is about to switch from Layla to Veronica or vice versa. _**

Company

Layla woke up on a mangy, lice ridden mattress. She would've stayed asleep, if not for the light shining through the window of the wrecked trailer that she was sleeping in. She got to her feet, rubbing her eyes, and remembered the days before.

A few days ago she'd reached Boulder City. In the morning of that day she'd arrived and been asked by a Lieutenant Monroe to negotiate with the Great Khans who were holding hostages in the ruins. By the evening of the same day, all the NCR soldiers in Boulder City were dead. The leader of the small group of Khans there was Jessup, one of the men who had helped the man in the chequered coat. She'd learnt that his name was Benny from Manny Vargas back in Novac. As thanks for helping him, Jessup had told Layla that Benny was heading to New Vegas. Somehow she'd known that her road would be leading her to Vegas. The city seemed to be the center of everything in the Mojave, and very few interesting things happened in the wasteland without involving the city in some way or form. She'd left Boulder City at nightfall, and a few hours later had come across the 188 Trading Post.

She'd been staying in the trading post for a few days now, resupplying and resting from all the trials she'd faced on the road. Today she'd be leaving the outpost to continue her journey. She quickly got dressed, putting on the attire of the male ranger she'd killed back in Novac. The attire somehow fit her quite well. She put on the tan pants first, then the grey shirt. She put That Gun in the thigh holster and put the bandoleer around her waist. She had no idea what the real name for That Gun was, but that was what the shopkeeper back in Novac had called it before she'd stolen it. Finally she put on the cowboy boots and tied her signature weapon, a large rebar club, to her back using a belt as a makeshift holster. She'd head the name rebar club from random people she'd passed on the road, and the name had stuck. Now fully dressed, she put her bag of supplies over her shoulder, left the trailer and cast her eyes over the 188 Trading Outpost.

The outpost wasn't that large, and the supplies were of low quality, but it had quite a homey feeling. Plus it had a bar, which automatically gave it ten points in Layla's opinion. The best part was, while there was a small amount of NCR soldiers in the area, they didn't even bother to guard the place effectively, and mostly stood outside the outpost smoking and making jokes. This meant that Layla could get away with almost anything. She'd been thinking of killing a few of the NCR soldiers last night, but had got too caught up with drinking at the bar and decided to go to sleep instead.

The sun was shining especially brightly today, and the heat was well and truly sweltering. Layla was glad she'd chosen to wear the ranger attire today. If she'd decided to wear her usual leather armour, she would've been coated in sweat by now. _Liquor always cools me off. _Layla thought to herself as she walked towards the outpost's bar. _I might as well enjoy a few drinks of whiskey before I hit the road. _

As she reached the bar, Layla saw with annoyance that all the seats were already taken. She only recognised one of the people sitting at the bar, but didn't know her personally. She'd seen the girl a few times over the past couple of days, and could've sworn that the girl had been staring at her a few times. The girl wore brown robes with a hood hiding her face, and had a power fist on her hand. She certainly stood out in a crowd.

Sat around her were several thuggish looking men wearing various forms of mercenary attire. They didn't seem to be behaving courteously, as some of them were smacking the bar, shouting for more drinks, and a particularly large man wearing a merc adventurer outfit was inching his way closer to the girl. **-**

**- **Veronica sat at the bar, her glass of dirty water sitting untouched in front of her, trying to ignore the idiotic mercs who were shouting for more drinks. As she sat, she smelled the odour of a man who hadn't bathed in weeks, and turned to see that a particularly large merc was inching his way closer to her. She ignored him, and moved to have a sip of her drink.

"Hey baby." The man next to her slurred. He was clearly drunk, though it wasn't even midday yet. He leaned uncomfortably close to Veronica, his booze fuelled breath making her want to vomit. "How'd you like to have some fun with me?" _His courting techniques need work._ Veronica thought to herself, before taking a big swig of her water. It tasted like piss, but it meant she didn't have to look at the man sitting next to her.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" The man said angrily, grabbing her wrist as he did so. He seemed like an angry drunk. _This should make an interesting start to the day._

"I'd rather not." She said sweetly, grabbing the hand that held her wrist with her other hand as she did so. The man looked at the power fist that covered her hand, and grinned stupidly.

"Kinky." The man said as he looked at the glove. "I bet you can give me a good tug with that." Veronica had had it. The power fist enclosed hand that held the merc's hand squeezed. The man recoiled in pain, but couldn't break free of her grasp. He tried to yank her hand free with his other hand, but whether because of her strength or his drunken stupidity, he couldn't release her grip. He tugged as hard as he could, and she suddenly let go. He wasn't prepared for this, and went flying backwards as her grip was released, slamming head first onto the ground behind him as he did so. Veronica barely managed to suppress a laugh, before turning round and taking another swig of her water. It was then that she heard the man getting to his feet behind her.

"You bitch!" She turned to see that the man had drawn a 10mm handgun. She quickly dived to the side and off her chair, as the man fired. The bullet barely missed her, and shattered her glass of water before hitting the bartender's stomach and knocking him flying. Veronica landed on the ground before quickly rolling to her feet. Before the man could fire again, she let loose a roundhouse kick that knocked the pistol from his grasp. He angrily and drunkenly rushed her, letting loose a barrage of sloppy punches as he did so. Veronica weaved side to side as he struck, dodging his amateurish strikes with little effort. She then punched him in the gut with her power fist hand, and he recoiled in pain. She ended the brief fight by delivering a quick blow to his throat with her non power fist hand. The blow knocked him straight to the ground where he lay, moaning in pain. **-**

**- **Layla gazed in stunned amazement as the hooded girl delivered a blow to the throat of the drunk man, knocking him to the floor. This girl had just taken out a man twice her size without even breaking a sweat. _She reminds me of me._ Layla thought to herself. Indeed, the two seemed to have a lot in common. The girl was young, but clearly tough, and seemed adept at beating the crap out of an opponent at close range. Layla preferred melee weapons, while the girl seemed to prefer her fists, but the fact remained.

Layla's curiosity peaked, and she prepared to go talk to the girl. Before she could do so however, the other 4 mercs who had been sitting at the bar got to their feet. It seemed that they weren't too happy that a girl had just beaten up one of their friends. A muscular bald man wearing a merc troublemaker outfit drew a combat knife from his jacket, before rushing the girl. **-**

**- **Veronica turned away from the drunken man moaning on the floor, and turned back to the bar. To her unpleasant surprise however, she saw that the other mercs on the table had gotten to their feet. They looked at her angrily, clearly pissed that she'd just beaten up one of their friends.

"I don't suppose we can talk about this?" A bald man in a merc troublemaker outfit answered her question by drawing a combat knife from his pocket and rushing her. Before she could so much as get into a fighting pose, an object whistled past her ear and embedded itself in the man's eye. Veronica saw to her surprise that it was a combat knife. The bald man roared in agony, and Veronica turned to see who had thrown the knife.

The only person there was a young girl with shoulder length red hair. She wore a grey shirt with tan pants, cowboy boots, a thigh holster and a bandoleer around her thin waist. She was pale and had pale gray eyes, but a huge rebar club hung from her back, showing that she was not to be messed with. The girl briefly winked to confirm that she had thrown the combat knife. Veronica felt a slight tingle in her stomach as she looked the beautiful girl over, then quickly composed herself as she remembered she was in the middle of a fight.

She turned to see that a 6 foot tall giant of a man wearing a merc grunt outfit was rushing her with a sledgehammer. She jumped back slightly to dodge as he clumsily slammed the hammer down. It smashed into the ground with a loud thud, and he angrily lifted it again before swinging it in a horizontal arc. She ducked under the swing before sweep kicking the giant. She knocked his legs out from under him and he fell back onto the ground, dropping the hammer as he did so.

Before she could even breathe, she heard footsteps behind her. She heard the footsteps too late however as a man grabbed her arms a few seconds later. His breath smelled like tobacco and booze, and his body smelled like dirt and sweat, but he had a powerful grip, and Veronica found herself unable to break free. While he held her, the giant got to his feet, and picked up his sledgehammer. Before the giant could charge however, a whistle filed the air. **-**

**- **The greasy man holding the hooded girl turned around to find the source of the whistle, just in time to see Layla hit him in the face with her rebar club. His neck audibly snapped from the impact, and he fell to the ground with a thud. The girl turned to look at Layla in surprise, and a grin covered her face.

"Thanks!" She said cheerfully, despite the fact that they were fighting a bunch of drunken mercs. Layla simply nodded, before running past her and charging at the giant. The giant swung his hammer, but Layla deflected the blow with the handle of her club. She swung the club at the man's left kneecap, and he screamed in pain as it audibly shattered from the blow. Barely managing to stay on his feet, he angrily swung the hammer again. Layla dodged the blow with ease, before swinging her club upwards in an arc, hitting the giant in the face and knocking him flying backwards. He landed on the ground in a heap, his jaw broken, and Layla finished him off by slamming the hammer into his face, smashing his head into meaty chunks. **- **

**-**_ Wow._ Veronica thought as she watched the red haired woman smash the giant's skull with her oversized club. _And I thought I'd seen it all._ Before she could ponder the girl further however, she saw that a thin looking merc in a merc charmer outfit was charging towards her with a machete.

He didn't look as drunk as the others, and slashed with his machete as though he was experienced with the weapon. Veronica ducked under the slash before delivering an uppercut with her power fist hand. The man quickly cartwheeled backwards to avoid the attack however, much to Veronica's surprise. _This could be interesting._ The man circled her slowly, his machete at the ready. He came at her from the left, and jumped into the air slightly before letting loose a downwards slash. Veronica rolled to the side to dodge the attack, before sweeping the man while still crouched. To her continued surprise, the man jumped over her sweep kick, and stabbed down towards her with his machete. She grabbed the blade mid stab before kicking the man back. He still held his machete, and as she got to her feet he let loose a barrage of slashes. Veronica weaved side to side to avoid every strike, and struck out with a straight punch using her power fist arm. The man had been waiting for this however. He grabbed her wrist, before making his way behind her and grabbing her in a chokehold with one hand. He then put his machete on his belt before using his other hand to hole the rest of her body still. She struggled to stay conscious as the man tried to squeeze the air from her lungs.

"You're good girly, but you're outmatched against me." Unlike the others, this man's breath didn't stink so badly. He still had the voice of a vulgar pig however, Veronica tried to break free. This merc was clearly experienced however, as she found herself completely unable to escape from his grasp. "Adios girly." The man whispered cockily into her ear, licking it and making her skin crawl as he did so. "Adios." **- **

The man with a knife in his eye tried to stab Layla. This was the equivalent of a blind man trying to punch Bruce Lee however. Layla side stepped his clumsy stab before ripping her knife out of his eye. She put it in the holster on her leg before kneeing the man in the guts. He fell to his knees, crying in pain, and Layla swung the club like she was playing golf, knocking the man's head clean off. It majestically flew through the air, dripping blood, before landing on the bar, looking at her with an expression of surprise on its face.

Layla was about to draw her weapon when she realised she'd taken her eyes of the girl. She spun around to see that a mercenary in a merc charmer outfit had the girl in a chokehold. _Damn. _She thought as she prepared to rush the merc.

"Not so fast bitch!" The merc shouted, taking the hand that held the girl's neck off said neck, and using it to grab the machete on his belt as he spoke. He quickly brought the machete to the girl's throat, and held it there threateningly. "Drop your weapon now!" Layla looked at her club and smirked.

"I have a better idea. Let her go, and I won't smash your skull into a pile of brains, blood and bone." Layla, retorted, walking towards the merc as she did so.

"Stop!" His grip tightened on the machete, and Layla stopped. "Take one more step, and I'll slit the girly's fucking throat!"

"I don't need to take a step to kill you." Layla holstered her club, and took That Gun, out of its holster. The merc immediately put the girl in front of him like a human shield.

"You try and shoot me, you'll be killing your friend for me bitch! You can't hit me, so drop the fucking gun!"

"1) She's not my friend. 2) I can hit you easily." Layla took aim with the pistol and the merc laughed, clearly confident that his human shield made him invincible.

"You think you can hit me? Ha! I'd like to see you fucking tr..." The merc never finished his sentence. Layla coolly and calmly fired That Gun, and the bullet flew straight into the man. Had anyone been able to see the bullet, they would've seen it blast straight through the man's right eye, through his brain, and out the other side of his skull. Now that he was dead, there was nothing holding on to the girl, and she broke free as the merc fell dead to the floor. The girl looked at the corpse in quiet amazement, then grinned at Layla.

"I really need to stop getting grabbed by drunk men don't I?" Layla smiled despite herself.

"You're welcome." She said casually as she made her way to the bar. The girl trotted after her.

"I'm Veronica." She said cheerfully.

"Layla." Layla sat down as she spoke, taking a bottle of whiskey that one of the mercs had been drinking and chugging it down.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but who gets drunk before noon?" Veronica asked. Layla turned to see a comically quizzical look on her face.

"I don't get drunk, this is just a little nourishment for the road." Layla chugged down the whole bottle, then got to her feet and started to walk. Veronica followed.

"So, you're leaving?"

"That's the idea."

"Where are you going?"

"Away from the pile of dead mercenaries in this outpost."

"Could you be a bit more specific?"

"I'm heading to Vegas. I've got somebody that I need to settle a score with."

"Can I come?" Veronica's question took Layla by surprise, and she stopped walking. Veronica nearly walked into her.

"Why do you want to come with me?" There was no anger in Layla's voice, just curiosity. Nevertheless, Veronica hesitated before answering.

"I...well...I just...I thought you could use some company, and I've always wanted to travel."

"You mean you've never left the 'comfort and safety' of the 188?"

"Well yeah, but I don't really have time to travel that much, and travelling with you seems like it could be fun. Plus you can clearly handle yourself."

"What do you bring to the table? Why would I want to have you following me around?"

"Well for one thing, I have a great sense of humour." Layla looked at her quizzically. "I'm also good at repairing stuff, and I like to punch things. Preferably with this baby." She motioned to the power fist on her hand. "I mean I can punch people's heads off. What more do you want?"

"Good point. Alright, come on." Layla continued walking, and Veronica followed.

"Before we go though, how do you feel about the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"I don't really know that much about them. Why?"

"Because I'm one of them." Layla didn't slow down in the slightest. "Why aren't you turning around and looking at me in shock?"

"Like I said, I know next to nothing about the Brotherhood, so it doesn't matter to me."

"Oh. Well...good I guess."

"What, did you want me to fear you?"

"A little." With that they walked out of the outpost, and headed for Vegas. On the outside Layla showed a lack of emotion, but on the inside she was smiling. It had begun to get a little lonely on the open road, and she was glad for the company.

"Oh by the way, do you like the NCR?" Layla asked Veronica as they walked.

"Not really." _This just gets better and better._ Layla thought to herself.

"So you wouldn't mind if I just randomly started killed NCR officials?"

"The NCR have been trying to kill the Brotherhood for years, so go right ahead."

"Excellent." Layla could tell that this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

**_So was it good? Did I get Veronica's personality right? Let me know in the reviews._**


	5. A Close Encounter of the Clawed Kind

**_Here it is, chapter 5. Here our two heroines grow closer as they fight for their lives. As you do. Enjoy and feel free to reivew.  
><em>**

A Close Encounter of the Clawed Kind

Veronica had to admit, Layla was an interesting travelling companion. When they were alone, she showed little to no emotion. When within three feet of an NCR patrol however, Veronica almost had to hold her back, like yanking on the collar of a vicious dog. Layla was pleasant enough to chat to, but she seemed to lack social graces. She didn't talk about herself that much, and tended to be surly to anyone who even pretended to like the NCR. When the woman could wield a club bigger than her as if it was made of paper, and smash a man's skull with a single swing of said club however, Veronica wasn't going to complain about her communication skills.

After leaving the 188, Veronica and Layla had taken a little detour through some nearby mountains, before making camp in said mountains. They now sat in the camp as the sun set and the moon took its place watching over the Mojave.

"Wow." Veronica said as the sun descended, blanketing the wasteland in a beautiful glow. "I love sunsets." If Layla shared the sentiment she didn't show it. She sat in front of the fire they'd made (Well Veronica had made, Layla wasn't much of a survivalist) and performed maintenance on her various weapons. Her cowboy repeater, single shotgun, rebar club, combat knife and That Gun lay on the ground in front of her, and she took turns inspecting each one. She picked up her knife and began to wipe the blood off it.

"You don't talk much do you?" Veronica asked. Layla didn't look away from her work as she answered.

"We've only been together for a short while. I'm not feeling very chatty."

"You should learn to open up more. Maybe it would make you less angry."

"I think I'd have the same amount of anger, but you'd have nightmares if I talked about myself."

"Fair enough." An uneasy silence descended over the camp, during which Veronica continued to look at the sunset, and Layla continued to clean the blood off her knife. There was a LOT of blood on the knife though, so Layla could tell it would take a while. "You're doing that wrong you know." Veronica's voice interrupted the silence so suddenly that Layla nearly dropped the knife in surprise.

"What?" She actually looked up from her cleaning work now.

"You're cleaning the knife wrong. Cleaning it that way will never get the blood out."

"And you know this how?"

"I'm a Brotherhood Scribe remember? I spent most of my time in the bunker maintaining equipment."

"The bunker?"

"Nevermind." A gloom descended over Veronica's features, and the cheerful expression on her face turned somber.

"Now who isn't being talkative?" Veronica's expression brightened up a little at that.

"Alright fine. The Brotherhood live in an underground bunker."

"Any particular reason why?"

"A lot of the Brotherhood were killed in the battle of Helios One. The rest holed up in an underground bunker in Hidden Valley. The guy in charge, Elder McNamara, made us seal the exit, and nobody has been allowed to leave since. Apart from scouts."

"And you, clearly."

"I wasn't so much allowed to leave as I was pushed out the door. I keep getting sent out to get supplies, but I'm fairly certain they all have a party when I leave."

"I can imagine why." Veronica looked at Layla with a slightly annoyed look on her face, and smiled before continuing.

"So yeah, they're all down there in that bunker, and the elder won't let anyone leave, so it doesn't look like the Brotherhood presence in the Mojave will be around much longer."

"But why doesn't he let anyone leave?"

"I'm guessing it's because he's scared shitless of the NCR. He thinks they're still hunting the Brotherhood, and so keeps everybody hiding underground."

"I'm guessing that doesn't sit well with you."

"That's putting it mildly. I kind of made a habit of questioning McNamara's decision, and made it publicly known that I think the Brotherhood needs a change of direction. I'm fairly certain that's why I'm out here talking to you now, so I can't really complain." Veronica sat back after speaking, and now that the sunset had ended, looked up at the moon and the stars in the sky.

"So...could you help me clean my knife?" Veronica looked at Layla with a surprised look on her face, which quickly turned into a smirk.

"Does the mighty warrior need my help?"

"Yes she does."

"I may consider it."

"I'd consider it faster if I were you. This knife is only going to get bloodier as we continue our journey."

"Well...who am I to refuse?" They then spent a while cleaning and repairing all Layla's equipment. According to the Pip Boy, it was midnight when they finished.

"Wow, it usually takes me twice the time to do that." Layla said in a surprised tone, looking at the immaculate condition her weapons were now in.

"That's because you've never had a scribe helping you." Veronica smiled her warm smile, then curled up into her bedroll. "Goodnight." Before Layla could even reply, the sound of snoring told her that Veronica was asleep. Unlike Veronica, Layla decided to stay awake. She lay back on the ground, looking up at the stars and thinking. She fell asleep a short while later.

The next morning they continued walking through the mountains, the tantalising heights of New Vegas getting ever closer as the day went by. Early in the afternoon they came to a small drop, no more than six feet in height. At the bottom of that drop was a large blank stretch of desert, basically a straight line to the outskirts of Vegas. _We're almost there._ Layla thought to herself as she looked at Vegas in the distance. _Not long now till I make Benny suffer._

"Come on!" Veronica said as she lowered herself down the drop. "Not much further now!" Layla quickly followed, and they started walking down the blank stretch of desert. The only real decoration was an oversized rock nearby. There didn't seem to be any sign of life. No beasts to attack them as they made their way. Appearances can be deceiving however. As they walked, Layla heard something. She grabbed Veronica and pushed her against the large rock.

"What are you..." Layla quickly shushed Veronica. She got the message, and went silent as Layla peeked around out from behind the rock. She looked to where she'd heard the sound, and saw something that made her blood run cold. She hid back behind that rock, her face a mask of fear.

"Oh shit." She said, her voice full of dread. Veronica had never heard Layla sound even slightly afraid, and she started to become very worried.

"What is it? Can I hit it?"

"I wouldn't recommend that."

"Why not?"

"Because the thing out there is 10 feet tall, covered with scales, has teeth bigger than your fingers, and has claws that could slice through metal." Veronica's fear grew substantially.

"Please don't tell me it's a deathclaw."

"Believe me, I wish it wasn't." Layla risked another peek out from behind the rock, and looked at the deathclaw. It was several feet away from them, but taking into account a deathclaw's speed, they might as well have been standing right next to it. There was a corpse on the ground next to the deathclaw, and Layla released that the sound she'd heard had been the beast eating the corpse. The corpse was human, and looked to be a random traveller. The corpse's head was lying a few feet away from it, and the deathclaw's signature claws were stained with blood. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened here.

"We need to move." She said, getting back behind the rock and looking Veronica in the eyes. "Now." Veronica had never seen such urgency in Layla's voice before, and nodded her agreement. "Take it slow though. Those bastards have really good hearing." They slowly crept away from the rock, and continued down the blank stretch of desert, trying to use the rock to stay out of sight as they did so. They crept back, ever so slowly, looking in the direction of the deathclaw as they did to make sure that they hadn't caught its attention. Layla knew that if it didn't hear them, they'd be fine. If it did hear them however, there was nowhere for them to hide from the beast's sight, and it would make a meal out of them in less than a minute. So far the beast seemed focused on its meal, so as long as they were perfectly quiet, it wouldn't look up and spot them. That's when she tripped.

Not looking where she'd been going, Layla tripped over a loose rock, and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Veronica looked at Layla in stunned horror, and in the second it took the sound to travel to the deathclaw's ears, it looked up too.

"Shit!" Layla shouted in frustration. She got to her feet and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Veronica immediately followed her example, sprinting as fast as she could down the blank stretch of desert, and in the opposite direction of the deathclaw. As they ran, Layla heard footsteps thudding behind her, faster than any human could possibly produce footsteps. She turned around and saw that the deathclaw was still running. If they'd stayed where they were, it would've reached them by now. As it stood, the beast was right behind them. It was keeping pace with ridiculous ease, and Layla knew that there was no way in hell they'd be able to outrun it.

"Keep running!" She yelled, stopping and pulling her single shotgun out of her bag as she did so.

"What?" Veronica shouted back in disbelief.

"Just go!" Layla quickly loaded a slug into the shotgun, before firing at the beast that was rushing her. She was hoping that the powerful slug would blow the beast's head apart. Instead, it only stunned the beast slightly. Before Layla could even swear under her breath the beast recovered, and leaped at her. It sliced down with its huge claws as it landed, and Layla rolled out of the way to avoid being mutilated. She loaded another slug and fired at the deathclaw's back as it landed. The slug knocked the beast forward a bit, but it quickly turned to face her before bearing its claws once again. Layla knew that in the time it would take her to load another slug, the beast would have separated her head from her neck, so she put the shotgun in her bag and took her club off its holster on her back. The size of the oversized weapon didn't frighten the beast in the slightest. _Facing off against a deathclaw in melee combat? I think all these chems I've been taking are damaging my brain. _Layla thought to herself, what she was sure was her last thought as the beast charged. Seconds before it reached her, Layla saw something that made her question her vision.

Veronica leaped through the air towards the rushing beast, and delivered a flying kick to its face. The deathclaw stumbled backwards in surprise, and Veronica quickly landed on her feet before delivering an uppercut with her power fist. The force of the punch knocked the beast flat on its back, and Layla stood with her mouth agape at Veronica's handy work.

"Impressed?" Veronica asked, a mischievous grin on her face. Layla's surprised look disappeared, quickly replaced with her normal facial expression.

"I told you to run on without me."

"And you actually thought I'd do it?" They both smiled.

"You kicked it."

"Yes, I believe I did."

"I've never seen you kick something before. I thought you could only punch."

"What can I say? I'm very flexible." Before the conversation could continue, the deathclaw leaped to its feet, growling in anger.

"Let's hope you're flexible enough to kill a deathclaw." The deathclaw looked at the both of them, unsure as to which target it should attack first. Layla gave it some incentive by charging with her club and smacking it in the face with all her strength. The beast merely stumbled from a blow that had cracked the skulls of many men, before recovering and swiping with one of its lethal claws. Layla jumped back to dodge, and Veronica quickly jumped in to assist. Literally. She jumped towards the deathclaw before smacking it in the face with her power fist. Once again the beast stumbled back, and once again it seemed to take no damage.

"I don't know about you, but I'm, getting a little nervous now." Veronica said as she landed.

"We can't win this fight, we have to get out of here."

"Maybe if you ask it nicely, it'll let us go?" The beast suddenly charged forwards, slashing furiously with its claws. Veronica ducked under a slash and tried to sweep kick the deathclaw. Its legs packed more muscle than her entire body however, and kicking it proved to be quite painful. Surprised by how strong the beast's legs were, Veronica lost her balance and fell to the ground. The beast quickly capitalised, getting on top of Veronica's lying form and trying to stab her. "Hey, at least buy me dinner before you mount me!" Veronica said as the beast got on top of her. Her quip was filled with fear however, rightly so as the beast prepared to stab her neck with its massive claws.

Layla quickly intervened, charging and smacking the beast with her club, knocking it off Veronica. While Veronica got to her feet, Layla charged to deliver a counter attack to the dazed deathclaw. She swung the club in a horizontal arc, hitting the beast in the chest with a blow that had crushed ribs when she'd used it on humans. The deathclaw quickly retaliated, unleashing a slash aimed at Layla's chest. She blocked the blow with the handle of her club, but the claw sliced through the club like a knife through butter. It cut straight through the handle, splitting the club in two.

Layla didn't have time to mourn the death of her weapon however, as the beast unleashed another strike. She rolled to the side to dodge, but the beast quickly dashed after her. The second she got to her feet, it slashed her leg. She screamed in pain as the claw cut through all the flesh and bone on the leg, spraying blood everywhere and causing Layla to fall to the ground. She'd never felt such incredible pain before, and her vision began to blur. _No, don't lose consciousness godammit! Stay awake! _Her stern thought order kept her awake, but the deathclaw quickly readied one of its claws, now soaked with Layla's blood.

A whistle suddenly filled the air however, and the beast turned around just in time to be hit in the face by a powerful punch from Veronica. It stumbled back, and Layla quickly took That Gun from her thigh holster. The beast began to swiftly move towards Veronica, but Layla fired madly with That Gun, spraying bullets into the deathclaw's back and kneecaps. She had to load another shot each time she fired, but did that with blinding speed. She seemed to be doing at least some damage, because the deathclaw turned its attention away from Veronica, and towards her as That Gun's clip emptied. As its reptilian eyes locked with Layla's eyes, she reloaded That Gun.

"Fuck you." She said with as much venom as she could muster, before firing a shot directly into the deathclaw's left eye. The bullet hit the mark, and the beast roared in pain as the bullet blew its eye apart. Its remaining eye glared furiously at Layla, and she loaded another shot into That Gun before answering the glare with a bullet. The beast roared in agony as it was shot in the eye for the second time, completely blinding it. Veronica saw her chance, and leaped towards the beast before punching it in the face with all the strength she could muster. Disoriented from its recent blinding, the beast couldn't keep its balance and the blow knocked it right to the ground. Not wasting a second, Veronica dashed over to Layla the second she landed. She did her best to help Layla to her feet, but Layla cried out in pain as she tried to stand.

"Dammit!" She yelled in pure anger. "Just leave me here, I'll only slow you down. You can escape while the fucker's eating me."

"Is that a joke?"

"Go!"

"Not going to happen." Layla was stunned by Veronica's conviction. "I'm not leaving you behind." Doing her best to support Layla, Veronica half dragged and half carried her away from the deathclaw. Still stunned by its recent blinding, the beast didn't follow as they made their slow, lumbering getaway. They managed to make it several feet away, when the beast starting getting to its feet.

"Oh hell." Layla said as she saw the beast stand up, and begin sniffing around for them. Then she began to whisper. "Alright, it can't see us, but it can still smell and hear us. Don't make any sounds whatsoever. And try not to trip."

"You're the one who tripped, not me." Veronica whispered, smiling slightly.

"Just keep it in mind and be careful." They continued to lumber down the blank stretch of desert, looking behind them every so often to make sure that the deathclaw wasn't following. After a while they came to a bridge, and saw several NCR soldiers patrolling under it.

"Please don't try to kill them." Veronica said sarcastically.

"Very funny. I may not be able to kill them in my current state, but I know what can." She whistled down to the NCR patrol, and the soldiers quickly looked up. "Oh please help me!" Layla said, trying her best to sound as hysterical as possible. Veronica looked at her with a stunned look on her face, then quickly realised that Layla was acting and put an expression of fear on her face."We were just attacked on the road by Caesar's Legion!" Layla continued, and the NCR soldiers took interest. "They're chasing us, please help!" The NCR soldiers talked amongst each other quickly, then one of them shouted up to her.

"Where are the soldiers who attacked you now?" He shouted, sounding more concerned about the legionaries that the fact that Layla was bleeding gallons of blood.

"They're right behind us! Just follow the blank stretch of desert and you can't miss them!" Veronica realised what Layla was doing now, and smirked despite herself. _Well, well, aren't you devious? _She thought to herself as the NCR soldier who had spoken earlier quickly replied.

"Fear not miss, we'll deal with those Legion bastards! There's a medical clinic just up the road. You go there and leave the Legion soldiers to us!" The soldiers made their way onto the bridge and ran in the direction that Layla and Veronica had just come from. The sound of all of them running at once would be more than loud enough to get the deathclaw's attention.

"You really are evil aren't you?" Veronica asked as they continued across the bridge and up the road on the other side to the medical clinic that the soldier had spoken of.

"...Maybe." Layla smiled evilly, and Veronica shook her head.

"Was it really worth sending those soldiers to get eaten by a deathclaw?"

"Well it amused me for one thing, and for another it should distract the deathclaw so that he doesn't keep chasing us."

"Fair enough. So how's your leg?"

"I'll tell you when it stops bleeding."

A short while later they reached the fabled medical clinic spoken of by the random NCR grunt who was most likely a deathclaw's lunch by now. By this point Layla was barely conscious and had lost a lot of blood, so Veronica didn't hesitate before kicking the door open. They entered a dark, dank reception area populated only by a leather clad mercenary and a lone doctor.

"Hello and welcome to the New Vegas Medical Clinic. I'm Doctor Usanagi."

"Hey how's it going? My friend's dying." Veronica said urgently. Doctor Usanagi gazed at Layla's leg, completely failing to hide the look of amazement on her face.

"What did this?"

"Death...claw." Layla answered in a dazed voice. Her head was swimming and her vision was getting blurry. She could barely hear Veronica and Usanagi talk, and knew that she would faint soon.

"I see. Get her to one of the beds." Layla blacked out briefly as Veronica carried her and followed Usanagi into one of the back rooms. When she woke up, she was lying on a hospital bed. Doctor Usanagi was standing over her, a large needle in her hand.

"I'm going to give you a mild anaesthetic to knock you out." Usanagi said.

"I think...the blood loss...will do that for you." Layla replied as exhaustion washed over her and she blacked out again.

*Later*

Layla opened her eyes slowly, vision adjusting to the bright light shining above her. She felt a dull throbbing in her leg, but besides that the pain was gone. She tried to sit up but her leg protested, so she stayed lying down, and scanned the room with her eyes. It wasn't much, but it least it was reasonably clean, unlike most places she'd woken up in throughout the Mojave. She had a small feeling of déjà vu, flashing back to when she'd woken up in Doc Mitchell's house. _What ever happened to him? _Layla thought to herself as her brain started to wake up, and then she remembered. _I killed him. _She felt a small pang of remorse, but it was gone before she could identify it.

"Oh you're up." Veronica said as she walked into the room, a happy expression on her face, as was the norm with Veronica.

"Apparently." Layla said groggily. "So tell me, will I ever dance again?" Veronica smiled widely before replying.

"Dancing I don't know, but you should be able to walk again. The doc says that the slash didn't do any damage to the nerves in your leg, and once the wound heals you should be good as new."

"And how long will that take?"

"Normally about a month, but the doc says you have an unusual skill for healing from life threatening wounds, so the leg should heal within a week."

"It's probably from all the times I've nearly been killed by exploring the wastes. Guess my body just got good at healing."

"That doesn't make much sense, but whatever. The doc says she wants to check on your leg, then we can go."

"Go where? I'm hardly in any condition to go to New Vegas if I can't walk."

"Well the doc told me about the surrounding area, and if you don't want to go into Freeside then we have two options. There's Camp McCarran..." Layla laughed harshly at the mention of the camp.

"As in NCR Camp McCarran? You must be joking. What about the second option?"

"Across the road from the camp is the El Rey Hotel. It's abandoned, and pretty scummy from what the doc's told me. It's mostly a hangout for chem addicts with no caps these days so it doesn't seem like a nice place to stay." There was a brief silence, then an annoyed look appeared on Veronica's face. "You're going to make us stay in the dirty abandoned motel as opposed to the moderately less dirty, well stocked military base across the road aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Damn. Well, I'd better tell the doc you're awake so she can check your leg and we can get going." As Veronica turned to leave, Layla noticed to her surprise that there appeared to be a tear running down Veronica's cheek.

"Veronica...are you...crying?" Veronica turned around quickly.

"No! Well...I was really worried about you. When they were treating you, I thought..." More tears began to run from her eyes. "I thought you weren't going to make it. You're the only real friend I've ever head and I guess..."

"It's alright Veronica." Layla said soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere. I wouldn't be here at all if you hadn't ignored my pleas to leave me behind. You saved my life."

"I'm sure you'd do the same for me." Veronica replied, her smile returning. With that she walked out of the room to find Doctor Usanagi. _I'm lucky to have found someone like her._Layla thought happily as she lay back in the bed, a large smile on her face.

**_Aw, a happy ending. For now anyway. This chapter is sort of based on an experience I had in the game. Layla herself is based on the second character I created on New Vegas, and while journeying to Vegas with Veronica, we came across a deathclaw and had to sneak by it. In the game however, there were two deathclaws. Luckily they didn't actually see us. Since Layla's attire isn't mentioned at all in this chapter, just remember that she's still wearing the ranger red scarf outfit from the last chapter, which as some of you may know, offers no damage resistance. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next one will be coming soon. Also, please review as I need as much constructive criticism and and as many comments as I can get._**


	6. Cooking with Fire

_**It took a while but here's the next chapter, complete with violence and character development. There's something for everyone! As always, reviews and comments are welcome.**_

Cooking with Fire

Veronica stood alone in the ruins that littered the outskirts of New Vegas. She was leaning against the wall of a partially destroyed building, an annoyed look on her face. _How could she ask me to wait here? _Veronica thought angrily as she watched some tumbleweed roll down the road. _Honestly, I thought she trusted me. _Veronica was not a happy bunny. Just around the corner from where she stood, there was a large ruined building that was the hideout of Cook-Cook, an infamous member of the Fiends with a particularly large bounty on his head. Apparently this bounty was large enough for Layla to actually associate with the NCR. _All it takes is some money, and she'd probably lick your boots. _Veronica thought, a small smile appearing on her face. The tumbleweed she'd been watching stopped as it hit a wall, putting an end to that piece of entertainment.

Gunshots suddenly filled the air, followed by a stream of incomprehensible gibberish, screamed out by a man at the top of his lungs. Veronica had come to think of screaming gibberish as a trademark of the chem addicts that made up the Fiends. A few seconds later she heard voices scream in pain, followed by more gunshots, then more gibberish. Then she heard what sounded like a miniature explosion. _That sounds like a heavy incinerator. _Veronica was no gun expert, but she had been forced to study up on weapons back at the bunker, so knew enough to recognise a gun by the sound it made. _I guess this guy really is a pyromaniac. _For the first time, she began to feel nervous for Layla's safety. She had complete confidence in her friend, and her brain told her that the fear was irrational, but worry is a feeling that is impossible to fight off once it's made its way inside your skull.

_Stop being ridiculous, she'll be fine. This is Layla we're talking about here. She's so tough she's practically bullet proof._ Despite these reassuring thoughts, Veronica found herself listening closely to the battle that was going on around the corner. She heard a slightly futuristic sounding gunshot, which she recognised as That Gun. She then heard the heavy incinerator fire again. Then there was nothing. _What the hell is going on down there? _Veronica listened even more closely, straining her ears to pick out every last sound. She was rewarded, as she was able to pick out a barely audible thud, followed by a deep voice screaming in pain.

"I'm bleeding!" The voice shouted. "I'M BLEEDING YOU FUCKING BITCH!" _Layla threw her knife at him. _Veronica started to relax now, her nervousness fading away. _She's getting accurate at throwing that thing, probably hit a major vein or artery. This is as good as over. _

"You won't be needed this." Veronica heard a metallic thud, and realised that Layla had thrown away the heavy incinerator. _Yeah, this is as good as over._ Veronica closed her eyes, and pictured Layla standing over Cook-Cook in her leather armour, oversized club at the ready. Veronica had put the pieces of the club, the only remains after the deathclaw had sliced it in half, in Layla's bag before they escaped the beast, and she'd spent the days Layla had been out of action repairing the weapon. Layla had been very pleased. Now Layla would be raising the club over her head, preparing to bring it crashing down. She wouldn't smash Cook-Cook's skull, especially when they needed his head to get the bounty. She'd probably smash his rib cage, make him die of internal bleeding. She was smarter than she looked. In her mind's eye, Veronica saw Layla gripping the raised club tightly, and bringing it crashing down, right onto...

A scream filled the air. A female scream. It was followed by laughter, and then a sound Veronica recognised as a flamer firing. A cry of pain filled the air, and the male voice laughed even more. _Crap. _Veronica ran around the corner, disregarding Layla's request, and rushed to the building to help her friend. Her mind filled with dread as she rocketed down the road towards the building. As she got close, she saw a blast of fire burst from the wreckage, followed by Cook-Cook's insane laughter.

A few days earlier

"I don't care if you're willing to pay Major, you can take your job and shove it up your ass!" Major Dhatri did not look amused, and Veronica quietly wished that the ground would open up and suck her in. Soldiers all over the camp were beginning to stare at them. Veronica didn't like being looked at, which was why she wore a hood. Layla was currently being highly disagreeable with a high ranking NCR official, in the middle of possibly the NCR's biggest base. In Veronica's opinion, the fact that Layla hadn't splattered Dhatri's brains all over the nearest tent showed remarkable self restraint on her part. Still, Layla's outburst did seem mostly uncalled for. Of course, Veronica would never tell Layla that.

Layla's leg had sufficiently healed a few days ago, allowing her to successfully walk. They had entered Camp McCarran (To Layla's reluctance), looking for supplies, when Major Dhatri had approached them looking for assistance. They hadn't been shot on sight, so Veronica assumed nobody here knew about Layla's NCR murdering activities. Veronica didn't know most of the details herself, and she preferred to keep it that way. Dhatri had offered Layla a job. This was the equivalent of asking Hitler to oversee a Jewish wedding. Layla had refused, barely resisting the urge to punch Dhatri in the face, but Dhatri had pressed the issue. He'd offered to pay, and Layla had flipped.

Now they found themselves in the middle of the base, being watched by most of the NCR soldiers there. Said NCR soldiers seemed to be debating whether to shoot at Layla, while Layla and Dhatri glared at each other, both daring the other to make the next move. As it turned out, Dhatri took the initiative, and made his move first.

"Just hear me out. There are three high ranking members of the Fiends hiding in and around the South Vegas ruins. Their names are Driver Nephi, Violet, and Cook-Cook." Layla looked at Dhatri dubiously. "These guys are off their faces with chems. Don't blame me if they've given themselves weird names. Anyway, if you kill these fiends and bring me their heads, I'll give you 250 caps per head." Layla seemed to calm down a little and paused, seemingly thinking over Dhatri's proposal. Veronica prayed that Layla wouldn't display her refusal by putting a bullet in Dhatri's head, since she didn't quite feel like fighting a small army of NCR troops.

"You've got a deal."

"Really?" Veronica and Dhatri both asked at the same time. Layla simply walked away, and Veronica followed her.

"You hate the NCR like the Fiends hate sobriety, so why would you agree to work with them?" Veronica asked Layla, dreadfully confused.

"Reason 1: I'm getting paid a lot of money for this. Reason 2: I get to practice my skills after being out of action for several days. Reason 3: I used to be a bounty hunter before I became a courier, and I especially enjoy bounty hunting jobs." Veronica had a surprised look on her face as she and Layla left the base.

"Wow, I'm impressed. You're actually starting to get over this obsessive hatred you have with for NCR."

"Not quite. I plan to steal as many supplies from that base as I can carry tonight."

*Later*

It didn't take them long to find one of the three fiends. They ran into Driver Nephi's camp by accident, and a large fight had quickly broken out. Before Layla knew it, Driver Nephi had been trying to bludgeon her face with a golf club. She believed it was a driver iron.

She readied her club as Nephi rushed her, screaming like a wild animal. Nephi almost looked like he had rabies. The psycho swung his club at Layla's head with almost inhuman speed, but Layla ducked easily. She swung with her rebar club, but Nephi parried the blow. He swung the club with accuracy that was impressive for a chem addict, raining down a barrage of blows aimed for Layla's face. Layla weaved side to side to dodge each strike, before unleashing her own blow aimed at Nephi's hand. Her rebar club broke Nephi's hand with a single blow, causing him to drop his club.

Layla didn't know if it was because Nephi had a large tolerance for pain (Possible, since Layla had heard he'd survived being sniped by NCR's First Recon), or if he was so high on chems at the moment that he simply didn't feel pain (Also possible, seeing as the wrecked building Nephi called home was littered with chems of every variety), but Nephi didn't even blink when the bones in his hand audibly shattered. Instead he just shouted something incomprehensible and picked up the driver iron with his only working hand before running at Layla again.

Layla dodged Nephi's swing, which was surprisingly powerful seeing as only one of his hands was working, by rolling to the side. She stayed crouched after finishing the roll before swinging her club at Nephi's knee caps. Both Nephi's knees shattered under Layla's assault, and Nephi fell to the floor. Still seemingly feeling no pain, Nephi barked at Layla on the ground, before attempting to slither towards her, muttering gibberish as he did. _What's he planning to do, bite me? I want some of whatever chem he's taking._ Layla thought to herself as she put away her club and drew her combat knife. She stood on Nephi's head to stop him from moving, before slitting his throat with the knife. Nephi finally showed some sign of pain as his head went limp and his heart stopped beating. Layla smiled in satisfaction before turning to Veronica to see that her companion had single handedly killed all of Nephi's henchmen, probably literally, keeping in mind Veronica's use of the power fist.

"You know, from the way everyone in Camp McCarran was going on about how many soldiers this guy killed, I thought he'd actually be a challenge. Oh well." With that, Layla began to saw off Nephi's head using her combat knife. Blood and pieces of flesh fell to the floor as Layla sawed, and Veronica turned away from the gruesome sight, barely managing to avoid vomiting. After a few minutes of sawing, Layla finally managed to cut through Nephi's neck and spinal cord, allowing her to detach the head. She held the head up in triumph, getting a strange look from Veronica as she did so.

"That was...pleasant." Veronica said, looking a bit nauseous as she did so.

"One down, two more to go. If they're as weak as this guy then we should be done by the end of the day." With that, Layla put the head in her bag and walked off. Veronica quickly followed.

"You do realise I could probably have just punched his head off right?

*Later*

It took them a day to find Violet, the next Fiend on their list. The day was spent trekking through the South Vegas ruins, killing several fiends along the way and spending the night in an abandoned factory. They woke up the next morning stiff from the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, and continued their search. At about midday they stepped out of the South Vegas ruins and cast their eyes on Violet's camp. Said camp was really just a trailer park, but it was surrounded by a large number of dogs.

"It's about time we found this place. I'm getting REALLY sick of Fiends." Veronica sat on the desert ground, tired from all the walking they'd been doing and all the Fiends they'd been fighting. Layla took her binoculars out of her bag, which smelled very bad on account of the rotting head inside the bag. Veronica recoiled slightly at the sight of the head, and Layla grinned a little before using the binoculars to look ahead.

"The soldiers back at Camp McCarran said that Violet had a lot of pet dogs. How many are there?" Veronica asked as Layla scanned the camp with the binoculars.

"About ten. And they look vicious."

"Fantastic."

"You're not afraid of a few little mutts are you?"

"The dogs? No. The fact that they may have rabies? Yes." Layla shook her head, then crept towards Violet's camp with Veronica in tow. "What's the point of sneaking? Won't the dogs just sniff us out?"

"They're asleep. With any luck we can kill the bitch and get out without waking any of the dogs." The second Layla spoke, a dog stumbled out of a nearby trailer, squinting at the desert sunlight. Layla swore under her breath, realising that there'd been more dogs in the trailers that she hadn't seen through her binoculars. The dog immediately caught her scent, and barked loudly. The other dogs in the camp immediately woke up, and charged at Layla and Veronica.

"Something tells me that sneaking up on Violet isn't going to work." Veronica said as the dogs rushed them.

"Shut up and hit them." One of the dogs leapt at Layla, its mouth covered with dry blood and its fangs bared in anticipation. Layla quickly drew her club and swung it like a baseball bat, whacking the dog out of the air. The dog flew across the desert ground, before landing headfirst on a rock. Seeing how easily Layla had disposed of their comrade, the dogs stopped their charge, seemingly pausing to consider whether this attack was a good idea. They quickly made up their minds and circled Layla. Before any of them could strike however, Veronica dashed towards the nearest dog and delivered an uppercut to its jaw, knocking the mutt into the air.

The dogs snarled at Layla and one of them darted forwards to try and bite her leg. Layla kicked out to stop the attacking dog, knocking the mutt onto its back. She quickly brought her club down on the dog's skull, killing it. Before Layla could catch her breath however, three more dogs rushed her. She swung her club in a horizontal arc, hitting all the dogs in the skull and knocking them all flying backwards. Two dogs charged at Veronica, but she delivered a roundhouse kick that knocked them both back. They got to their feet, but in the time it took them to do so, Veronica had closed the gap. Before the dogs could so much as breathe, Veronica punched the first in the face with her power fist, shattering the dog's skull and killing it instantly. She kneed the second dog in the face, knocking the mutt onto its back, before darting over to the dog and punching it in the face too to be on the safe side.

While Veronica was distracted by this however, a dog charged at her back. She turned around just in time for the mutt to pounce on her and knock her to the ground. The beast snarled at her angrily, foaming at the mouth as it did so.

"Rabies. I knew it." The dog went for her throat with its fangs, but Veronica quickly grabbed the dog's mouth. She pushed the mutts head back, before letting go of the dog's mouth and grabbing the dog's neck. Before the mutt knew what was happening, Veronica twisted with all her might, snapping the poor dog's neck like a twig. She pushed the dead hound off her and got to her feet, panting slightly.

Layla meanwhile had come face to face with what seemed to be the leader of the pack. The dog was slightly larger than the other mutts, and had a collar. Layla just had enough time to read the named 'Violetta' off the collar, before the mutt went for her throat. Violetta was fast, really fast, and Layla realised that perhaps Violet was giving her dogs the same chems she was giving herself. Violetta reached Layla blindingly quickly and sprung upwards to chew on her throat. Layla blocked the bite with the handle of her club, just barely managing to avoid having her throat ripped out. While the hungry mutt chewed on the handle of her club, Layla kicked Violetta in the face, knocking her flying onto her back. Before Violetta could get up, Layla ran up to her and smashed her skull with the rebar club, spraying bits of dog skull and dog brains everywhere.

Layla took a second to catch her breath, but was interrupted by a gun shot. She rolled to the side to avoid having a bullet put in her, and looked to see where the bullet had come from to see Violet, hiding inside a nearby trailer. The Fiend held a hunting rifle in surprisingly good condition, the barrel of which was still smoking from the shot fired seconds before. Violet barked loudly like the ferocious dogs she'd trained, before loading another bullet. Layla dived behind a nearby trailer to take cover, and found Veronica crouched next to her.

"This is going well." Veronica said sarcastically as they took cover behind the trailer while Violet rained down shots.

"The dogs are dead aren't they?"

"It would seem not." Veronica was leaning out of cover slightly as she said this, looking at the opposite end of the camp. Layla followed her gaze, and saw several more dogs emerging from the trailers around Violet.

"Crap." Layla counted six dogs in total, and they all howled at the sky. Violet joined them in their howling, giving Layla a split second of opportunity. "Alright, stay here and distract the dogs. I'm going in."

"Joy of joys." Layla dashed over to a nearby trailer, before rolling behind it. Violet and her hounds ceased their howling, and the mutts rushed the trailer that Veronica hid behind. While they were doing this, Violet climbed on top of her trailer and started barking madly, before taking aim with her rifle. She had no idea that Layla had moved, and Layla quickly took advantage by sneaking around the back of the trailer. She snuck anti clockwise around the camp, until she came to Violet's trailer. Violet was still looking through the iron sights of her rifle, so she didn't see Layla climb on top of the trailer and sneak towards her. The massive amount of chems she'd been taking seemed to have negatively affected Violet's perception, as she didn't even look up when Layla rushed her with her club. Layla let loose a powerful strike with her club as she reached Violet, knocking the Fiend flying off the roof of the trailer, and across the camp. Violet landed head first on the dirt, but because of her Fiend helmet took minimal damage, and quickly got to her feet.

Layla dropped off the trailer and approached Violet, preparing the finishing blow. Violet wasn't finished however, and quickly tackled Layla to the floor, making her drop her club. Violet tried to claw Layla's eyes out with her dirty, uncut nails, but Layla punched the woman in the face before kicking Violet off her. Violet quickly rolled to her feet and rushed Layla again, but was rewarded for her efforts by a punch to the stomach as Layla quickly got to her feet. Violet stumbled backwards, winded from the blow, before running to where her rifle had landed, a few feet away from her. Layla calmly pulled That Gun out of her thigh holster however, before firing two shots into Violet's back. Violet fell forward onto her stomach, blood pouring from her back, as Layla walked over to her club. Violet had just managed to get back to her feet, when Layla rushed her with her club again, and smacked Violet in the face with all her strength. The force of the swing broke Violet's neck, and knocked her head clean off. It flew across the camp, before landing in Veronica's outstretched hand.

"You're out!" Veronica grinned.

"Nice catch." Layla said casually, wiping the dog blood off her trousers as she did so.

"That's a lot more efficient than slowly and disgustingly sawing her head off with your knife."

"Yeah, but there's a chance I could damage the head. We don't get paid if its unrecognisable remember?"

"Looks fine to me." Veronica tossed the head to Layla, who caught it easily before depositing it in the bag with Nephi's head.

"So how'd it go with Violet's six remaining dogs?"

"Not too bad. They didn't respond well to power fist punches to the face. How'd it go with Violet?"

"The woman was so high on chems she thought she was a dog. Needless to say it wasn't much of a challenge."

"Who's next?"

"Just one Fiend left now. Cook-Cook. Apparently he's a pyromaniac and a fabulous chef."

"Maybe we can convince him to cook us a meal before we cut his head off and take it back to Camp McCarran as a trophy?"

"One can only hope."

*Later*

They had to venture through the South Vegas ruins again to reach Cook-Cook's hideout, but seeing as all the Fiends in that area were pretty much dead it took them half the time that the first journey had taken them. Just a few hours after setting off, they arrived at a street corner. Around said corner was Cook-Cook's hideout, which was no doubt crawling with Fiends. It also smelt like a barbecue was going on, which made Veronica's stomach rumble.

"Alright, let's go kick some ass!" She said enthusiastically as they reached the street corner. She moved to turn the corner, but Layla grabbed her arm. Veronica turned around in surprise, and was filled with even more surprise when she saw the serious look on Layla's face. "Is something wrong?" There was a pause before Layla answered.

"I need you to stay here." A look of surprise appeared on Veronica's face. Layla had never asked her to wait behind before.

"But why? Don't you trust me to watch your back?"

"I do, but I need you to trust me and stay here." Veronica had never heard Layla sound so serious before. Something didn't seem right.

"You don't need to protect me you know. I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"Please Veronica, just stay here." Layla's eyes had a quiet intensity that chilled Veronica to the bone. Layla's grip on her arm tightened, and Veronica was nervous that Layla would rip it out of its socket.

"Alright fine. I'll stay here." Veronica said this with no emotion in her voice.

"Thank you." Layla replied with an equal lack of emotion, before letting go of Veronica's arm and looking to turn the corner.

"If you're going in there alone, then you'd better be careful." Veronica said, concern filling her voice.

"This is me we're talking about. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Now

"Get away from him you bastard!" Veronica shouted as she rushed into the wrecked building. Layla lay on the floor on her back, facing Veronica and clutching her left arm. The arm wasn't covered by her leather armour, and Layla clutched it in pain. Cook-Cook stood over her, also facing Veronica with an insane grin on his face. He was holding a flamer, which was smoking from the burst of flame it had fired seconds ago. Layla's combat knife was sticking out of Cook-Cook's stomach, and blood was pouring from the wound, but Cook-Cook didn't seem to notice. He pushed the red hot barrel of the flamer into the back of Layla's head, singing her hair and making her cry out in pain.

"Oh look, another little girly wants to join the party? I'll cook you and your friend here, but first I want you to scream for me." He shoved the barrel harder into the back of Layla's skull, burning the skin now as well as the hair. "Scream or I'll turn your head into flambé bitch!" Cook-Cook's finger ventured dangerously close to the trigger, and Veronica readied her legs to jump over to the Fiend. Before she could do so however, Layla elbowed Cook-Cook in the balls. Layla's great strength rendered the crotch plate on Cook-Cook's armour useless, and he dropped his flamer before recoiling backwards in pain, clutching his balls as he did so.

"BITCH!" He screamed in pure anger, and Layla calmly got to her feet before drawing That Gun from her thigh holster. Before Cook-Cook could even blink, Layla fired at the flamer's petrol tank that sat on Cook-Cook's back. "Shi..." Was all Cook-Cook had time to say before the bullet hit the petrol tank, causing it to explode violently and set the Fiend ablaze. Cook-Cook screamed in pain as the fire engulfed his body, only his face being protected from the blaze by the welding mask he wore.

"Not so fun when you're the one being burnt is it?" Layla said sadistically as Cook-Cook rolled around on the floor, trying in vain to put out the flames. Eventually he stopped rolling and laid still as the flames engulfed his body. Layla walked over to him and quickly stomped on Cook-Cook's prone form to put out the flames. Surprisingly, it seemed that the metal armour was actually quite useless at protecting against fire.

"Is he dead?" Veronica asked, looking at Cook-Cook's heavily burnt body as she did so.

"If he wasn't dead before..." Layla quickly shot Cook-Cook's prone form in the neck with That Gun, spraying his blood everywhere. "...then he is now." Layla kneeled down next to Cook-Cook's corpse, before putting That Gun back in its holster and pulling her knife out of Cook-Cook's stomach. As she started to saw Cook-Cook's head off, she looked back at Veronica. "I told you to stay behind."

"Oh, so I was supposed to wait back there and listen to your screams of pain as this bastard burnt you?" Veronica's voice was filled with anger, and Layla recoiled slightly at her words. She'd never heard Veronica get angry before. It was as alien to her as a flying brahmin. She quickly looked at her left arm, which was painfully burnt, then looked back at Veronica.

"You should've stayed back there."

"Really? Do you think you would've been fine if I'd stayed there? Maybe I should've brought a book to read too?"

"Why are you getting so annoyed about this?"

"Because it was stupid of you to go in alone. Why would you ask me to stay behind instead of helping you? What possible reason could you have for that?" A serious look appeared on Layla's face, and she got to her feet before looking Veronica in the eyes.

"Alright, you want my reason? Cook-Cook is a rapist." Veronica recoiled at the word, suddenly understanding.

"Wait...he's a rapist?"

"That's right. I heard it from the soldiers at Camp McCarran."

"You were protecting me?" A look of understanding appeared on Veronica's face, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"The soldiers told me that Cook-Cook likes...liked to rape his captives then set them on fire. If there was even a chance of something like that happening to you then I had to prevent it. I couldn't live with myself if..." Layla didn't finish her sentence. There was no need to. She crouched down again before turning back to Cook-Cook's corpse and continuing to saw off his head. A long silence followed, broken as Veronica suddenly spoke up.

"Thank you." Layla turned to Veronica and smiled, by this time having successfully removed Cook-Cook's head. She deposited it in the bag before walking up to Veronica.

"You'd do the same for me." They both smiled, before walking away.

"Come on, let's see if there's any leftovers lying around." Layla looked dubiously at Veronica. "What? I want to see if this guy's as good a cook as they say. We haven't eaten since yesterday!"

_**This was a long one. In the next part, Layla and Benny finally meet. What will happen? I can think of one way to find out.**_


	7. An Interesting Night

_**Be warned that this chapter contains a large amount of adult humour. Also Layla is mostly cheerful during the whole chapter. I apologise in advance.**_

An Interesting Night

"Honey, I'm home!" Layla called as she walked out of the elevator and into the presidential suite of the Lucky 38. She was wearing what she'd heard people call a grimy business suit, a black suit jacket and skirt with a white shirt and a red tie. She was also wearing dark sunglasses that she'd stolen from the female ranger she'd tangled with back in Novac. In addition to this apparel, she had a bandage on her left arm, covering the burn mark that Cook-Cook had made with his flamer.

As she entered, Layla realised that she hadn't actually been into the suite yet. As soon as she'd entered the strip, Victor (Who had somehow come back from the dead after Layla had terminated him in Novac), had all but dragged her to see Mr House, forcing her to leave her loyal companions Veronica and Rex outside. Mr House had offered to pay her 1000 caps for what she was going to do anyway; pay a visit to Benny and 'convince' him to hand over the Platinum Chip. Immediately afterwards she'd told her companions to wait in the Lucky 38, much to Veronica's delight, who said she was going to order room service.

The one thing that struck her about the suite was just how clean it was. There wasn't a single speck of dust anywhere in the suite from what Layla could see, and it put pretty much every room or suite she'd ever stayed in to shame.

"I'm in here!" Layla heard Veronica reply. She followed the chirpy voice into the suite's large dining room. The dining table was big enough to seat about ten people, but at the moment Veronica was the only one sat there. She was sitting at the head of the table, eating a plate of pre war food. Layla saw several discarded plates nearby and realised that Veronica had indeed called for room service. She supposed it was fine; they hadn't really eaten for a few days anyway.

Rex lay on the floor next to Veronica, whimpering slightly on account of his brain, which Layla hadn't gotten around to replacing yet. _I really need to head up to Jacobstown._ She thought to herself. Veronica stroked Rex's head with one hand as she ate, which Rex seemed to enjoy as he stopped whimpering. He looked up at Layla for a second, then disregarded her to focus on being stroked.

As she sat down on a chair near Veronica, Layla realised with no small amount of surprise that Veronica was naked. She was wearing nothing more than a damp towel as she ate, which managed to cover her lady parts. Layla also realised that this was the first time she'd ever seen Veronica without her hood on. Her hair looked nice.

"Is there a reason why you're naked?" Layla asked as she took off her black suit jacket and put it on the back of her chair.

"Yeah, because I've just had a bath." Veronica replied, a sly smile on her face. "I don't think I've ever had a bath before. They don't really have baths in the Brotherhood bunker you know."

"I see." Layla took off her sunglasses and put them down on the table, before putting down the bag that held all her weapons, clothes and other supplies. She took a bottle of whiskey out of the bag and had a drink. She chugged down half the bottle before putting it down on the table.

"So...what have you been doing for the five hours you've been gone?" Veronica asked suddenly. A look of surprise appeared on Layla's face.

"5 hours? Was I really gone that long?"

"Yeah. And why do you smell like you just killed someone?" Layla grinned slightly. "You killed someone didn't you?"

"Yep."

"Just what did you do tonight exactly?"

"Oh I had a hell of a time. I got a few drinks, I saw the sights, and I stabbed someone."

"And who did you stab?"

"I'll give you three clues." Layla's grin grew wider as she reached into her bag. Rex was interested now, and walked up to the bag before sniffing it intently. Layla pulled out a small object and dropped it on the table in front of her. "My first clue." It was a pistol. A 9mm from what Veronica could tell. It was also heavily engraved. The pistol was covered with several engravings that made it look very extravagant. There was an image of a woman on the handle of the pistol. Veronica had seen a few pre war Bibles in storage at the bunker, and had snuck a peak at one of them. It had included pictures, and this woman looked like she belonged in one of them.

"Nice gun. It's not yours is it?"

"It is now." Layla reached into the bag again, and pulled out a large object. Veronica realised with a small amount of surprise that it was a folded up jacket. Layla put the folded jacket on the table in front of her, and Veronica saw that it was a black and white chequered suit jacket. "My second clue."

"I think I know who it is now." Veronica said, but Layla shushed her.

"You haven't seen the final clue yet." She reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a small object, before putting it on the table. Veronica almost gaped when she saw it. It looked like a poker chip, but was slightly larger and emblazoned with the logo of the Lucky 38. Rex saw the chip and reached up to try and chew on it, but Layla shooed him away. He instead found entertainment by scratching himself.

"Is that the Platinum Chip? Veronica asked as she saw it.

"Yep."

"You killed Benny didn't you?" An evil smile played along Layla's lips. Veronica knew it as the smile that Layla displayed after an enjoyable kill, which was pretty much every kill.

"I did indeed, and enjoyed every minute of it. You know they say that revenge gets you nothing? Well it gets me satisfaction, and that's good enough for me."

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Veronica asked, putting down her fork and looking Layla in the eyes.

"Well alright. Here's what happened. It started just after I left."

5 hours earlier

Layla left the Lucky 38 as Veronica and Rex followed Victor inside. She didn't trust House, but she was certain he wouldn't harm them. Layla meanwhile had a score to settle. She walked into the second area of The Strip, before entering The Tops.

The smooth talking greeter frisked her as she entered and took her bigger guns, but being a stealthy vixen Layla had managed to hold on to several weapons. She had a brief chat with Swank at the front desk, who proved to be fairly intoxicating. She was after a much bigger prize tonight however, and seduced him into giving her 100 caps before walking onto the casino floor.

As she reached the Blackjack tables she saw him, stood at the back of the casino with his four body guards. Benny. She remembered his face, his black and white chequered jacket, and her blood boiled. Still she kept her cool and went into the bathroom to change.

When she came out, she was wearing what Mick and Ralph had called the naughty nightwear, which was basically an incredibly short, leopard skin dress. The dress didn't even touch her knees. She realised she looked like a cheap whore wearing this, but also knew that Benny would be all but drooling over her. She put on her sunglasses then walked up to Benny. He saw her and smiled, obviously not realising who she was, before motioning at his bodyguards to back off.

"Hey baby, how'd you like to be my number one gal?" He said as she approached. His manner of speaking was so irritating that Layla could barely resist the urge to break his nose.

"I wouldn't say no." She purred. "But can you tell me something first?"

"I'll tell you anything you want baby."

"I want your opinion. Do I look better now, or lying in a shallow grave with 2 bullet holes in my skull?" Layla lowered her sunglasses as she said this, showing her eyes.

"What are you...shit." Benny suddenly realised who he was dealing with and backed away.

"Nice to see you too." Layla walked after Benny as he backed away, grinning as she did so. He had almost backed into the wall when he managed to compose himself.

"Let's keep this in the groove hey? Smooth moves, like smooth little babies." Layla almost burst out laughing. She'd never heard such crap come from a man's mouth before, but she played along.

"When you shot me, you ran off so fast I never got your name." Benny's jaw almost dropped.

"You making a pass at me sister? Because I'm out of your league." Why did everything he said make her want to hit him?

"Is it wrong to want a guy who'd shoot me in the head?" This was getting incredibly cheesy, but Layla kept it up. Benny was starting to sweat.

"Did those bullets scramble your egg? Or have you always been a naughty broad?" Seriously, who talked like that?

"Girls like bad boys, and you've been downright awful." She was knee deep in cheese, but kept up the act. If Benny was buying this, he was stupider than he looked, which in Layla's opinion was pretty damn stupid.

"You're one sick pussycat baby. There's quins and then there's... I don't even know what to call you." What the hell was a quin anyway? Layla wanted some of whatever chem Benny was taking, because it seemed to be powerful stuff.

"I'm saying I dig you, despite it all. What do you say?" This conversation had gone from cheesy to downright ridiculous. Even the bodyguards were trying not to laugh, and Benny's sweating had gotten worse.

"I hear dig from you babe and all I can think of is a shovel. How can this be? This ain't forgiveness it's something... wrong." The only thing wrong here was that Benny thought the way he talked was cool. And then Layla said something so over the top that she was barely able to keep a straight face while saying it.

"I'm a courier remember? Don't you want me to handle your package?" Benny's jaw did drop this time, and by this point he was literally drenched in sweat. Then he spoke again, barely managing to keep the anticipation and lust out of his voice.

"All right baby, this is all kinds of wrong, but to my suite it is. Thirteenth floor. Don't keep me waiting." _Damn, this is incredibly easy. _Layla thought as she followed Benny to the elevator. _He must be REALLY desperate._ The doors closed and a few seconds later the elevator arrived on the thirteenth floor. Unlucky for Benny it would seem. She followed him into his admittedly luxurious suite, shutting the door as she did. Mr New Vegas was on the radio, saying something about the NCR. Layla didn't give a crap and turned off the radio, before following Benny to the bedroom.

She closed the door as she entered and put her sunglasses into her bag. She dropped her bag, then quickly climbed out of her miniscule dress while Benny had his back turned. When he turned around, she was standing before him naked as the day she was born. Now, in addition to his jaw dropping and a massive amount of sweat, Benny began to drool too, all the while scanning every inch of her naked body with his eyes. Then he turned the swagger back on, and the sweat and drool almost seemed to disappear, though he kept eye humping her as he spoke.

"Benny is gonna show you the Tops! I hope you're built sturdy you crazy broad!" Despite herself, Layla found that she was actually looking forward to this.

"Let's see what you've been hiding under that chequered suit." She said with a grin as she walked towards Benny seductively.

"More than you ever dreamed baby." He said suavely as he threw her onto the bed. Then things got interesting.

Now

Veronica had been putting more food onto a plate while listening to Layla talk, but when she heard the last part of the story she dropped the plate in surprise. It shattered on the floor, and Rex quickly ate the food that had been on the plate. Sauce from the meal stained the carpet.

"Victor, can we get somebody to replace this plate and clean the carpet?" Layla shouted into the other room.

"Sure thing little lady!" Victor shouted back in his robotic cowboy accent. Veronica sat back down, a look of surprise covering her face.

"You slept with him?"

"I wasn't planning to sleep but yeah."

"I can't believe you did that!" There was no anger in Veronica's voice. She sounded like she was trying not to laugh.

"It was the easiest way to get him alone, and besides, I was horny."

"I shouldn't be surprised." An awkward silence filled the room, followed by an even more awkward question." So how was it?" It was now Layla's turn to be surprised.

"How was what?"

"How was he? You know...during." A look of mock embarrassment covered Layla's face. "Was he the Tops?" At this Layla nearly fell out of her chair, and burst out laughing.

"I can't believe we're discussing this." Veronica raised her eyebrow, then a few seconds later Layla answered. "Oh alright. He was okay, but I've had better. Didn't last too long, but made up for it with enthusiasm." That caused both of them to burst out laughing, and this time Layla did fall off her chair. Rex had no idea what was going on, so just started licking himself. After another few minutes of laughing, they managed to compose themselves, and Layla got off the floor and back onto the chair.

"So what happened then?" Veronica asked.

About half an hour ago.

Layla woke up in a comfortable bed, and felt Benny's warmth next to her. She also heard his snoring and smelt his sweat. He felt okay, but smelt bed, sounded worse, looked average and tasted fairly bad. Benny was officially an assault on the majority of the five senses. Layla yawned, got out of bed, and walked towards her bag. She took out her combat knife and got back into bed, just as Benny awoke.

"Good morning doll. How'd you sleep?"

"Quite good. How'd you enjoy the last nap of your life?"

"I...what?" Layla's arm snaked out of the blanket, the hand holding the combat knife. "Oh shit." Benny said as Layla got on top of him. He tried to break free, but she was amazingly strong. He was trapped.

"Time to finally shut that mouth of yours." She said in a sinister tone before stabbing downwards with the knife. She stabbed straight through Benny's jugular vein, and blood spurted out of his neck as he gurgled. A few more stabs to the neck and face and Benny stopped gurgling. "That was actually more fun than the sex." She said to herself before getting off Benny's blood soaked corpse and climbing out of his blood stained bed. She took a minute to wash the blood off her naked body in the ensuite bathroom, before searching Benny's corpse. She took his gun, his suit and the Platinum Chip, before putting the dress and her sunglasses back on, and leaving Benny's suite. A few chairmen entered the room to see if Benny was alright as Layla got into the elevator. None of them so much as looked at her.

She changed back into her suit jacket, shirt, tie and skirt in the elevator, then walked towards the exit the second that the elevator doors opened.

"Boss, Benny's dead." A random chairmen said to Swank as Layla reached the exit.

"What a shame." She said under her breath as she got her guns back and left The Tops.

Now

"Seems like you had an interesting night." Veronica said as Layla finished the story. She leaned back in her chair, thinking, as Layla drank the rest of the whiskey.

"It was fun." Layla said happily.

"Weird, I don't think I've ever seen you in a good mood. Usually you're deadly serious and thinking about new ways to kill members of the NCR."

"I guess you help me unwind." Layla smiled before looking at the chip. "So what the hell should we do with the chip?"

"One thing we shouldn't do is bet it in a poker game."

"Seriously, I have no idea what to do with it. I don't want to give it to House, but there's no one else I can give it to other than Caesar."

"There's the NCR, but you have a burning hatred for them so that's not a viable option. Plus I don't trust House. Also I don't like Caesar."

"Your concern is duly noted. I don't trust House either, but who else is there? House could offer me financial security, but Caesar would be a big help towards destroying the NCR."

"I recommend sleeping on it."

"I've already slept, I'm not really tired."

"Well I haven't slept, so I'm going to bed." With that, Veronica got up and started to leave the room. She paused in the doorway however. "Benny's a lucky man." She said.

"He's dead."

"Yeah but he died after having sex with you. I wouldn't mind dying that way." Layla was a little surprised at the blatant flirting. During the few days that Layla had been recovering from her leg injury, she and Veronica had chatted a bit. She'd learnt during that time that Veronica was a lesbian, which didn't bother her in the slightest. Still, she was taken aback by the flirting. Not offended, just surprised. A grin appeared on her face as she replied.

"Why Miss Santangelo, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Why, is it working?" Veronica asked a little too eagerly.

"Nope."

"Damn. Oh well. Goodnight." She left the room a little disappointed, and Layla leaned back in her chair, already grabbing another bottle of whiskey from her bag. She stroked Rex's head as she drank and thought about the day's events, and mused that tonight had been a good night. Now all she had to do was figure out what to do with the chip. It lay there on the table, almost looking like it was watching her. Layla ignored it and put down her bottle of whiskey, before thinking what she could do what the valuable object lying in front of her.

"What do you think I should do Rex? Rex barked in response. "Good idea." She sat there for a while stroking Rex, lost in thought.

**_Sorry. I think I may have gone too far with the sex references. Usually reviews are welcome, but I'm a little scared as to what reviews I'll get of this chapter. Oh what the hell, review away._**


	8. Going Home

**_This and the next two chapters after it are what I call: The Bonds of Steel Trilogy. Basically, they were all supposed to be one story, but it ended up being far too long so I split it into three. This is the first story in the trilogy, where Layla meets Veronica's family. Yeah, that'll end well._**

Going Home

The bark scorpion tried to scuttle away but it was hopeless. Rex had it in his sights now, and his fangs were bared in anticipation. Rex leapt upon the bark scorpion and chewed it apart with his fangs, spraying the scorpion's blood everywhere. Another bark scorpion nearby was sent airborne by an uppercut from Veronica, while a third was crushed by Layla's club.

"Why are there so many freaking bark scorpions around here?" Layla said in an annoyed tone as she stomped on a bark scorpion's skull. She was wearing her standard leather armour, with a headband and the aviator sunglasses she stole from The Bitch. The burn on her left arm was starting to heal, but she still kept the bandage on, just in case.

"Yeah sorry, there's a bit of a pest control problem around here." Veronica kicked a bark scorpion into a nearby rock, shattering it into bloody pieces. Veronica looked around and, seeing no more bark scorpions, lead the way forward. Normally Layla would be leading the way, but only Veronica knew the way so Layla followed, with Rex right behind her.

"You'd think there'd be Brotherhood guards out here. You know, seeing as this is the Brotherhood of Steel's main base in the Mojave and all."

"We're supposed to be hiding, remember? A big guy wearing power armour doesn't exactly say 'nothing to see here' does it? And besides, only scouts and high ranking Brotherhood officials are actually allowed to leave, what with the lockdown."

"That seems a bit stupid."

"It is. That's why we're here. To change things." They came to a particularly large bunker, covered with graffiti. 'Peace' was written several times on the bunker, along with a lot of other hippy slogans.

"I am struck with a sense of wonder." Layla said sarcastically as she looked at the dilapidated state of the bunker. Veronica slapped her on the shoulder, fortunately not using her power fist hand.

"That's my home you're talking about. I don't make fun of your home do I?"

"That's because I don't have a home. Unless you count the Lucky 38 suite, but the suite doesn't deserve any criticism does it?"

"Shut up." Veronica walked to the steel door of the bunker. Shall we?" She opened the door walked in. Left with nothing else to do, Layla and Rex followed.

"So these guys hate the NCR right?"

"The NCR killed a large amount of Brotherhood members during the battle at Helios One and hunted us across the wasteland, so yeah. Brotherhood members don't like the NCR very much."

"Do you think I'd be able to persuade them to help me destroy the NCR?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have to get them out of this hole in the ground first." They walked through what seemed to be a storage area. Several crates lay around the room, and the whole area was covered with dust. Rex sneezed as they walked through the room, and into another identical room. The only thing different was that there was a large metal door in front of them as well as an intercom.

"So what, do we knock?" Layla asked, looking at the thick metal blast door in front of her.

"I'll handle this." Veronica said calmly, walking up to the intercom next to the door as she did so. "Hi, I'd like a large Atomic Shake and a Double Brahmin Burger. And easy on the Agave Sauce this time." Layla shook her head as Veronica spoke into the intercom. A few seconds later, a gruff male voice answered.

"Veronica, we gave you a password. It's for your own protection." The voice sounded annoyed, but not hostile.

"Let me in Ramos. I know where you live." Nothing happened for a few seconds.

"I think you hurt his feelings. "Layla said, a sly grin on her face.

"I don't think most Brotherhood Paladins have feelings." The door opened a few seconds later.

"How does the Brotherhood feel about dogs?" Layla asked Veronica, looking at Rex as she did so. Rex was currently licking himself.

"I'm not sure, but you'd better make him wait her just to be safe."

"Alright. Rex, stay." Rex whimpered slightly, but didn't make any move to follow them as they entered the bunker.

It was dark inside the bunker so Layla took off her sunglasses. They walked down a narrow stairway, and were met at the bottom by a tall man wearing a set of power armour. Layla had never seen power armour before, and found herself admiring the armour. She now understood why it was called power armour, as it looked like the wearer could shrug off a nuclear blast. Layla didn't envy anyone who picked a fight with the Brotherhood if they were all wearing such high quality armour.

"I'm Paladin Ramos, the head of security in the bunker." He said as they approached.

"You're looking sharp Ramos." Veronica said in a friendly tone. Ramos ignored her.

"Normally I wouldn't allow an outsider within three feet of the bunker, much less walk around inside it, but since you're with Veronica I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Just watch yourself." With that he walked into a small room to the left of the staircase, which Layla assumed was his office.

"Are all Brotherhood members this paranoid?" Layla asked as Veronica led the way onwards.

"Pretty much. Don't worry, they're fine when you get to know them." They left the entrance and Veronica lead Layla through the bunker. Layla was glad that Veronica was there, because the bunker was an absolute maze. She was almost certain that she would be completely and utterly lost without Veronica there to guide her. Veronica gave Layla the grand tour, showing her the sleeping quarters, medical facility, shooting range and the areas where the scribes worked. As they made their way through the base, Layla got a few glares from Brotherhood members. One particularly annoying knight told Layla to 'watch herself, because they were watching her'. Layla was highly tempted to break the bitch's nose, but Veronica's presence made her think otherwise.

Eventually, they came to the Elder's office. The room was mostly circular in shape and dominated by a huge Brotherhood of Steel symbol that stood at the end of the room. In front of the symbol and in the middle of the room was a round desk. Behind this desk sat a man wearing blue robes, the attire of a Brotherhood of Steel Elder. The man's age seemed impossible to identify as he had short silver hair, but looked to be quite young.

"That's Elder McNamara, the guy in charge of the Brotherhood in the Mojave." Veronica explained as they stood in the doorway. "He took over after what happened at Helios One, and evacuated everyone to this bunker before issuing the lockdown."

"Is he paranoid like everybody else in the bunker?"

"No. Well, a little. Let's just talk to him." They walked into the office, and Elder McNamara looked up immediately. A slight look of annoyance crossed his face as he saw Veronica. Layla stood to the side of the desk, leaning against a column, while Veronica did all the talking.

"What is it Veronica? I'm very busy." The annoyance in McNamara's voice said that he knew where this conversation was going.

"McNamara, the Brotherhood's hit a dead end." Veronica said seriously.

"I'm sorry?"

"We're stuck in a hole in the ground, with no way to feed or supply ourselves, and we've hardly got any members left. We need to stop isolating ourselves and..." McNamara cut Veronica off mid sentence, clearly annoying her.

"Veronica, just stop. You've already made it clear that you object to the Brotherhood's current course, but this is what's best for us right now."

"So what's best for us is to hide underground licking our wounds and hope the NCR doesn't find us?"

"That isn't how I would put it, but yes. The Brotherhood has withstood the apocalypse and many other things throughout history. We will withstand this."

"Don't you understand? We're not going to survive that long. We're running out of members, and we can't get any food or supplies to keep them alive if we're stuck down here."

"Veronica..."

"Listen to me. I've been out of the bunker. I've seen several civilisations out there who are coping just fine. We need to stop isolating ourselves, hiding in this hole and hoarding all this technology. We could go out there and trade our technology with others to attract new members. We could..."

"Veronica, I'm sorry but this is what's best for the Brotherhood right now. We shall wait out our enemies, and we will endure." Veronica sighed in annoyance, and turned her back to McNamara.

"Fine." She turned to Layla, a look of annoyance on her face. "Let's go. He's not going to listen. I'd have better luck talking to a brahmin." They walked out of McNamara's office, and he quickly returned to his paperwork.

"That went well." Layla said sarcastically.

"Damn he's stubborn. He just won't believe that what he's doing is destroying the Brotherhood."

"Maybe you should take over." Veronica looked at Layla, a stunned look on her face, and burst into laughter.

"You think I should lead the Brotherhood? Seriously?"

"Well why not?"

"I can give you several reasons."

"Give me one." Veronica looked ready to answer, then stopped. A surprised look appeared on her face, and then she seemed to stop and think for a second. "I'm waiting." A smile started to form on Layla's face.

"Look, I'm fairly sure I'd bring the Brotherhood crashing down if I tried to lead it. Plus not many Paladins around here like me very much so I doubt they'd agree to support my coup. No, we just need to convince McNamara that this is the right thing to do."

"Are you sure that's possible?"

"He's not like the others. McNamara is...flexible, so to speak. If he sees that something he's doing is bad, he'll try something else."

"So what, we need proof that isolating the Brotherhood is bad?"

"Exactly. And I think I have a perfect idea. Do you remember me telling you about Father Elijah?"

"Yeah. He was your mentor, you followed him to the Mojave, he became obsessed with tech, especially Helios One, and he disappeared when it was attacked."

"That's the short version. Anyway, he used to send scouts out to find important pieces of technology, and there were some missions that he'd only trust me with. If we can get some of the tech he asked me to find, they'd make perfect examples to show to McNamara."

"Alright, so where do we start?"

"There's a terminal in a small shack near Gibson's Scrap Yard not too far from Novac. He used to give me info on the tech I was supposed to find via that computer."

"Let's go." They walked down the corridor, and came to the blast door that would take them back to the first section of the bunker. Before they could pass through it however, several Paladins walked in front of the door, blocking the way.

"Move." Layla said in an annoyed tone.

"Shut up outsider." One of the paladins said, before turning his attention to Veronica. "We heard you talking to the elder Veronica. We're not going to let you spread dissent in the Brotherhood."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Veronica replied in a confused, yet obviously annoyed tone.

"You've always managed to get your own way around here, and now you've got the elder twisted around your little finger. Well we're not going to let you continue to defy Brotherhood laws and make people question the codex."

"If you want to start a fight, you'd better be ready to finish it." Layla pulled her club off her back, and pointed it at the paladin who seemed to be in charge. He didn't back down in the slightest."

"This is a warning Veronica. Keep your heretical views to yourself, or we'll make you regret it." With that the paladins walked through the blast door, leaving Layla and Veronica alone. Layla put her club back on her back and spat at where the Paladins had been standing a few seconds ago.

"Pricks." She said angrily.

"Yeah sorry about that. The Brotherhood's my family, but there are a lot of jackasses in the family. Anyway, let's get going."

*Later*

"How come every building you show me today is a dump?" Layla asked Veronica as she looked at the shack.

"Just come on." They entered the shack, and Layla and Rex lazed around while Veronica accessed the terminal. "Alright here." She said a few seconds later. "I've found three pieces of tech we can go after Any of them would be perfect proof to present to McNamara."

"Alright, what are our options?" Layla asked, lying on the shack's bed as she spoke. Rex sat by the bed, scratching himself.

"The first is the pulse gun. According to the info Elijah gave me, the pulse gun fires off an electromagnetic pulse that is heavily damaging to machines and those wearing power armour. If McNamara saw how powerful this thing is against power armour, he'd understand why we need to go out into the world, and expand our horizons."

"Interesting." Layla said as she relaxed on the bed.

"Our second option is the C Finder for Archimedes 2."

"That sounds familiar. I think I used Archimedes 1 to wipe out the NCR at Helios One."

"Well the C Finder is basically a pointing device used to aim Archimedes 2. You point the C Finder at your target, pull the trigger, and Archimedes 2 removes your target from the face of the Earth."

"Nice."

"Alright, our final option is new farming technology."

"I'm bored already."

"If we could get our hands on data about new farming technology, it would show McNamara that we shouldn't just be hoarding weapons, and we can use the technology of outsiders to sustain ourselves."

"That sounds incredibly dull."

"Apparently the NCR's OSI in Camp McCarran are working on it."

"Wait wait wait, the NCR?" An evil grin appeared on Layla's face. "Well I can't resist a chance to mess with the NCR. Let's go say hello, and see if we can steal the data." Veronica sighed and shook her head.

"Alright, just try not to go on a killing spree."

"No promises."

*Later*

"Hello, I'm Thomas Hildern." The scientist said as Layla entered the room. Veronica and Rex were currently outside the office, socialising with Hildern's assistant. "I suppose you're here about Vault 22?"

"Not really." Layla replied as she sat down on one of the seats in the office.

"Oh. Well, you look like a mercenary. I have a job that needs doing. It involves Vault 22 and the pay is exceptional."

"I'm listening." Layla sat forward in her seat slightly as she spoke.

"Imagine if you will, the Mojave in bloom." Hildern said, beginning his sales pitch. "Imagine the desert wilderness you now see filled with plants and vegetation of all kinds. Imagine if we could use those plants as a sustainable food source. Think of all the lives we could save and..."

"Screw the crap." Layla cut Hildern off mid sentence, and took a little pleasure in the annoyed look that crossed his face. "Get to the damn point already."

"Fine." Hildern said in an annoyed tone. "Basically, Vault 22 holds the secrets to farming and plant growth. The entrance around Vault 22 is covered with vegetation and plants. Nobody tends the plants, nobody feeds them, yet they never wilt and die. We need the secret to this miraculous foliage."

"What would I need to do?"

"Just head inside Vault 22 and make your way to the vault's main server room. Then, just download the data off the vault's mainframe, bring it back here, and get paid. Simple."

"How much am I getting paid for this?"

"1200 caps." There was a brief pause, as Layla pretended to consider his proposal.

"Alright, I'm in." With that, Layla left the office, where she found Veronica chatting with Thomas Hildern's assistant and Rex lying on his back on the floor. Veronica and Rex followed Layla as she walked out of the office and left the terminal building.

"Doctor Williams wanted us to find a missing researcher for her. The researcher's named Keely."

"And?"

"I promised her we'd find Keely. Plus she offered to pay well." Layla sighed in annoyance as they walked through Camp McCarran.

"Fine. We'll try to find Keely."

"Great. Williams also said that we're not the first that Hildern's sent to that vault. Apparently he's sent quite a few mercs, and none have made it back."

"This just gets better and better." Layla said in an annoyed tone as they left McCarran and headed for Vault 22.

**_Next stop, Vault 22. The next chapter continues the trilogy, as Layla and Veronica try to find the data in Vault 22's mainframe. What horrors await them? Find out in the next chapter and don't forget to review the hell out of this story. Also to those who don't know, the 'codex', is kind of the Brotherhood's bible. It contains all their beliefs and teachings. This will come up later._**


	9. There Stands the Grass

**_Alright, this is the second in The Bonds of Steel Trilogy. Be warned, there is an abundance of action in this chapter._**

There Stands the Grass.

"Woah." Layla's mouth hung open like a trap door as she gazed upon the entrance to Vault 22. As Rex tore apart giant mantises, oblivious to the sight, Layla and Veronica stood in stunned amazement. Neither of them had seen so many plants before. The entrance to Vault 22 was a verdant paradise of flora, covered with grass and plants of all shapes and sizes. As Rex tore apart the last giant mantis, Layla and Veronica came to their senses and approached the entrance. The door to the Vault was hanging open, presenting a tantalisingly easy entrance.

"This place is amazing." Veronica said as she looked at the plants around her. "Think of what this data could do."

"I don't really care about the data too much to be honest." Layla replied apathetically.

"Then why are you even here?"

"To help you of course."

"I'm touched." Veronica said sarcastically as she ducked into the entrance. "Shall we?"

"Alright, just one second." Layla turned to Rex. "Stay boy." If Rex was getting tired of being told to wait he didn't show it. Instead he ran off to try out the urine absorbing properties of nearby bushes. With that, Layla followed Veronica into the vault. They had been so busy staring at the plants however, that none of them saw the sign that someone had erected outside the vault. The sign had originally said: 'Welcome to Vault 22', but someone had since written over the original words in red paint. The sign now read: 'Keep out! The plants kill!'

*Later*

Layla had never been in a vault before, and couldn't help feeling a sense of unease as she and Veronica explored the Vault's dark corridors. Foliage littered the vault, and the smell of freshly cut grass lingered in the air. To Layla, the unfamiliar smell was quietly terrifying. As they explored the vault, a strange chirping sound could be heard in the distance, which confused Layla. Not only that. As they continued to explore, Layla kept getting the feeling that they were being watched. Whenever they walked by a large amount of vegetation, Layla felt like eyes were looking at her from within the grass, but when she looked there would be nothing there. By the time they reached the third floor, Layla was really on edge.

"I think we need to go through here." Veronica said as they came to a large metal door. Through windows next to the door, they could see a cave. "I'm guessing these subterranean tunnels lead down to the bottom floor." Layla tried the computer next to the door, but found no way to open the door.

"Crap!" She said in an exasperated tone, then noticed a slot for a key card on the computer. "It looks like we need a key card."

"Terrific."

"You stay here by the door, I'll head further into the vault and see if I can find a key card."

"Sounds good. My feet are killing me." As Veronica sat down next to the door to rest her tired feet, Layla moved further into the vault, eventually finding stairs leading down to the fourth floor. She found herself in a large, open space. In front of her was a large atrium, and there were several rooms nearby, including stairs leading down to the atrium. _Christ, I'm going to be searching forever._ Layla thought to herself as she stood on the balcony railing and looked down into the atrium. At that moment Layla heard small footsteps coming towards her, and it sounded like whatever was making the footsteps had four legs. She grabbed her club and spun around to see a plant running towards her.

It wasn't a plant however. Looking closer, Layla realised that the plant was humanoid in shape. The creature was about three feet tall, and its skin was the same shade of green as most of the plants in the vault. It ran on all fours, and had sharp claws. The creature jumped towards Layla, and she quickly swung her club like a baseball bat, whacking the thing out of the air and into the wall. It hit the wall with great force, then fell to the floor. Before it could get up, Layla smashed its skull with her club, splattering green blood and pieces of brain everywhere. She took a second to catch her breath, recovering from the fright. _What...the hell...was that?_ She thought to herself. She suddenly realised why she'd kept feeling like something was watching her. These things had been lurking in the grass that littered the vault, watching and stalking her.

Even as she realised this, she saw movement in a cluster of plants and grass to her left. Another of the plant creatures burst from the grass and let loose a loud, ferocious growl before rushing at Layla. The creature slashed with its claws upon reaching her, but she parried with her club before kicking the creature in the face, knocking it flying off the balcony and down to the ground below. Layla looked over the balcony to see that the creature had landed on its head, and blood oozed from a lethal head wound. Layla took a second to regain her composure, then continued her exploration of the fourth floor. _Plant creatures or not, I need to find that key card._

She walked down the stairs to the wide area where the second creature had landed, and followed a corridor leading off, which took her to the vault living area. While wandering through the various, plant infested rooms, Layla came across a key card. It was sitting on a small table in one of the rooms, though the table was surrounded by grass. Regardless, Layla reached out to grab the key card. She grabbed it, but then a green hand shot out of the grass and grabbed her hand.

Layla pulled her arm free from the green hand that held it, but then a second green hand shot out of the grass, and slashed Layla with its razor sharp claws. The slash cut straight through the chest of her leather armour, leaving four bloody scratch marks on Layla's chest, one from each of the creature's fingers. The slash knocked Layla back slightly, and she tripped over a chair before falling to the floor, dropping the key card in the process. The plant creature that had slashed her took full advantage, jumping out of the grass before rushing her. Layla quickly pulled her single shotgun out of her bag, before firing. The shot blew off the top of the creature's head, knocking it flying into the wall of the small bedroom. Layla started to get to her feet, but two more plant creatures suddenly burst from the grass before rushing her. She put away her single shotgun before getting out her rebar club, and swung the club in a horizontal arc. The blow knocked the head off the first plant creature, but the second beast ducked under the attack. It leaped towards Layla, but she quickly pulled That Gun out of her thigh holster. She shot the creature in the face with That Gun at point blank range, knocking the creature flying across the room and leaving a gaping bullet hole in between its eyes. Wanting to spend no more time on the fourth floor than possible, Layla quickly picked the key card up off the floor, then ran back to the third floor, and made her way back to Veronica.

"Oh you're finally back." Veronica said as Layla burst into the room with the locked door. She was lying on the floor, but quickly got to her feet when she saw the bloody scratch marks on Layla's chest and the shocked expression on her face. "What the hell happened to you?" Veronica asked, a concerned expression on her face. Before Layla could reply, she saw a cluster of plants and grass behind Veronica. A head poked out of the grass, and the creature within prepared to jump.

"Behind you!" Layla exclaimed. Veronica spun around just in time to see the creature leap towards her. She quickly unleashed an uppercut on the airborne beast with her power fist, knocking off the top of the beast's head and sending it flying into the wall.

"What...the hell...was that?" Veronica asked, a shocked expression on her face.

"That's exactly what I wondered when one of those things jumped me." Layla replied, motioning to the scratch mark on her chest.

"We need to find this data and get the hell out of here fast."

"I couldn't agree more, which is why I got this." Layla pulled the key card out of her pocket. She walked up to the computer, before sliding the key card into the slot. A few seconds later, the door opened. Not wasting any time, they followed the subterranean tunnels and found the fifth floor.

"Alright, the server room should be on this floor." Veronica said as they passed through the door, leaving the underground tunnels behind and entering the fifth floor. "Let's find it and get the hell out of here." They wandered the fifth floor, searching for the server room and avoiding all plant clusters they came into contact with. After a while, they found the room, but before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, a vine whipped out of a nearby room. It wrapped around Veronica's leg, and she screamed as it dragged her into the room.

"Veronica!" Layla yelled before dashing into the room. Upon entering the room, she saw a giant venus flytrap. The vines were attached to the plant, and it had Veronica in its grasp. It opened its spiked maw, and prepared to chew on Veronica with the thorns that served as its teeth. Layla quickly whipped out That Gun, before firing at the plant's open maw. The flytrap recoiled in pain as the bullet blasted straight through its maw, causing it to loosen its grip on Veronica. Veronica quickly saw her chance, and broke free from the plants grip before punching it in the maw. The flytrap stumbled, injured by the attack, and Veronica started to punch it over and over again. Before Layla could help, she heard a familiar growl, and turned to see two plant creatures charging towards her. She quickly fired two shots from That Gun. Both shots scored headshots, blasting both creatures between the eyes and knocking them both flying. When Layla turned around, the flytrap lay dead. Veronica stood over the plant, stomping on it angrily. She finished stomping on the plant before taking a moment to compose herself, then turned to Layla.

"Shall we?" She said pleasantly. They walked back to the server room, and Layla downloaded the data from the mainframe and onto her Pip Boy. With their mission complete, they hurriedly tried to leave the vault. Unfortunately, the vault was a maze, and they quickly found themselves utterly lost.

"I hate this vault." Layla said in an annoyed tone as they walked down a random corridor.

"You and me both." Veronica replied in an equally annoyed tone. "At least you didn't nearly get eaten by a giant venus flytrap."

"No, I just nearly got my stomach cut open by the illegitimate love child of a human and a garden plant." Before Veronica could come up with a witty response, they found themselves back in the underground tunnels. After walking for a short distance, they found a drop, with a large, open cavern at the bottom. A green mist covered the cavern, and Layla could see several small shapes moving around in the mist.

"Are they plant creatures?" Veronica asked nervously, readying her power fist as Layla crouched and looked through her binoculars.

"No." Layla replied, surprising both her and Veronica. "They're giant mantises." Layla said in a relieved tone, suddenly realising that the chirping she'd heard earlier had been giant mantises moving around in the air vents. She put away her binoculars and got to her feet.

"Killing them should be fun." Veronica said eagerly. Before Layla could reply, a vine snaked out of the mist and grabbed her leg.

"Oh hell." Layla said in an exasperated tone as the vine dragged her down the drop and into the cavern. The vine dragged her along the cave floor, scratching Layla's back on several jagged rocks as it did so. Layla quickly reached into her leather jacket pocket, and pulled out her combat knife. She slashed the vine with the blade, cutting it and freeing her. She put the knife back in her jacket pocket, before drawing That Gun and firing three shots at the flytrap's gaping maw. The bullets punched straight through the plant's maw, killing it and causing it to fall to the floor. Before Layla could breathe, several giant mantises swarmed her. She put That Gun back in her thigh holster before taking out her club. Seconds before the mantises reached her she swung the club in a wide arc, knocking all the nearby mantises flying across the cavern. A mantis suddenly flew past Layla's head. She looked to see where the mantis had come from and saw Veronica, knocking several mantises flying across the cavern with a series of uppercuts.

Layla suddenly heard something whistling through the air, and turned to where the sound was coming from to see a spiked projectile flying towards her. She ducked under the projectile, and saw a flytrap on the other side of the cavern. The flytrap spat another projectile and Layla charged towards it, sliding under the projectile as she did so. She rolled to her feet before leaping towards the flytrap and smashing its maw into the ground with her club. She smacked the flytrap a few more times to make sure it was dead, then scanned the cavern to see if there were any more enemies. All she could see was Veronica, covered in green blood.

"I never want to see another plant or another bug for as long as I live." Veronica said as she walked up to Layla, cringing at the green blood at covered her. They prepared to leave the cavern via a tunnel leading off from it, when Layla saw movement in a small grotto in the corner of the cavern. She ran into the grotto, club at the ready, only to see no plants or mantises. Instead there was a ghoul, sitting on the cave floor.

"It's about time somebody killed those damn plants." She said in the raspy voice typical of most ghouls, getting to her feet as she did so. "I assume the NCR sent you here to rescue me?" Before Layla could reply, Veronica walked into the grotto behind her.

"You must be Keely." She said in a friendly tone. "Doctor Williams asked us to find you."

"She's a nice kid." Keely said to herself, then turned her attention to Layla and Veronica again. "We need to get rid of these plants. Follow me, quickly."

*Later*

Layla and Veronica followed Keely back to her base of operations on the second floor. Fortunately for them, Keely was able to repair the vault's elevator so they didn't have much of a walk. As they entered the room that Keely was using as her base, the ghoul sat down at a desk, seemingly resting her tired bones.

"So, what the hell is up with all these mutated plants?" Layla asked as casually as she was able.

"I've been investigating that for a while now, and I think I have an answer." Keely replied.

"We're on the edge of our seats." Layla's sarcasm earned her an annoyed look from Keely, before she continued.

"From what I can tell, this vault was conducting experiments on plant life, looking for ways to repopulate the world with vegetation after the war. I don't know how it happened, but it seems the researchers have been infected by a symbiotic airborne spore, that takes control of the subject's nervous system and grows to cover their entire body."

"That explains what the hell those plant creatures were." Veronica said in an interested tone.

"That's right, but the vault is still full of the spores. They have to be destroyed, and I've figured out how to do it."

"We're listening." Layla said, eager to kill the rest of the plants.

"Alright, I've been pumping gas through the vault's air filtration system. All I need now is for someone to ignite it."

"Someone being me I take it." Layla said with a spectacular lack of enthusiasm.

"That's right. To ignite it, you'll need a flame, an energy weapon, or an explosive. If you don't have anything like that then there's some grenades in my duffel bag over there. Here, I'll mark the location on your Pip Boy." Layla walked over to Keely, and Keely quickly pressed a few buttons on the Pip Boy. A few seconds later, a map came up on the Pip Boy. _At least I won't get hopelessly lost now._ Layla said, relieved.

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit. Veronica, stay here with Keely." With that Layla grabbed the duffel bag Keely had mentioned, left the room and headed for the elevator.

"You didn't tell Layla that she'd most likely have to outrun the explosion when she ignites the gas." Veronica said to Keely after Layla had left, raising an eyebrow at her as she did so.

"Didn't I? Must've slipped my mind." Keely replied, faking innocence.

*Later*

About half an hour later, Layla walked back into the office. Her hair was singed, and her leather armour was burnt.

"I did it." Layla said angrily, glaring at Keely as she did so.

"Oh good you survived." Keely said apathetically, not even looking up from the computer at her desk as she did so. "Now all the spores, spore carriers and mutant plants have been destroyed, and I've just finished deleting the rest of the data concerning the plants from the vault's mainframe. Now we can...wait a minute."

"What is it?" Veronica asked, looking at Keely as she did so.

"According to this, some of the data has been downloaded from the main server room recently." She looked at Layla suspiciously as she spoke. "You wouldn't know anything about that would you?" Before Layla could begin to come up with a suitable lie, Keely cast her eyes on Layla's Pip Boy. "The data's on the Pip Boy isn't it?"

"Keely, we need the data to help some friends of mine. Please, let us take it." Veronica pleaded to Keely.

"I'm sorry, but the data has to be destroyed. We can't let anything like what happened here happen to the rest of the Mojave." With that she grabbed Layla's wrist, pulling her forward. "Let me delete the data, it'll only take a second."

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that doc." Before Keely could react, Layla grabbed That Gun from her thigh holster and shoved it into Keely's mouth. Keely's eyes widened in surprise. "This data is very important to Veronica, and I can't let you destroy it." Layla pulled the trigger without hesitation, blowing a hole through the back of Keely's skull and splattering blood onto the far wall. Blood and brains seeped from the hole in Keely's skull as he grip loosened on the Pip Boy and she fell dead to the floor.

"Was that really necessary?" Veronica said in an exasperated tone as she just managed to avoid vomiting at the sight of Keely's brains on the floor.

"She wasn't going to let us leave without destroying the data. It was the only way." Veronica sighed and shook her head.

"Can't you go a single day without killing someone?"

"I don't think you want to know the answer to that." Layla replied with a grin as she put That Gun back on her thigh holster.

"What are we going to tell Doctor Williams?"

"You leave that to me. Right now we should get out of here." With that they made their way to the elevator, leaving Keely's corpse behind.

**_Now they have the data, but will the elder see reason? Find out in the next chapter, the finale to the trilogy! Oh yeah, and review like crazy._**


	10. Bonds of Steel

_**Alright, this is the third and final story in the Bonds of Steel Trilogy, appropriately named Bonds of Steel. Enjoy.**_

Bonds of Steel

The Elder looked up and sighed in annoyance as Veronica and Layla walked back into his office. Layla assumed her previous position, leaning on a column to the side, while Veronica talked to McNamara.

"What is it now Veronica?" He sounded incredibly exasperated.

"McNamara, we've found proof that the Brotherhood is going in the wrong direction." Veronica said, an enthusiastic smile on her face.

"This better be good."

"My friend here has on her Pip Boy, data about advanced farming technology." Veronica motioned to Layla as she said this. McNamara looked unimpressed.

"And how will farming help the Brotherhood?"

"Don't you see? With this data we can provide a sustainable food source to the Brotherhood. We'll finally be able to make our own food. This proves that there is important technology out there besides weapons and armour. We should be interacting with the people of the Mojave instead of isolating ourselves here in this bunker."

"Veronica, what does the codex say about this matter?"

"The codex says nothing more than a useless pile of bullshit. We can't just blindly follow the codex; we have to think independently if we want any chance of surviving."

"Veronica, that's enough." McNamara stood up, a serious look on his face. "I will not hear any more about this. The Brotherhood is being hunted. We have to stay here and outlast the NCR. The people of the Mojave cannot be trusted. We're not here to make friends Veronica; we're here to gather important technology. That is the Brotherhood's goal. Only by staying isolated can we survive and hope to complete this goal. This is the last I want to hear about it. Is that clear?"

"Yes." With that, Veronica spun around and walked out the door. Layla followed to find her friend leaning against the wall of the corridor, looking utterly crestfallen.

"Are you alright?" Layla asked in a concerned tone, trying her best to comfort Veronica but not knowing quite how. The concept of comforting someone was alien to Layla, and she had great difficulty with it.

"I just can't believe it." Veronica's voice was filled with disappointment. "The evidence was right in front of him, proof that we're better off interacting with the world than staying here, and he ignored it. I thought I knew McNamara, but it was like talking to a stranger."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure if there's still a place for me here. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I left. I suppose I could go out and share my knowledge with the Followers of the Apocalypse, god knows they could use the help. I could do some good for the people of the Mojave. But this is my home, and I don't know if I want to leave it." She turned to Layla, and looked into her eyes. "What do you think I should do? Should I leave the Brotherhood, or should I stay?" Layla was surprised to be asked her opinion, and honestly had no idea which option was better.

"I'm terrible at making choices." She said nervously. "I can't decide this for you. I think you have to make this choice."

"Not even a hint? Wow thanks for the help." Veronica said sarcastically, and stopped to decide. A long silence followed, when Veronica suddenly made up her mind. "I think I have to stay."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"This place is my home, and these people are my family. They may be a highly dysfunctional family, but they're still my family, and I can't just abandon them. I guess I'll have to stay here until the inevitable happens and they all die." A tear welled up in the corner of Veronica's eye, but she quickly wiped it away.

"Are you going to be okay?" Layla asked, placing a comforting hand on Veronica's arm as she did so.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Veronica said, forming a smile as she did so. "I think I need some air. Come on, let's go." They made their way to the entrance of the bunker, and eventually came to the warehouse area leading to the exit where they'd left Rex. Rex was growling aggressively as they arrived, and seemed to be pointing to the bunker's entrance. "What's his problem?" Veronica asked as she saw Rex's unease.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this." Layla replied before getting That Gun out of its holster. With Rex following they walked through the steel blast door and out of the bunker, to come face to face with four Brotherhood of Steel paladins, all armed with laser rifles. _I'm going to need a bigger gun. _Layla thought nervously as the paladins pointed their laser rifles at her.

"We heard Veronica talk to the elder. We're not going to stand for this." The paladin in the middle, who Layla recognised as their leader, spoke angrily.

"What the hell is your problem?" Layla said just as angrily.

"Veronica dares to question the ideals that made the Brotherhood. Her preaching defies every teaching we have, and spits in the face of every knight, scribe and paladin that makes the Brotherhood what it is."

"Look, just back off." Layla's grip tightened on That Gun as she spoke. "This isn't your place. You're not the Elder or the Head Scribe, so you don't have the authority to put a gun to Veronica's head. Back...the fuck...off."

"The Elder and the Head Scribe are weak. Their sentimentality prevents them from doing what needs to be done. Veronica defies the codex, and insults the laws of the Brotherhood. We cannot allow her spreading of dissent to continue. This ends now." The paladins prepared to fire, and Layla's eyes scanned the area for a way to escape. That proved difficult, as there was currently a sandstorm going on. It was also the dead of night, making visibility zero. "Execute them." The lead paladin said without any emotion, and the paladins opened fire.

As the paladins fired their laser rifles, two things happened. The first was that Layla slide tackled the lead paladin, sliding under the lasers and sending him to the floor. The second was that Veronica leaped at the nearest paladin, jumping over the shots and punching the paladin in the face with her power fist, knocking him flying across the desert landscape. It took the paladins a few seconds to realise that two of their members had been downed in the space of a few seconds, and Layla took full advantage. She jumped to her feet, leaving the lead paladin on the ground, then swapped That Gun for her club, and swung the club in a horizontal arc. The swing hit the only two paladins who were standing and knocked them flying. The lead paladin suddenly got to his feet and struck Layla with the barrel of his rifle, knocking her to the ground. As she hit the desert floor, she saw to her annoyance that the two paladins she'd just hit were already getting up. _Thanks to that damn armour, my club doesn't even scratch them._ She thought angrily. It was then that she realised she had bigger problems as the lead paladin stood over to her, and aimed his laser rifle at her face.

Before he could fire however, a loud growl filled the air and Rex leapt at the lead paladin. He knocked the paladin to the ground and bit at his face. If not for the helmet the paladin would've had his face chewed off. The paladin shot Rex at point blank range with his laser rifle, knocking Rex flying off him. Rex hit the ground with a yelp, then lost consciousness.

"Rex!" Layla yelled, then angrily got to her feet and swung her club at the lead paladin. The paladin was too busy dealing with Rex to notice and the club hit him right in the face. The impact knocked him to the ground and knocked his helmet clean off. The paladin was bald and devoid of any defining features, but looked very angry. Layla stood on the arm that held his laser rifle, and prepared to bring her club down on his umarmoured head. Before she could finish the attack however, the lead paladin pulled a laser pistol out of a pocket on his armour using his free hand, and fired two shots at Layla. The first shot blasted straight through her leather jacket and scorched the skin on her stomach, making her recoil in pain. The second shot hit her exposed left arm (Since her leather armour didn't have a left sleeve), and burnt straight through her bandages.

"Dammit!" She yelled as she clutched her arm in pain. The paladin used this moment to push Layla off his arm and get to his feet. He pointed both the laser pistol and laser rifle at Layla's head. "I just finished healing from the last time somebody burnt my left arm you prick!"

"It's over." He said in an emotionless tone, and his fingers moved to the triggers of both guns, preparing to fire.

"Is it?" The lead paladin turned around to determine the source of the voice and saw Veronica. Behind her the other three paladins lay dead. She smiled sweetly before punching the lead paladin in the face with her power fist. The blow instantly broke the paladin's nose and sent him flying towards Layla. She hit the paladin with all her strength as he flew into her, knocking him flying to the ground. Before he could get up, Layla pulled out That Gun and shot him four times in the head.

"The first bullet was for threatening Veronica, the second was for shooting my dog, the third was for shooting me with that damn laser pistol, and the fourth bullet was for being an overall prick." Layla said triumphantly as she stood over the paladin's corpse.

"I can't believe it, they attacked me." Veronica said in stunned awe.

"And me." Layla said, clutching her burn wounds as she spoke. "And Rex." She motioned to Rex who was lying injured a few feet away, a burn mark on his underbelly.

"I can't believe they'd do that."

"You said yourself that there are a lot of jackasses in the family."

"Yeah, but I didn't think they'd go this far." She sat down on the desert ground, her head in her hands. "I can't believe they're all so opposed to going out and interacting with the wasteland. They're all so dead set on staying here isolated, and they're so blinded by their dedication to the codex that they've lost all free will."

"Come on, they can't all be as bad as those four paladins."

"Maybe not, but they're still pretty bad. I never had any hope of convincing any of them, I realise that now."

"So are you still going to stay?" There was a brief pause as Veronica considered the question.

"Yeah...yeah I think I am. They're my family, and I can't abandon them. I've got to help them any way I can."

"Are you sure they'll accept you? You did just kill four paladins."

"Three technically, you killed the fourth, and it was in self defense. Besides, we killed the witnesses." She grinned mischievously, and Layla found the grin infectious.

"I like the way you think." She said. They spent the next 30 minutes bandaging their wounds and burying the paladins, which was made more difficult by the fact that they didn't have a shovel but made easier by the fact that Rex was highly skilled at digging. They took a second to get their breath back once the digging was done, while Rex rolled around on the ground, not tired at all.

"Well that was exhausting." Layla said tiredly as she leaned against the side of the bunker.

"Can we not kill any more paladins?" Veronica replied, equally as tired. "I don't think I can take the exertion necessary to bury any more."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now then, what do you say we get back to the Lucky 38 suite?"

"Sounds good. I need a freaking bath."

"I'll meet you there. I have some business that requires my attention."

"Oh. Okay I guess. I'll see you there." With that they went their separate ways. Veronica and Rex went back to the Lucky 38, while Layla went to deal with some unfinished business.

A few hours later

Layla stumbled into the suite, incredibly glad to be home.

"I'm back!" She shouted tiredly, before making her way into the dining room. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey out of the fridge, and Veronica walked in a few seconds later. Layla realised that this was the only time she'd had actually seen Veronica fully clothed in the suite. She was wearing her usual hooded robes, but had taken her boots off and wore a towel as a turban in her hair.

"And where have you been?" She asked, an expression of curiosity on her face.

"I just went back to McCarran to see Thomas Hildern and Doctor Williams. You know, to tie up loose ends."

"That sounds fun." Veronica said sarcastically as she sat down at the dining table. Rex walked into the room, a bandage covering the burn on his underbelly, and rubbed against Veronica's leg. She scratched his ear absentmindedly.

"I convinced Dr Williams that Keely was still alive, and she gave me 800 caps."

"You scammed her?"

"Not really. We did technically find Keely, so I thought we should be paid for it."

"I don't approve."

"Duly noted." Layla took a big swig from the bottle of whiskey she held in her hand, then continued. "And I had a chat with Hildern.

"Did you kill him?"

"No! At least, not right away. He gave me 1200 caps for finding the data, and I convinced him to give me another 600 caps by threatening to give the data to someone else. **Then** I killed him." Veronica sighed and shook her head.

"Did anyone see you? Is Camp McCarran still standing or did you burn it to the ground?"

"It's still there, unfortunately. I quietly threw a throwing knife into his skull so nobody heard me."

"Great. Well, I guess that settles that." She sat back in her chair. "Not only did you get to kill a load of people, but you cheated two NCR scientists out of their money, gave one of the scientists data about experiments that created killer plants which they'll probably try to replicate, killing loads of their personnel with brainwashing spores. Plus you killed one of their scientists."

"It was a good day." Layla yawned loudly then finished the last of the whiskey. "Well, I'm incredibly tired so I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Wait." Veronica got to her feet and walked over to Layla before she could walk out the door.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to thank you for helping me with this. I know it must've been a pain in the ass, and you probably would've preferred to be killing NCR soldiers, but I greatly appreciate it." Veronica had a big smile on her face.

"Don't mention it Veronica. You're my friend, probably the only real friend I've ever had, and I'd do anything for you." Tears welled up in Veronica's eyes and she hugged Layla tightly.

"Thank you."

"You're...welcome." Layla said, feeling a little uncomfortable now. She wasn't used to physical contact. She broke the hug and went to bed, leaving Veronica alone in the room with Rex. She sat down at the dining room table, a happy smile on her face.

_**Aw, a happy ending to the trilogy. I'm such a sap. Anyway, more chapters coming soon. I'm not sure when though. It's difficult because I'm actually playing through the game with my Layla character, and the stories are based off her experiences in the game. So I play a bit, then run off to write a story, then play some more. I sometimes play more before I've finished a story due to writer's block, leaving me disoriented. I actually wrote another story that comes later in the canon before writing this one, and I've got two more that need to be finished yet. Damn writer's block. Anyway, I'll upload more chapters as soon as I can. There's some exciting developments coming up.**_

_**Also, I like reivews and comments, so any and all opinions would be greatly appreciated.**_


	11. Kindred Spirits

_**Warning, this chapter is very adult, and I'm not just talking about violence or language. Wink wink. Let's just say the story finally earns its M rating in this chapter. You have been warned.**_

Kindred Spirits

Layla loved her new sword. She drove the blade of her bumper sword right into the chest of an unlucky fire gecko. The blade skewered the beast with ease, stabbing straight through the stomach and out of the beast's back. It writhed around on the blade for a few seconds, then its body went limp. Layla ripped her sword out of the now dead fire gecko, causing blood to spurt from the wound and making the dead creature fall to the floor. Layla now had a new favourite weapon.

She'd had plenty of time to try out said weapon today. She'd been having a walk, trying to get some air, and had run across an intriguing cave. Said cave turned out to be filled to the brim with fire geckos and nightstalkers. Before Layla could even breathe from her most recent kill, she heard footsteps and turned to see two more fire geckos charging towards her using their comically ridiculous run.

She sighed in annoyance, then readied her blade before running to meet the beasts. The first fire gecko breathed fire at her, but she slid along the cave floor and under the blaze. She slid into the beast before quickly rising to her feet slicing open the gecko's stomach. Gecko entrails and stomach contents poured out of the wound as the gecko fell dead to the floor. The second prepared to breathe fire but Layla rapidly beheaded the beast. The gecko's head dropped to the floor and blood spurted from the wound like a fountain before the body followed the head's example and fell to the cave floor.

_Note to self: Never explore random caves again._ Layla thought to herself as she put her sword back in the makeshift holster she'd used for her club, and stopped to get her breath back. Layla took a small amount of relief in knowing that she had killed the last gecko in the cave.

She was wearing the leather jacket from her leather armour over a set of recon armour. The jacket didn't offer much protection, as it was covered with scratches and burn marks from Layla's many battles, including four scratch marks across the chest from her experience at Vault 22, and a burn mark on the chest from where she'd been shot by a laser pistol wielded by a Brotherhood paladin, but it had been with her for a while and she'd grown attached to the jacket. She also wore the thigh holster from the ranger red scarf outfit, in which That Gun sat, and a headband on her head. Beneath her armour, Layla had bandages on her left arm and stomach, from the lucky shots that the paladin had gotten with his laser pistol.

She prepared to leave the way she had come, when she saw something that caught her eye. There was a tunnel in a nearby cave wall, and the tunnel seemed to go upwards, leading above the cave ceiling. _Damn my innate curiosity. _She thought angrily as she made her way to the tunnel and climbed up.

After a fairly long climb she emerged in a large room. She recognised the decor of the room instantly, and her annoyance grew. _A vault? Typical. _The tunnel had brought her up through the floor of a vault. She climbed out of the tunnel and entered the vault proper, feeling the unease she generally felt about vaults setting in. She briefly wandered around the room, and found no way out. The room was quite wide, and there was even a second floor. She assumed that she was in this vault's atrium. There were two doors leading out, but both required key cards that she didn't have.

_Oh well, I guess I'll have to leave._ She thought, secretly glad that she wouldn't be compelled to explore the vault anymore. After her experience at Vault 22, she had become under the impression that all Vaults were deathtraps (Which wasn't far from the truth). Before she could return to the tunnel however, one of the doors opened and several men in reinforced leather armour walked in. They were all armed to the teeth, and Layla drew her sword in preparation for a brawl. Before she could so much as threaten the men however, one of them spoke up.

"Are you the girl who helped the powder gangers defend the NCRCF?" The man asked, catching Layla completely off guard.

"Yeah. So what?"

"Are you the girl who's been killing massive amounts of NCR personnel for the past few months?" Layla was getting quite confused now.

"Yeah, I've killed a lot of NCR soldiers. What's it to you?"

"Our boss would like a word with you."

"And why should I give shit?" Layla was getting aggravated now, and was literally seconds away from rushing the men with her sword.

"Because our boss hates the NCR just as much as you." Layla was completely knocked for six by the man's reply. If what this guy was saying was true, then she could have found an ally. However, it could quite easily be a trap. _Oh what the hell. _Layla thought to herself, then spoke.

"Alright fine, take me to your leader." The men led Layla through the vault, traversing several corridors, all of which looked exactly the same. After a while they came to a small room, which Layla realised was the vault overseer's office. A man stood at the other end of the room, watching her. The door shut behind her, and Layla was left alone in the room with the man.

"Let's get down to business. Who are you and why the hell do you want to talk to me?" Layla questioned the man. He walked out of the shadows in response, revealing a man of medium height with a large beard. Like his men, the man wore reinforced leather armour.

"My name is Samuel Cooke. I'm the founder of the Powder Gangers, and I want to destroy the NCR. You're going to help me." Layla was a surprised by the response, and immediately distrustful of the man. She didn't believe that he was the founder of the powder gangers. At that moment however, she saw a blue jacket sprawled over a nearby chair. She recognised it as the jackets that the powder gangers usually wore. She knew this because she'd worn one herself. A grin immediately covered her face.

"Where do we start?"

*Later*

Layla and Cooke sat in the vault's cafeteria. All the other escaped convicts that worked for Cooke had left the cafeteria, leaving them alone. Layla was surprised at how clean the cafeteria was. Either the convicts were surprisingly neat, or the cafeteria had been this way for a long time.

"So, before we work together I need to know a few things." Cooke said evenly. Layla couldn't read the man at all, and had no idea whether he trusted her or not.

"Like what?"

"Like your name for starters."

"It's Layla." Cooke smiled a little, and sat back in his seat.

"Pretty name."

"Yeah whatever. You said you wanted to destroy the NCR?" Cooke's smiled disappeared, replaced by a look of quiet intensity.

"That's right. I've heard stories from other Powder Gangers about you. I heard you saved Eddie and the gangers I left behind back in the NCR Correctional Facility. That idiot Eddie couldn't lead a fish to water. You obviously have a lot of hate for the NCR, if half the tales I've been hearing about you are true."

"Oh I have a lot of hate for them alright." Layla's eyes burned with a searing hatred, just thinking about the NCR. "I hate them more than anything in the world. I'll gladly turn the entire Mojave to rubble if it means destroying them."

"Then we're on the same page." Cooke smiled again. "I first started rebelling against the NCR years ago. I used to blow up railroads and NCR supply depots back in California. That pissed them off though. They caught me, and locked me up in the NCRCF. As you can see though, that obviously wasn't a permanent solution."

"So you hate the NCR?" Layla enquired.

"Oh yeah." A look of anger covered his face. "They're nothing more than a bunch of money grabbing bastards. They walk into a country, and start taking whatever they want. They force people to join up with them, or annex them and take them out. They've swarmed over the Mojave like a virus, and they're trying to drain this place of every last resource. They just want the power in the dam, then they'll have no use for the rest of us." He slammed his fingers down on the dining table in anger. "Those bastards think they can just stroll into the Mojave and take whatever they want! They look down on the rest of us like we're a bunch of fucking bugs, and pretend to be there to help while they slowly steal our resources! Well I'm not going to stand for it anymore! I'll blow those fuckers to hell and back, and make them wish they'd never entered the fucking Mojave!" Layla clapped.

"Bravo." She said, a smile appearing on her face too. "Finally, somebody else who realises what scum the NCR are."

"So...what's your story?"

"What?" Layla asked, slightly taken aback by the question.

"Come on." He leant forward slightly as he spoke. "You must have a reason for hating the NCR. I hate them because they think they can just roll in here and take whatever they want from us independent New Vegas folk. What about you? What makes you want to gut every last one of them?"

"That's none of your damn business." Layla said defensively.

"Hey, hey!" Cooke raised his hands in defense. "I didn't mean to offend. I just wanted to know what made such a pretty young thing like you want to bring down a military organisation." _Should I tell him? _Layla thought to herself as Cooke's eyes seemed to bore into hers. It seemed like she'd finally found someone who hated the NCR as much as her, a revolutionary who could be just the ally she needed in the fight against the NCR. He should know Layla's reasons for hating the organisation. But when she opened her mouth to try and talk about it, nothing escaped her lips. She just couldn't bring herself to talk about it, just thinking about it made her heart pang in her chest.

"I'm sorry." Layla said sadly, her eyes drifting to the floor as she spoke. "I'm just not ready to talk about that." Cooke gazed at her with a concerned look on his face.

"I understand." He said softly, lifting her chin with his finger as he spoke. "They've obviously hurt you pretty badly. Don't worry; we won't rest until every single member of the NCR is lying in a pool of their own blood." Layla smiled at that.

"I can't wait." Layla suddenly leaned forward, over the dining table. Before Cooke could react, Layla kissed him, hard. He was taken aback by her forwardness, but quickly rolled with it and joined in the kiss. His hand moved to the back of her head, stroking her hair, and his tongue entered her mouth. They both rose to their feet, their hands exploring every inch of each other's body as they continued to kiss passionately. With one hand still behind her head, Cooke's other hand moved to Layla's buttocks, and grasped it firmly. Layla yelped in surprise, and bit his lip in retaliation. She undid the buttons on the jacket of Cooke's leather armour, and threw the jacket's shoulder pads to the floor. Cook took off her leather jacket and threw it to the floor too. He moved to take off her recon armour, but stopped, clearly confused. He withdrew from the kiss, partly to breathe and partly to speak.

"How the hell do I take this damn thing off?" He said in an exasperated tone, motioning to Layla's recon armour as he spoke.

"I'll show you in your room." She said seductively. He laughed, then picked her up bridal style and carried her out of the cafeteria. By this time it was late at night and all the escaped convicts were fast asleep, so nobody saw him as he carried Layla down the corridor. He came to a metal door and opened it with the console, then walked in. The bedroom was fairly spacious, and it had only one bed, meaning he didn't have to share the room with anyone else. The bed in question was a double bed, and looked to be luxuriously comfortable. She laughed as he threw her onto the bed and finished taking off his jacket, revealing his muscular chest.

"Now why don't you show me how to take that damn thing off?" He said, a mischievous grin covering his face. Layla smiled seductively...and her hands moved to a zipper on the back of the armour. "There was a zipper? Seriously?" Layla grinned at his embarrassment, then slithered out of the recon armour and threw it, along with her bag, holster and sword, across the room. This revealed her half naked from, clad in black lingerie. Cooke nearly drooled as he saw her black underwear, but then saw the bandages on her left arm and stomach.

"What the hell happened to you?" He asked, motioning to her wounds.

"Long story." She said in response. "Maybe I'll tell you afterwards." Cooke pushed his curiosity from his mind and dived onto the bed. "Now, where were we?" He asked, a naughty smile appearing on his face as he crawled on top of her.

"I think I remember." She answered, before continuing the passionate kiss from earlier. Their tongues reunited, and Cooke's left hand stroked Layla's legs as their bodies and saliva intermingled. His right hand moved to Layla's back, and expertly undid the clasps on her bra. Their kiss ceased for a second and Layla smiled up at him, clearly impressed, as he threw the bra across the room and gazed at her naked breasts. They were the perfect size, not too big and not too small, just the way he liked them.

She responded by grabbing his leather trousers. Before Cooke knew what was happening, she'd slid the trousers off him and thrown them across the room. They continued their passionate kiss, but Layla quickly rolled on top, gaining the initiative. She began to take control, and grabbed his hands before pressing them down on the bed. He was clearly taken aback by her strength, as he couldn't break free from her grasp. Before she could continue, he spoke.

"Wait." He said urgently.

"What?" She replied, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"The door." She turned around and saw that the door to the room was still open. She burst into laughter, before releasing her grip, allowing him to break out from under her and run to the door in his boxers. He pressed the switch to close the door, and turned to see that Layla had taken the last of her underwear off, exposing the rest of her body to him. She felt a warm sense of satisfaction as Cooke's jaw dropped.

"Let's finish this." She purred, lying back as she did so. Cooke didn't speak, he just ran back to her and jumped onto the bed. For the rest of the night, sounds of pleasure emitted from Cooke's room, and went unnoticed by the other escaped convicts in the vault.

*Later*

Layla smiled as she awoke in a comfortable bed. She rolled to the side to cuddle with Cooke, only to find an empty space next to her. _What the hell?_ She thought groggily as she her brain started to wake up. _Was I drunk last night? _No, she remembered everything. She remembered hearing about Cooke's hatred for the NCR, and getting turned on. She remembered kissing him, and a warm smile filled covered her face as she remembered what had happened afterwards, and the one word that had been stuck in her head when she'd finished. _Wow._

She sat up in bed, ignoring the cold artificial air of the vault on her breasts, and scanned the room. There was no sign of Cooke, but her clothes were lying on the floor next to the door, including her jacket, which she remembered she'd left in the cafeteria in a flurry of passion. She looked at her Pip Boy to see what time it was, and was shocked to see that it was midday. _Damn, I haven't slept like that in a while. _

Though not wanting to leave the comfort of the bed, Layla knew she had to get up, and climbed out of bed before getting dressed. She left Cooke's bedroom and, not knowing where to go, ventured to the cafeteria. As luck would have it, Cooke was there, talking to several of his men and drinking a bottle of whiskey. Layla walked in and the men stopped talking. Cooke spun around, and smiled as he saw her.

"Piss off guys." He said to his men, and they quickly left the cafeteria. "It's about time you woke up." He said with a grin. "I didn't wear you out did I?"

"I was about to ask you the same question." She replied slyly, taking the bottle of whiskey off him and taking a big swig. "Got any food?"

"Right here." He motioned to a plate of pre war food on a nearby table, and she quickly sat down before eating up. He sat opposite from her as she assaulted the meal with all the table manners of a deathclaw.

"So..." He asked as she ate. "Do you always jump into bed with men less than half an hour after meeting them?"

"No not always. Usually it's less than an hour. I think this is a new record." Cooke laughed as she continued to devour her meal.

"I've got scratches on my back you know. Bloody scratches."

"Sorry about that." She replied, looking at her nails and seeing dried blood on them as she did so. "Anyway, can we get to business? You know, regarding the destruction of the NCR?"

"Oh yeah." Cooke replied, his expression turning serious. "I was going to ask you to kill all the fire geckos and nightstalkers in the cave, but you already took care of that." Layla smiled as she remembered slaughtering the beasts the day before. "Now that they're gone, my guys can use the sulphur in the caves to make bigger bombs. They're down there harvesting the sulphur right now."

"Great." She said, finishing her meal and pushing the plate aside as she spoke. "What's next?"

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, we don't have enough supplies or manpower to take on the entire NCR. Because of that, I think we should join the Great Khans." Layla's eyes widened as she heard the name, her head filling with memories. "You know them?" He inquired, catching her expression.

"We've had dealings in the past." Layla said. "Suffice it to say I know their leader, Papa Khan, and I should be able to convince them to let you join."

"My god girl you are a gift from above!" Cooke sad happily, kissing her on the lips as he did so. "I'll go make the preparations. Can you go talk to Papa Khan now?"

"Sure. No problem." Cooke got to his feet and ran out of the cafeteria, as Layla sat at the dining table, a sad expression on her face.

_It's been so long. I wonder if they'll still accept me?_

**_SMUT ALERT! Well, sort of. Sorry about that, unless you liked it, in which case good. I get uncomfortable writing 'romance' scenes, because I have a lack of experience in that area myself._**

**_Aaaaanyway, getting back to things I'm comfortable with; namely extreme violence and character development. Layla has had dealings with the Great Khans in the past, but were they good dealings or bad dealings? Find out once I've finished the next chapter which is currently kicking my ass._**


	12. Turning Point

**_I'm going to warn you now...this is a long one. Not only that, this chapter is highly unpleasant and contains a lot of adult material. More so than usual. You have been warned._**

Turning Point

"Wait wait, you had sex with him?" Veronica asked, dumbfounded, as Layla gathered supplies from her room in the Lucky 38.

"Pretty much." Layla said casually, as she put a grenade rifle she'd recently bought into the bag.

"Less than half an hour after you met him?"

"Why does everybody mention that?" Layla asked in an annoyed tone, putting a lever action shotgun that she'd claimed from a dead fiend in the bag too.

"Then you agreed to venture to the Great Khan's camp and talk to their leader, just to get the Khans to help this guy?"

"That's about it." Layla put about 20 sticks of dynamite in the bag.

"So what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm getting supplies for the journey."

"I've got to ask...have you gone mad?"

"Are we still on the same subject?"

"Why are you doing all this for some guy you don't even know?"

"Because he can help me destroy the NCR." She put the last of her supplies into the bag and zipped it up. She tried to lift it but found that was strikingly heavy, even for her.

"When are you going to let this thing go already? We've got bigger things to worry about, like the fact that both House and Caesar are growing impatient. If one of them doesn't get the chip soon, then they may both come knocking." Layla gave up on trying to lift the bag, and sat down on the master bed.

"Veronica, you don't understand, this is really important to me. Destroying the NCR has been my life's goal since..." Layla suddenly stopped. She tried to carry on, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth.

"Since what?" Veronica had immediately caught on to Layla's hesitance to continue talking, and found her curiosity grow. _Since what? What the hell happened? _Veronica thought to herself. Only politeness and concern for her friend prevented he from speaking those words out loud. She could tell that whatever had happened had scarred Layla deeply.

"I don't want to talk about it." Layla said sadly, turning away from Veronica as she did so. Veronica was tempted to drop the subject, but her curiosity drove her onward.

"You can tell me." Veronica said kindly, sitting next to Layla on the bed and wrapping a supportive arm around her.

"I've never told anyone." Layla replied, not bothering to emote as the memories washed over her. "Not a single person. Not a living person in the world knows. Besides me."

"I'd like to know too." Veronica said softly. Layla smiled wanly, and looked up at her.

"You're sure you want to know? It's not a pretty story." Veronica nodded. "Okay then." Layla took a deep breath, before allowing herself to sink into her memories. "I was born to two Great Khans named Carl and Elisa." Layla said, remembering her parent's faces and feeling tears well up. As she wiped them away, Veronica asked the first of many questions she would ask over the course of this story.

"Wait...your parents are Great Khans?"

"Were." Layla said sadly, feeling the tears well up again. "I grew up in a Great Khan camp at Bitter Springs." Layla sank even further into memories, remembering the place where she'd spent most of her life. "I arrived there about a week after I was born, and didn't leave for 18 more years. That place wasn't just my home, it was my whole world. Everyone and everything I knew or cared about was at Bitter Springs. The camp we had there contained my entire knowledge of the world."

"It sounds like a great childhood."

"It was. I can't remember a time growing up where I wasn't happy. Growing up there was where I learnt everything I know. I learnt how to fight, how to swing a melee weapon, how to shoot someone in the face, and just about everything else you've ever seen me do. I owe everything I am to Bitter Springs, to the Great Khans, and to my parents. Of course, everything changed on my 18th Birthday." Layla's mind scanned her memories, and moved past the happy times of her childhood. It moved forwards, to where her life changed, to the turning point of her existence.

"What happened on your 18th birthday?"

"You mean besides becoming 18?" Layla said in a humourless tone. "I lost everything."

3 Years Ago

The moon hung in the sky as Layla and her father made their way through the Great Khan camp. She wore what she had heard other Khans call a wasteland wanderer outfit, which was basically a brown hooded sweatshirt with a white t-shirt underneath, white baggy trousers and brown boots. This was before Layla's hair had grown, and her striking red hair was small and boyish.

The camp was mostly just a large number of tents, but Layla had lived here her entire life. She knew every sound that you could hear in the camp, she knew the names of every single person who lived there, and as she and her father walked through the camp, she knew who lived in each and every tent they passed, as well as whether the inhabitants of each tent would be awake or not. It was nearly midnight, and she was certain that all the women and children in the camp would be asleep. Not the men however. All the men were waiting for her.

It was Layla's birthday, and so far it had been the best day of her life. She had been showered with gifts by her parents when she got up, and she had been waited on hand and foot all day. Layla had a lot of friends in the camp, and they made her feel like a queen. Now however, she was heading to what she was certain would be the best part of the day. She'd been waiting for this moment for ten years, ever since she'd first realised she enjoyed fighting.

She and her father passed the last of the tents in the camp, and walked to the camp's outskirts. There, there were a group of barrels arranged in a ring. The tops of the barrels had been covered with petrol and set ablaze, so that the ring stood out and to provide light for anyone who fought in it. This was the camp's arena. Granted it wasn't much, but it was a part of Layla's childhood, so it seemed perfect in her eyes. A large group of Great Khans stood by the ring of barrels that served as the arena, waiting for them.

"Evening Carl." A tall man said to Layla's father as they approached. Though the man was old, he was muscular, and Layla had heard he had a lot of combat experience. Despite his thuggish appearance however, he was known to be quite wise. Layla had been told to go to him if she ever needed advice, and she had done so on a few separate occasions. He wore a leather jacket with the Great Khan's insignia on the back, as did all the other Khans who stood with him.

"Good to see you Regis." Carl said as they reached the arena, shaking Regis' hand as he spoke. Carl wasn't quite as tall as Regis, but he was more muscular and an expert at close combat. He had short, blond hair and couldn't have been much over 30. He had the same grey eyes as Layla, and shared her enjoyment of combat. "I thought Papa Khan would be here?"

"Unfortunately he couldn't make it tonight. He's busy elsewhere. Is she ready?" Regis asked, looking at Layla as he spoke. "The initiation isn't to be taken lightly. I walked with a limp for a week after I had mine."

"She's as ready as it's possible to be." Carl said as he too looked at Layla, offering a reassuring smile as he did so.

"You do realise girl, that there's no going back after you agree to this?" Regis did not speak unkindly, he spoke truthfully. Regis had a reputation for being a highly logical man. He wasn't afraid to speak the truth, even if it angered others. "If you agree to the initiation, you won't be allowed out of that ring until you lose consciousness, or you're a Great Khan. Do you understand?" Layla nodded her agreement. She had never wanted anything in her life more than she wanted to become a Great Khan. Living with the Khans her entire life had given her a great admiration for them. She would do anything for the Khans, and greatly wanted to be one of them. Now that she was 18, she was allowed to take the initiation.

Regis was right about one thing: the initiation wasn't to be taken lightly. Layla would step into the arena, and then several Khans would enter too and administer a beating. If she survived the beating for a full minute without losing consciousness, then she would be a Great Khan. A very bruised Great Khan.

"Let's do this." Layla said enthusiastically. Regis smiled briefly, then motioned to the ring. Layla walked between the barrels and into the ring, and three Great Khans followed.

"Good luck sweetie." Her father said as she entered the ring. She cringed a little as she said 'sweetie'. It sounded wrong coming from him. Her mum was the only one who it sounded right coming from.

"Don't worry dad, I'll be fine." Layla smiled to her father, then prepared for the three Khans before her to attack. They never did.

"NCR!" Everybody turned to see where the voice had come from, and saw a Great Khan running towards the camp. A look of utter fear covered his face, which chilled Layla to the bone. She'd never seen a Great Khan scared before. Before anyone could wonder what the man was talking about, a gunshot rang through the valley. The Khan's head suddenly exploded, spraying blood and brains all over the ground. Layla recoiled at the sight, and tried desperately hard to resist the urge to vomit. It was the first death she'd ever seen. It wouldn't be the last. Seconds later, a small army of NCR troopers ran into the valley, firing at the camp as they did so.

"We're under attack!" Regis cried, drawing a 10mm sub machine gun as he spoke. "Carl, get the toughest Khans you can find and help me kill these bastards. The rest of you, protect the women and children." It was then that he remembered Layla. "You get back to your mother. Hide in your tent, and don't come out until we give the all clear." Before Layla could protest, an NCR soldier reached the arena. It was a short distance from the regular camp, meaning he reached it before the camp. Upon seeing a group of Great Khans standing by the arena, he aimed and fired with his service rifle. The shot blew a hole straight through the skull of one of the Khans that was going to beat up Layla for her initiation. He fell dead to the ground, and all the other Khans drew pistols and SMGs, before opening fire on the NCR soldier. The trooper was filled with bullets, and knocked flying backwards. "Move!" Regis shouted, and the Khans ran back to the camp, taking Layla with them.

"Be careful dad." She called back to her father as she ran.

"Don't worry kitten, I'll be fine." He smiled back at her, then made his own way back to the camp with Regis to gather reinforcements. The group of Khans arrived at the camp and immediately got into position to protect the non combatants. Layla meanwhile ran back to her tent, where her mother would be. After she'd left the group of Khans behind however, Layla saw a grenade sail over her head. She continued to run, and heard an explosion behind her, followed by several screams. She looked back as she ran, and saw that the Khans she'd left behind seconds before all lay dead. There were more combatants in the camp, but most of them had just died. What was worse, the sparks from the grenade had set one of the tents ablaze. The fire spread to all the other tents as Layla continued to run. By the time she reached the tent, the entire camp was ablaze and the NCR had begun fighting with the Khans who were defending the camp. It was pure anarchy, as bullets flew left and right and people dropped dead all around her. Layla burst into the tent as she reached it, and her mother quickly ran to her.

"Layla what's happening?" Her mother asked with concern. Elisa was about the same age as Carl, and was where Layla got most of her physical characteristics from. Layla had often been told by Khans that she looked like her mother and acted like her father. Elisa had shoulder length red hair, and pale skin, just like her daughter. As opposed to Layla's colourless grey eyes however, she had bright, vibrant blue eyes. She wore the same attire as most Great Khans, even though she wasn't really a combatant anymore. "Are you alright? Where's your father? What are those sounds outside?"

"The camp's under attack by the NCR." Layla said, her voice filled with fear. "Regis said to hide in our tent, but all the tents are setting on fire!"

"We'll head to the Longhouse." Elisa said, quickly taking command. The longhouse was where Papa Khan usually stayed when he was at Bitter Springs. He was the leader of the Khans, so was constantly moving between the various Great Khan encampments. When he wasn't there, the longhouse served as the makeshift town hall. The longhouse was fair less likely to set on fire than the tents, especially since it was an actual building, and too far from the tents for the fire to spread to it.

"Let's go." Layla replied, turning to leave the tent.

"Wait!" Elisa said, and turned to open a chest that they kept in the corner of the small tent. She lifted the chest's lid, and Layla was flabbergasted to see a large amount of guns inside it. "When I stopped fighting for the Khans, I stored all my guns in this chest." Elisa explained, before taking out a hunting revolver and a holster. She put the holster on her shorts, and put her revolver in the holster. She then threw Layla a cowboy repeater. "Do you know how to use this?"

"Yeah. Dad's been teaching me." Elisa then threw Layla a bandoleer filled with 357 magnum ammo, which Layla quickly used to load the rifle. Elisa took out another bandoleer, this one filled with 45-70 Gov't ammo, which she used to load her revolver, and put a grenade in her jacket pocket, just in case. They put the bandoleers around their waists and nodded to each other before leaving the tent.

*Later*

The journey across the camp was a long one, as they had to keep sneaking by NCR soldiers, and had to carefully avoid the crossfire as soldiers and Great Khans faced off. If Layla had learned one thing from her mother, she knew it had been stealth.

"We're almost there now sweetie." Elisa said reassuringly as they snuck past another NCR soldier and across the camp. Before they made it however, an NCR soldier suddenly burst out in front of them.

"Shit!" Elisa said, reaching for her revolver as she did so. Layla reached for her cowboy repeater too but it was no use, the soldier already had his weapon drawn. He pointed his service rifle at Layla and Elise, clearly debating whether or not to shoot them. Before he could come to a decision, a gunshot rang out and a bullet flew straight through the soldier's skull. He fell dead to the ground, just as Carl ran up to Layla and her mother.

"Thank God you're both safe." Carl said, hugging his family as he did so. "But what are you doing out here?"

"We're heading to the longhouse." Elisa replied.

"Good idea. Tell any non combatants you meet to join you there. We'll hold out there until the NCR runs out of soldiers."

"Can't we leave through the valley?"

"It's no good, the NCR has snipers out there, 1st recon I think. I tried to lead a group of non combatants out of there a few minutes ago, but they were slaughtered a few seconds after we left the camp."

"My God." Elisa said, her eyes and her voice filled with horror. "Why would the NCR attack non combatants?"

"Because they're bastards, that's why." Carl spat on the corpse of the NCR soldier he'd killed moments ago. "Regis is defending a group of non combatants on the other side of the camp. I've got to go over there and back him up."

"Be careful." Elisa said in a concerned tone, hugging her husband as she spoke.

"You too." He said softly, before breaking the hug. "Kill a couple of NCR bastards for me kitten." He said to Layla, before running off to join the battle. Tears filled Layla's eyes as she and her mother ran to the longhouse. They wouldn't be the first tears she shed today.

They finally reached the longhouse a minute later, and they quickly burst in, only to see two NCR soldiers and a ranger waiting for them. The NCR personnel weren't alone however. The longhouse was littered with Great Khan corpses, combatants and innocents alike. Layla saw a little girl in the corner of the room, slumped against the wall with a bullet hole in her forehead. She would've thrown up right then and there, if their loud entrance hadn't caught the attention of the NCR personnel that had turned the longhouse into the site of a massacre. The NCR soldiers turned to face her, both wielding service rifles. The ranger turned to face her a few seconds later.

He looked to be in his late thirties, and wore the standard ranger attire along with a ranger cowboy hat. He had cold, piercing brown eyes, and was currently smoking a cigar. He had short brown hair with hints of grey, and a small amount of stubble on his chin. Elisa drew her hunting revolver blindingly quickly, but the ranger was quicker. He drew a 12.7mm pistol and fired. The bullet blew off several of the fingers on Elisa's right hand, and caused her to drop the revolver. She screamed in pain, and the ranger laughed before rushing towards her and pistol whipping her to the floor. Layla tried to draw her cowboy repeater but was far too slow. The soldiers drew their service rifles first, and forced Layla to surrender.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The ranger said, sneering as he walked up to Layla. "Two lovely ladies. Tell me, what are you two lovely ladies doing with these savages?"

"Go fuck yourself." Layla said defiantly, eliciting a laugh from the ranger. The laugh was mocking but brief, and when it finished he struck Layla with great force. The slap resonated across the interior of the longhouse, and knocked Layla to the floor. The ranger picked up her cowboy repeater, before throwing it to one of his soldiers. The soldier held on to the weapon, while the ranger walked up to Elisa.

"You savages should be thanking us. The NCR is doing you a big favour by wiping this piece of shit camp off the face of the earth." He spat onto the floor of the longhouse to emphasise his point. "I wouldn't take a shit in a camp like this."

"Why are you doing this?" Elisa asked, getting to her feet and staring the ranger in the eye. "What did we ever do to you?"

"You mean besides spawn more savages?" He slapped Elisa quickly and suddenly, but she managed to stay on her feet. "A feisty one. You'll be fun."

"We never did anything to you!" Layla said to the ranger angrily. "We're not even combatants!"

"You think I give a shit?" He approached Layla again. "It doesn't matter whether you're fighting or not. As long as you're one of these idiotic savages, you're fair game."

"You think this is a game?" Elisa yelled at the ranger, and he turned to face her. "You're murdering civilians! Innocent people!"

"I know." He said with a grin as he moved back to Elisa and kneed her in the stomach. "It's fun." Elisa fell to her knees, spitting blood.

"Mum!" Layla angrily rushed the ranger, fists bared, but he calmly spun around before punching her in the face. The single blow knocked Layla to the floor, blood pouring from her nose. "You bastard!" She yelled, and the ranger emitted more mocking laughter.

"I love it when you ladies play hard to get." He grabbed Elisa by the throat, and lifted her to her feet. He then used his other hand to feel her chest, and Layla turned away in disgust. "Nice." He said, then pushed Elisa into a nearby desk. "Your daughter's younger, but you've got a nicer body, so you'll go first." Before Elisa could question what she was 'first' for, the ranger bent her over the desk. Layla's jaw hung open like a trap door as the ranger pulled down his trousers.

Now

Veronica looked as shocked as Layla had that day. Her face was a mask of horror, and she looked at Layla in disbelief.

"He raped her?" She asked, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"And he made me watch." Layla said sorrowfully, tears running down her cheeks as she spoke." Veronica couldn't look Layla in the eyes, and so her eyes drifted across the room.

"My God." Veronica said as her mind thought over what Layla had told her.

"I told you it wouldn't be a pretty story." Layla looked at Veronica, wiping the tears from her eyes as she spoke. "Do you want to hear the rest?" Veronica wasn't sure he wanted to know what happened next, but her curiosity wouldn't let her refuse. She had to know the whole story, and nodded her head to tell Layla to continue.

3 Years Ago

The ranger threw Elisa to the floor upon finishing with her, and pulled his trousers back up. The rangers had been watching Layla as it had gone on, making sure she didn't escape. Elisa began to weep as the ranger turned to Layla.

"You're next." He started to walk towards her. Since everybody was focused on Layla, nobody saw Elisa grab a letter opener from the desk with her one good hand desk and get to her feet. She rushed the ranger, and he turned around to see her slash his face with the letter opener.

"BITCH!" He yelled, recoiling in pain from the bloody gash she'd left on his face. She quickly grabbed his 12.7mm pistol from its holster before pistol whipping him, knocking him to the floor. The 2 NCR soldiers readied their weapons, but Layla quickly rushed over to them. She tackled the first to the floor, and began to viciously punch him in the face. The second soldier stared at her in stunned bewilderment, and Elisa used this opportunity to shoot him in the face with the 12.7mm pistol. Layla punched the soldier again and again, until her hands hurt and her knuckles were stained with blood. The soldier's slow breathing told her that he was still alive, annoyingly, but he was clearly barely conscious. Layla turned her attention away from the soldier and looked at her mother.

"Quick, let's get out of here!" Layla said urgently. Before Elisa could reply however, the ranger pulled a combat knife out of a secret compartment in his boot and stabbed Elisa in the gut. Layla stood open mouthed as the ranger got to his feet, and Elisa fell to her knees with blood seeping from her wound.

"That was fun." He said with a sneer, ripping his 12.7mm pistol from Elisa's grip as he did so. His hand went to the cut on his face, and came back covered with blood. "Just for that, I'm going to cut you up too. When I'm done with you, even your own daughter here won't recognise you."

"Her daughter isn't going to let that happen!" Layla said in a threatening tone, getting to her feet as she did so before snatching the soldier's service rifle and pointing it at the ranger's head.

"Don't make this harder on yourself girl. Drop the gun." There was not even a small amount of fear in the ranger's voice, as though he was certain that Layla could not harm him in the slightest. Layla desperately wanted to wipe the smirk off his face, and did so by firing the service rifle. Her aim was off however. She didn't get the clean headshot she'd been hoping for. Instead, she blew the man's right ear clean off. He screamed in pain as pieces of his ear fell to the floor, and quickly held Elisa in front of him like a human shield. "YOU'RE GOING TO FUCKING PAY FOR THAT YOU WHORE!" Before Layla could come up with a clever comeback (She was unsure as to whether he'd hear it anyway, having only 1 ear), the ranger fired his 12.7mm pistol. Layla had never been shot at before, and had no idea how to dodge. The bullet blew a hole through her shoulder, and knocked her flying to the floor.

"Layla!" Elisa cried, blood still pouring out of her chest from the stab wound.

"She isn't dead." The ranger said with a sadistic grin on her face. "She's not going to die until she watches me cut you up." He then burst into another stream of mocking laughter. Layla struggled to get to her feet, the pain in her shoulder was too intense. Layla looked sadly into the eyes of her mother, and saw a fierce, determined gaze staring back at her. The ranger was so caught up in his laughter, that he didn't notice Elisa's hand move towards her jacket pocket. She pulled out the grenade she'd put there earlier, and said something that Layla would never forget for the rest of her life.

"I'm already gone Layla. Don't ever forget me." With that, Elisa pulled the pin out of the grenade and armed it. The ranger finished laughing just in time to see this, and his cocky expression disappeared.

"I am really getting sick of you!" He said angrily, before throwing her to the floor and bolting away. He didn't make it three steps however before Elisa grabbed his leg. The grenade lay on the floor next to her.

"RUN!" Elisa cried. Relying purely on adrenaline, Layla got to her feet, and did something she'd never forgive herself for. She ran. She ran like she'd never ran before. She put all the strength she had left into her legs and ran towards the longhouse's windows, then jumped.

The grenade chose that second to explode. Layla jumped out of the window, spraying glass everywhere just as the grenade detonated. There was a massive boom that all but deafened Layla, and a shockwave that served to push her through the window faster. She landed in a heap outside the longhouse, every part of her body hurting. She was covered with cuts and bruises from jumping through the window, and her shoulder ached from where the bastard ranger had shot her. She was completely exhausted, and could barely feel anything. Worst of all however, was her emotional pain.

She just managed to get to her feet, and turned to look at the longhouse. Smoke billowed out of the now broken windows, and Layla could see flames inside. _Mum. _Layla thought to herself, distraught. _I'm so sorry. _Tears ran down her face and she fell to her knees, starting to cry. _No._ She thought with determination. _There'll be time to mourn later._ _I have to find dad._ She got to her feet again, and cast her eyes over the camp. Or what was left of it.

Every tent was now either ablaze or burnt down, and some of the NCR had used the flames to start bonfires, on which they piled countless corpses. She didn't see a single Great Khan nearby, only NCR soldiers searching for survivors. Either the Khans escaped, or... Layla didn't think about that, instead she thought about how she was going to find her father. As it happened, she didn't have to look very far to find him. She heard a loud gunshot, and heard an NCR trooper cry out in pain as a bullet passed through his windpipe. She looked to the end of the camp, which was possible to see now that most of the tents had burnt down, and saw her father. He was wielding a light machine gun. She had no idea where he'd got it from. She snuck as close as she could get without being spotted, and saw her father gunning down several NCR troops. They used the smoke from the burning tents and bonfires to hide as Carl unloaded with the LMG, an expression of pure hatred on his face.

"YOU BASTARDS!" He yelled, his voice so loud it could even be heard over the roar of the LMG. "YOU KILLED EVERYONE!" He continued to fire fully automatically, spraying bullets to every corner of the camp. "YOU FUCKING MURDERERS!" That was the last thing Layla ever heard her father say. She had no idea where the bullet had come from, but a bullet hole suddenly appeared on Carl's forehead. A look of shock covered his face as the bullet flew out the other side of the skull, leaving a gaping hole in his head and his brain. He dropped the LMG as blood poured from his wound, and fell dead to the ground. Overwhelming grief filled Layla as she watched the last of her family die before her very eyes. It took every single ounce of self control she had to avoid running to her father, and alerting all the NCR.

"I think that's the last of them." One of the NCR soldiers had spoken, as he walked up to Carl's corpse.

"You sure?" A second soldier stood a few feet away from the first, not wanting so see the body.

"Yeah, the others are either dead or they ran away. Call command and tell them we're done here." The soldier suddenly unzipped his trousers, and Layla felt a pang to her heart as the soldier urinated on her father's corpse. She began to shake with rage, and could think of nothing more than ripping the soldier's head off. She knew however that if she did that, the other soldiers would see her. _Dad had no chance. You won't either._ She looked around for somewhere to hide, and saw the most horrific thing she'd ever seen in her life.

To her utter disgust, she saw that the NCR soldiers had thrown all the corpses that had been on the bonfire into one large pile. The mountain of the scorched dead towered above her, and she realised that everyone she'd ever known was in that mountain. All her friends and loved ones, the people that had defined her life. That's when she vomited. She stood there for about a minute, throwing up everything she'd had to eat that day. When she finished, she wiped her mouth and sprung into action.

The next morning

The NCR didn't stay in Bitter Springs for long. Once they'd killed everyone and burnt the place to the ground, there was no reason to stick around. They spent the night cleaning up and disposing of the last of the bodies, then left early in the morning, but not before taking everything that wasn't nailed down. As the sun rose over the Mojave, the NCR walked out of Bitter Springs, leaving the corpse piles to rot in the sun. Beneath one of those corpse piles, was an 18 year old girl with short red hair, covered in blood, cuts and bruises. There was a large gash on her head, probably from broken glass, and she looked like she'd been through Hell. Probably because she had.

The second that Bitter Springs descended into silence, Layla squirmed out of her hiding place. She wrapped her arms around herself as she remembered last night. She'd spent the rest of the night hiding in that corpse pile, and that was and always would be the most unpleasant experience of her life. She'd been unimaginably cramped in that pile, with burnt corpses pressing against her from every direction. She'd been almost unable to breathe, and had she been claustrophobic she knew she would've gone mad. As it turned out, the smell had nearly driven her mad instead. All night she'd had the corpses pressing against her, the smell of their burnt flesh had filled her nostrils. She'd been unable to escape it, and it was the worst smell imaginable.

Her hiding place had worked though. The NCR soldiers hadn't gone near the mountain of bodies after burning them, and generally tried to stay as far away from it as possible. Occasionally they'd throw another corpse onto the pile, but that was the only time they went anywhere near it. On closer examination they probably would've found Layla, but who wanted to examine a pile of corpses closely? Layla fell to her knees and vomited again as she remembered the horrible night. When she could vomit no more, Layla cried. She let out all the grief she'd locked away last night, and let the sadness wash over her. She knelt in the middle of what had used to be her home, and cried.

Now

Veronica moved away from Layla as the story neared its end, a look of absolute shock covering her face. Layla continued.

"That came to be known as the Bitter Springs Massacre, and was the NCR's biggest disgrace. Nobody gave a shit though. Nobody ever punished the NCR for it, nor were their soldiers punished for slaughtering countless innocents. It was my turning point, the day I stopped being apathetic about the Great Khan's grudge against the NCR and began to hate them. Hate them more than anything else in the world."

"I don't believe it." Veronica said in stunned awe, the disbelief visible on her face.

"Believe it. Only a few Khans survived. None of them were non combatants. All the innocents were killed, and the NCR didn't give a shit."

"What did you do then?"

"After that? Well, I couldn't stay in Bitter Springs any longer. The NCR had taken the belongings of everyone there, so there was nothing for me to take. I left Bitter Springs, and I've never been back since." Yet another tear ran down Layla's cheek, and she didn't bother to wipe this one away. "I spent the next few years travelling. Occasionally I'd do bounty hunting jobs to hone my skills, and all the while my hatred for the NCR grew. I'd kill an NCR official every so often, but never enough to draw attention to myself.

"I remember my first kill happened a few months after I left Bitter Springs. I was in Primm, and I heard an NCR soldier going on about how many 'drug dealing scumbags' he'd killed at Bitter Springs. When he went into an alley to have a piss, I followed him and beat him to death with my bare hands. It was the first time I'd felt happy since that night.

"After 2 years of travelling and bounty hunting, I found work as a courier. It paid well and was fairly easy, so I kept the job for another year. Then I got shot in the head, and all this crap started." Layla lay back on the bed as she finished her story, and an uneasy silence filled the room.

"I'm sorry." Veronica said after a while. "I had no idea something like that could've happened."

"Of course you didn't." Layla said seriously. "The NCR did their best to cover it up."

"If I'd known what had happened, I wouldn't have argued. You have every right to hate them."

"You're damn right I do." Layla sat up, then got to her feet and picked up the heavy bag. "So are you going to help me?" Another uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"I don't know." Veronica said. "You're asking me to go to war here. I don't know if I can." Layla didn't respond. She simply turned her back to Veronica and left the room. A few seconds later, Veronica heard the elevator doors open, then close. _Me and my damn curiosity. _She thought ruefully.

**_What's this? A sad ending? Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are. I apologise for just how dark this chapter is. It depressed me when I was writing it, but hopefully you'll like it more. Reviews are appreciated as usual._**


	13. Family Reunion

_**This one took me a while, and I'm not sure if I'm satisfied with it. Anyway, enjoy it.**_

Family Reunion

"Where the hell did the Vipers get plasma grenades?" Layla said out loud as she dived into cover to avoid the explosion of a nearby plasma grenade. She landed behind a nearby building, and pulled out her sword. She was rewarded a few seconds later as a Viper gang member ran out of a nearby building wielding a baseball bat. _It's like they want me to kill them. _Layla thought to herself as the Viper reached her and clumsily swung his bat. She ducked under the blow easily before slashing off the top of his head. The Viper fell dead to the floor, his brain showing, and Layla took out That Gun, while still holding her sword in her other hand. _How the hell do I get into these situations?_

She had been making her way to Red Rock Canyon to meet with Papa Khan, when she'd passed through the ruined town of Bonnie Springs. That turned out to be a huge mistake, as Viper gang members had taken over the town. A fight had quickly ensued, and now Layla found herself taking cover from a particularly annoying Viper gang leader who seemed to have a limitless supply of plasma grenades. Said gang leader stood on the roof of a building at the end of the town's main street, and had a surprisingly good throwing arm.

Layla leaned out of cover slightly and fired That Gun in the Viper's direction. He rolled out of the way of the bullet, giving Layla time to move closer to the building that he stood on. Before she reached it however, several Viper gang members poured out of a nearby building, wielding an assortment of melee weapons. Layla shot the first in the face, but the other two quickly rushed her. The gang leader on the roof didn't throw another grenade, as there was a big chance of him blowing up his comrades. Layla calmly stabbed the first Viper through the stomach with her sword, but the third Viper kept coming. She tried to smash Layla's skull with a sledgehammer but was far too slow. Layla pulled her sword out of the second Viper's stomach, before rolling to the side to avoid the third Viper's strike. She got into a crouch as she finished the roll and sliced the Viper's legs off.

She left the Viper, who was now screaming in pain, to bleed to death, and looked up to see that the Viper leader was readying another plasma grenade. She shot the grenade in his hand with That Gun, detonating it. The plasma explosion blew the Viper leader's arm off and knocked him flying off the back of the roof. Before Layla could relax, another Viper gang leader came out of the building that the first gang leader had been standing on the roof of. She was wielding a trail carbine, and quickly opened fire on Layla. Layla dived into a nearby alley to avoid the shot, and ran out of the alley, ending up on the outskirts of the town. She leant against the wall as the gang leader followed her. The second the Viper reached the end of the alley however, Layla sprung out and slashed with her sword in a downwards arc. The Viper blocked the slash with her trail carbine, but the slash cut straight through the gun, slashing it in half.

Layla readied That Gun, when the Viper suddenly rushed her. Layla was too taken by surprise to counter attack as the Viper punched her in the face. Layla was knocked flying back, and hit the desert ground with a thud. There was an intense pain in her head, and her vision was going blurry. _How the hell did she hit so hard? _Layla thought angrily as she looked up at the Viper, and saw the gang leader was wearing spiked knuckles. The knuckles had with the words: 'LOVE' and 'HATE' embossed on them.

The Viper tried to kick Layla while she was down, but Layla grabbed her leg. While still holding the leg, Layla pulled a throwing knife out of one of the pockets of her leather jacket, and threw it expertly at the Viper's skull. The knife hit its target with deadly efficiency, killing the Viper instantly. Layla let go of the Viper's leg and the gang leader fell dead to the ground. _That was annoying. _Layla thought to herself, clutching her head in pain. _I think that bitch gave me a concussion._ She reached inside her bag for a stimpak, but was annoyed to find that she had none left.

"Crap!" She said angrily, before getting to her feet and dusting herself off. She started to leave Bonny Springs via the alleyway, when a familiar figure stepped into the alley. "No way." She said in disbelief as she saw the Viper who had been throwing the plasma grenades earlier. His arm had been blown clean off when she'd shot the grenade, and was now a bloody stump. Surprisingly however, he was still alive. He held a plasma grenade in his one good hand, and had an insane look on his face. Before Layla could react, he armed the grenade with his teeth. It exploded seconds later, liquefying the viper and knocking Layla flying. Her arm hit a rock as she landed on the ground, cracking the bone and sending a dagger of pain through her. Layla felt herself losing consciousness, and tried desperately to stay awake. It was no good however, and the last thing she saw was several dark shapes approaching her before she passed out.

*Later*

_Ow. _Was Layla's first thought as she awoke. Pain filled most of her body, no doubt due to her being caught in an explosion at point blank range earlier. She looked around her surroundings, and saw that she was in a tent. The tent was about the size of an average living room, and books littered the floor. There was a door at the other end of the tent that was shut. _Locked._ She thought immediately, but was proven wrong as a gust of wind from outside blew the door ajar. _Unlocked?_ Either Layla's captors had an obscene lack of caution...or they weren't captors at all.

Layla decided to think about that later, and started to get up. Her arm filled with crippling pain however, and Layla fell back onto the mattress that she was lying on. _Damn._ The arm was most definitely broken. She remembered shattering it on a rock as she'd been knocked down by the explosion. She looked at the arm for the first time since waking up, and saw to her surprise that it was in a sling. _Someone treated my wounds? _It was also her left arm. The same arm that had already been burnt twice. _That arm cannot catch a break._

A wave of pain passed through Layla's head, and her vision started to swim. She ignored it however, as well as the pain in her arm, and got to her feet. She gritted her teeth as her arm protested, and managed to stand. As she stood, Layla caught sight of herself in a grimy mirror attached to the wall. She was a mess. She was a lot paler than usual, and thick bags hung under her eyes. Plus she had a black eye from where the Viper had punched her, and her head was wrapped in bandages, seemingly to help with the concussion.

It was at this moment that Layla realised she was in her small clothes. All she wore was a small grey vest and dark blue shorts. There was a pile of clothes next to the open door, and a shocked expression covered Layla's face as she saw them. A leather jacket and shorts lay on the floor, and the jacket had the Great Khan's insignia on the back. Everything suddenly made sense. _I'm in Red Rock Canyon. _Layla thought as she kicked open the tent's door, showing the rocky landscape of Red Rock Canyon outside.

She quickly got dressed in the Great Khan attire, a difficult task since one of her arms was useless, before running out of the tent. She was on the top of a large cliff, and she quickly ran to the edge of the cliff face before looking out over the camp. Her eyes widened in joy as she saw the camp, and the dozens of Khans that roamed it. This camp was far more impressive than Bitter Springs. It was larger for one thing, and the arena actually looked like a proper arena. Happiness filled Layla to her core as she saw all the Khans wandering around, and realised that her family wasn't dead after all. The Great Khans lived, and with them she could destroy the NCR. _We'll make those pricks suffer._

"So, you're awake?" The familiar voice cut through Layla's thoughts like a scythe, and she turned around to see an old friend.

"Regis!" She said in amazement. The man looked a little older than when she'd last seen him, but overall he looked just as powerful and wise as when she'd seen him all those years ago. She was tempted to run over and hug the only survivor of Bitter Springs she'd ever met, but remembered Regis' serious nature and decided against it. She settled with smiling happily.

"It's good to see you again Layla. I thought I was the only one who survived that awful night." A gloom passed over Layla's features, and her grin faded. "I heard about what happened to your parents. I'm sorry for your loss. They were good people."

"Thank you." Layla replied, smiling wanly.

"I've also heard about your recent exploits. Did you know that NCR soldiers have started calling you The Red Blade Witch?" Layla burst out laughing at that, and Regis smiled for the first time since she'd known him. She was surprised he was being so friendly. Regis had always been a cold and logical man, not unkind, but not exactly friendly. She realised that he was going through the same thing as her, meeting another survivor of Bitter Springs for the first time. Though he hid it well, he was feeling just as jubilant as her. He walked to the edge of the cliff where she had been standing moments ago, and looked out onto the camp. She joined him, and they stood there. The only sound was the whistle of the wind as it blew their jackets. The sun was starting to set, and Layla realised she'd gotten up quite late.

"How did you survive?" Layla asked after a long pause, looking Regis in the eyes as she spoke. Regis sighed, not in annoyance, but as though he was tired of remembering that night.

"It was sheer luck mostly. I managed to escort a group of non combatants out of the camp, somehow avoiding being spotted by the NCR snipers. I didn't even get a mile away before NCR troopers caught me. They executed the innocents I had been escorting, and took me back to Camp McCarran to lock me up for the rest of my life. I never saw the inside of a cell though." He looked behind him, and Layla followed his gaze to see a longhouse, eerily similar to the one where her mother had..._No. I don't want to think about that._ "We stopped off briefly in Boulder City to make camp. I was handcuffed and watched by two soldiers. As night fell, and the soldiers started to drift off to sleep, Papa Khan struck. He and a group of Great Khans attacked the soldiers. The half asleep soldiers were slaughtered before they could wipe the sleep from their eyes."

"But how did Papa Khan know you were in danger?"

"He heard about the Bitter Springs massacre from some of his scouts, and the same scouts reported my capture. He immediately led a group of Great Khans after me, and had followed us all the way to Boulder City. He took me back here, where I filled him in on everything that had happened in Bitter Springs. He was enraged. The NCR continued to take our camps however and pushed us back, until this was our only camp left. For some reason they didn't finish the job, and we've been here for the past 3 years, building our forces."

"You saved me in Bonnie Springs didn't you?"

"I wasn't me personally. A group of Khans were searching for supplies when they heard explosions in Bonnie Springs. When they arrived, they saw you kill all the Vipers, before being caught in an explosion. They brought you back here, where I identified you as Carl and Elisa's daughter. That was yesterday, and the best medics we've got have been treating you since then." Layla swayed a little as pain shot through her head, and Regis had to steady her.

"I don't mean to offend, but you don't seem to have done a very good job."

"I know. The Followers of the Apocalypse visited here a while ago, and taught us medical techniques, but most of what was learnt that day has been forgotten. We don't have a lot of medics, and the ones we do have aren't very skilled."

"It's alright." Layla said reassuringly. "I heal fast anyway. I'll be fine."

"You didn't come here to chat did you?" Layla was slightly taken aback by the question.

"I didn't come here. I was brought here."

"But you were on your way here. Nobody passes through Bonnie Springs unless they're on their way here. I have to ask...why did you come here?" Layla sighed. There was no point in lying to Regis. The Khans were her family after all.

"I'm helping an escaped convict named Samuel Cooke. He hates the NCR with a passion, like me, and he sent me here to convince Papa Khan to let him join the Khans."

"I see." Regis said emotionlessly. He walked towards the longhouse, and Layla followed. "Papa Khan doesn't have much business to attend to these days, so you should be able to see him."

"Thanks Regis." They entered the longhouse, and found themselves in a large dining area. Several Khans were feasting hungrily on food at a dining table in the middle of the room, while Papa Khan and a man Layla didn't know sat at a table at the end of the room.

Layla had never met Papa Khan before, but she could tell who he was just by looking. He was sat down at the moment, but Layla guessed he would be well over 6ft tall if he stood up. His body seemed to be a solid wall of muscle, and he had a presence that both intimidated and demanded respect. He wore a Viking helmet on his head, and Layla had a feeling that if he rushed you head first while wearing that he could skewer you in an instant.

"Who's that?" Layla asked Regis in a whisper, pointing to the man that sat next to Papa Khan.

"That's Karl." Layla looked at him dubiously. "I know, it's an unusual coincidence that he has the same name as your late father. Anyway, Karl is an emissary from Caesar's Legion. The Khans have formed an alliance with the Legion, and he's come here as a gesture of goodwill. A gesture that has so far not helped us in the slightest." Before Regis could say anything else, Papa Khan saw them.

"Regis, there you are!" He said in a booming voice as he bit a huge chunk out of a brahmin steak he was eating. Regis and Layla walked over, and Layla felt her stomach tying itself into knots. She didn't know whether it was the obvious power of the man, or the fact that he could quite easily ruin her chances to destroy the NCR if he refused Cooke's offer, but Layla found that she was scared of him. Actually scared. The feeling was uncommon to her these days, which just heightened the fear. "Who's your friend?" Papa Khan asked as they reached his table.

"This is Layla." Regis said emotionlessly.

"Layla?" A look of recognition suddenly appeared in Papa Khan's eyes. "Carl and Elisa's daughter?"

"That's right." Layla answered, just managing to keep the fear out of her voice.

"You survived The Bitter Springs Massacre didn't you?"

"I did." Papa Khan dropped his steak and looked at her intently.

"Tell me everything." He said seriously. His tone of voice made Layla's blood run cold. If she hadn't already told Veronica the story, she was sure that the words wouldn't form. But she had told Veronica, and that somehow made it easier. Regis brought her a chair, then sat at Papa Khan's side as Layla told him everything that had happened that night. As she told the story, the expression on his face seemed to change from interest to anger, and that anger seemed to grow as the story went on. When she finished the story, he yelled in pure anger, and struck the table with his fist, smashing straight through it, and taking everyone in the longhouse by surprise. "Khans, leave us. Now." Papa Khan said, the anger seeping into his voice, and the Khans immediately obeyed. "You too Karl." Karl nodded his head then followed the Khans out the door. A few seconds later, only Layla, Papa Khan and Regis were left.

"Is something wrong?" Layla asked, referring to Papa Khan's sudden outburst. A harsh laugh answered her question.

"I would've thought The Red Blade Witch would know what the problem is. The problem has existed for years, and only became a major problem that night."

"You're talking about the NCR." Layla said as realisation hit her."

"That's right. I'm talking about the fucking NCR!" Papa Khan threw his plate into the wall, shattering it into pieces and spraying steak juice all over the floor of the longhouse. "After hearing about what they did last night, I've made it my mission to destroy those fuckers. They need to pay for everything they've done. When you come right down to it, you and I aren't so different."

"That's actually why I'm here, I'm working on a way to eliminate the NCR."

"I'm listening." Papa Khan replied, his interest clearly piqued.

"I'm working with an escaped NCR prisoner named Samuel Cooke. He hates the NCR just as much as we do, and he's extremely charismatic. He'd be good at getting people to join us. The most important thing about him however, is that he's a demolitions expert. Not only that, he has a large supply of powerful explosives, and he wants to join the Khans." Papa Khan sat back in his chair, the anger seemingly gone and replaced by a large grin.

"He sounds like a good guy. And if he's really got the explosives and the expertise you're talking about, then he can join the Khans, along with anyone else who's allied with him." Layla breathed a sigh of relief. "Now get out of here. It's getting late and I need some more dinner. Bring Cooke to me as soon as possible." Layla nodded her agreement, then Regis escorted her out of the longhouse. "Oh and Layla." Papa Khan's voice stopped her in her tracks, seconds before she made it out the door. "I'm sorry about your parents. Carl was a good friend of mine, and Elisa was a great woman. Their deaths will be avenged. I promise you." Layla smiled warmly.

"Thank you." She said, before allowing Regis to escort her out of the longhouse.

**_I don't know, it just doesn't seem to be as good as the other chapters. I'll remedy that in the next chapter, which will be coming quite soon. As usual, review like there's no tomorrow._**


	14. A Figure from the Past

**_This chapter took a lot less time to write, and I'm much happier with it than the last chapter. Enjoy!_**

A Figure from the Past

Layla spent the next few days at Red Rock Canyon, recovering from her injuries and getting to know the Khans that inhabited the camp. Layla's miraculous healing ability manifested itself once again, as her arm was good as new only a few days later. She still had pain in her head and dizzy spells occasionally, but she was definitely well enough to travel. On the fourth day she took her cast and head bandages off and received her supplies from the Great Khan armourer. She told Regis she was leaving, and he escorted her to the outskirts of the camp.

"I'm sorry about Papa Khan." Regis said as they walked. "He has severe anger problems." _Veronica would tell you I do too. _Layla thought to herself. "He really does care about the Khans, but he's too wrapped up in his hatred for the NCR. Ever since he heard about the massacre at Bitter Springs, he's been consumed with rage. It has dominated his thoughts and his actions, controlling everything he does. I think this rage is clouding his judgement."

"I you think I'm the same." Layla replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

"No, not yet. Your rage hasn't reached the heights that his has yet. But I think that it won't be long now. If you let your rage and hatred consume you, it will get you killed."

"Regis, how can you say that?" Layla's annoyance was growing by the second. "You were there. You saw what those bastards did. You can't honestly expect me to let them get away with it."

"Layla, there are more important things than revenge."

"I'm trying to avenge my parents Regis. I'm trying to avenge everyone else who the NCR killed that night. This isn't about me, it's about them."

"There's nothing wrong with trying to avenge them, just don't let it become the only thing that matters." They reached the outskirts of the camp, and Layla looked at Regis to see a look of quiet intensity in his eyes. "I've seen too many good Khans in my lifetime get caught up in revenge. It never ends well." Layla looked away from Regis, and a serious look appeared on her face.

"I'm sorry Regis, but I have to do this. I can't just let those bastards get away with it." Regis sighed loudly.

"Very well. If you're going to do this, then I wish you luck. Just don't let your quest consume your very being."

"I won't. Thank you Regis." With that, Layla left the camp. She walked down the canyon, memories of her parents and her childhood filling her mind. _The NCR can't be allowed to exist after what it's done. They will get what's coming to them. With Cooke's help I'll blow them all to hell. _Then her mind turned to Cooke.

She remembered her night with him, and her heart thudded in her chest. She remembered how his beard had tickled her sensitive spot, and how he knew exactly what to do to please her. She knew she hadn't even known him for that long, and she knew next to nothing about him, so saying that she was in love was ridiculous. She felt something for him though. Something strong. He seemed to be the only man in the Mojave who was on her wavelength. He shared her hatred for the NCR, and like her he would do anything that was necessary to get the job done. There was also the fact that he was easy on the eyes, as far as she was concerned. She couldn't wait to see him again.

Then her mind turned to Veronica, and sadness replaced her excitement. She hadn't seen her in nearly a week, and she was still disheartened that her friend hadn't agreed to help her in her quest to destroy the NCR. She felt more disconnected from Veronica then every before. _She's my best friend, the best friend I've ever had and probably the best friend I ever will have, but she doesn't understand._ Veronica didn't share her thoughts on the NCR, she wasn't on her wavelength. Layla didn't know if she could feel the same way about her friend ever again.

These thoughts and more dominated her mind as she left the canyon, and began the long walk back to Vault 19.

*Later*

Layla walked into the car park that marked the vault's front entrance. Last time she'd entered the vault through the sulphur caves, having to fight through all manner of nasty beasts as she did so. Cooke then pointed out the proper entrance to the vault, a small hatch in the middle of an abandoned car park. Layla had immediately felt like an idiot.

She opened the hatch and climbed down the ladder into a dark tunnel. The huge vault door stood in front of her, but it hung open. _That's weird. _Layla thought as she walked through the open door. _Cooke closed that door after me when I left._ Layla felt a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, which only got worse when she saw a dead convict slumped over the door's control panel. There was a bullet hole in his forehead, meaning whoever had shot him had scored a clean headshot. _Professionals. _Layla thought immediately, as she drew That Gun from her thigh holster and left the vault's entrance. She walked down one of the vault's dimly lit corridors, turning her Pip Boy light on as she walked. The Pip Boy didn't produce much light, but there was enough there to see that more dead bodies littered the corridor. There were dozens of them, all killed with clean headshots. The floor of the corridor was stained with blood.

Layla began to feel worry bubble up inside her, worry for Cooke. She was reassured slightly by the fact that the bodies were still warm, meaning the convicts couldn't have been killed long ago. That meant there was still some chance that Cooke was still alive, and that whoever had done this hadn't left yet.

Gripping That Gun so hard she left indentations in the handle, Layla approached the door of the Vault Overseer's office. If Cooke was still alive, he'd be in there. She heard mocking laughter coming from the room, familiar mocking laughter, followed by screams of pain. _No. It can't be._ She took a deep breath before running into the room, and coming face to face with a dead man.

"Well well, look who it is." The ranger said as he turned to face Layla. The ranger who had raped her mother 3 years ago. The ranger who had been blown to shit that same night. "It's been a long time girl. A very long time." The ranger looked mostly the same as when they'd last met, but with several striking differences. He still wore the ranger outfit he wore 3 years ago, along with the ranger cowboy hat, but he wasn't smoking a cigar this time. His short brown hair with hints of grey had now become as white as a ghost, appropriate seeing as he seemed to have come back from the dead. The stubble on his chin had grown into an untidy goatee. Shaving obviously wasn't one of the ranger's concerns. Wrinkles were starting to form on his face, and his cold, piercing brown eyes were showing signs of age. His most striking features however were the wounds he'd sustained during their last encounter. He had a gaping scar on his left cheek from where Elisa had slashed him with the letter opener, and he had no right ear, since Layla had blown it off on that night. In addition however, he had a few burn marks on his right cheek, as well as several cuts where shrapnel from the grenade had imbedded itself in the cheek. All in all he looked like a creature out of a nightmare.

In an eerily familiar scene, he had an NCR trooper on either side of him, both wielding service rifles. They weren't the same solders from 3 years, those two had probably died during the grenade explosion. They were serving the ranger however, as the other two had.

The office was a mess, and looked as though a hurricane had blown through it. Cooke sat on the floor, leaning against the wall behind the ranger, who now faced Layla. It didn't look like the ranger had been nice to him. Cooke's face was covered with cuts and scratches, and the bloody combat knife in the ranger's hand told Layla who was responsible. One of Cooke's eyes was black, and his face was bleeding heavily from all the cuts. His nose was broken, and he looked to be barely conscious. His right leg was bent at an unnatural angle and his right arm hung limp at his side, making it obvious that both were broken.

The ranger grinned sadistically as he drew a hunting revolver blindingly quickly and pointed it at Cooke's head. At the same time, the troopers pointed their service rifles at Layla's head, and she pointed That Gun at the ranger's head. Silence filled the room, as everyone waited for someone to make a move. The ranger obliged.

"It's been far too long." He said sarcastically as he twirled his knife around in his left hand, still pointing the revolver at Cooke with his right hand.

"You're dead." Layla said in anger and disbelief, her grip tightening even more on That Gun. Not even wild horses could've pulled the gun from her hands at that moment. "My mother killed you."

"That whore tried to kill me." The ranger's grin widened as he mentioned Elisa. "But she failed miserably. When she grabbed me, I slit her wrist with my combat knife and rolled away just as the grenade went off." The hand that held his knife moved to the right side of his face. "As you can see I didn't escape completely unscathed. Neither did your mother." He threw the revolver into the air and caught it, before pointing it at Cooke again. "This is hers by the way." Layla's anger grew as she realised that the ranger held her mother's hunting revolver.

"What are you doing here?" She all but growled at him.

"I still work for the NCR remember? They found this bastard's location and sent me to finish him off." The ranger spat on Cooke as he spoke. "Can't have anyone spreading bullshit about the NCR can we? Rebellious propaganda isn't good for business. Isn't that right Cooke?"

"Fuck...you...and fuck...your precious republic." Cooke barely managed to say the words, and spoke as if it was an effort for him to even breathe. His defiant statement elicited a stream of mocking laughter from the ranger, who quickly turned around and kicked Cooke in the face. Layla's eyes widened in horror as the brutalised Cooke fell onto his side, blood spewing from his mouth, and seemed to fall unconscious.

"Loudmouthed prick." The ranger said in a disgusted tone before spitting on Cooke again. He then turned back to Layla and briefly tipped his hat. "I just realised that I never introduced myself before I got **friendly** with your mother. The name's Chris Hoke, but my friends call me Choke." Choke burst into another stream of laughter.

"Choke?" Layla said defiantly. "I just figured out how to kill you."

"I see you're just as feisty as when we last met. You've obviously, **matured** since then." He looked at her ample bosom as he spoke, and Layla felt overwhelming repulsion in addition to her anger. "This is going to be fun."

"You are NOT going to do to me what you did to my mother you fucking PRICK! DO YOU HERE ME?"

"Yep, this is definitely going to be fun." He acted as if he hadn't even heard her, and broke out into yet another stream of mocking laughter. "Hard to believe you're the innocent little teen that I slapped stupid 3 years ago. Now you look like you can actually handle yourself."

"Why don't you come over here and find out you repulsive little shit?" Layla took one hand off That Gun as she spoke, and used it to draw her sword. The two solders stepped back upon seeing the huge weapon, while Choke didn't even bat an eyelid.

"She's The Red Blade Witch!" One of the soldiers said in shocked realization. Choke responded by pistol whipping the soldier, a young man who couldn't have been older than 20, to the floor.

"I don't care if she'd President Kimball wearing a fucking dress! Take her down! Leave her alive though. I want to have some **fun** with this whore before I kill her."

"I'll cut your fucking dick off!" Layla said in a fit of pure rage. Choke simply laughed again in response.

"This'll be fun." Cooke seemed to wake up at that moment, and looked up at Layla.

"Run..." He said weakly, and Choke responded by stomping on Cooke's windpipe with his thick ranger boots.

"Don't you ever shut the fuck up?" He asked in annoyed tone as Cooke's eyes widened in pain, then he passed out once again. That was the last straw. Layla roared an angry battle cry, and fired three shots from That Gun in Choke's direction. He rolled behind the overseer's desk to dodge the attack, and the soldiers opened fire. Layla stood in the doorway of the room, and quickly pressed the button on the wall to close the door, before diving to the side. There was a button inside the room too however, and the door opened a few seconds later.

The ranger that Choke had pistol whipped came out first, firing as fast as possible with his service rifle. Layla rolled to the side to dodge his bullets, before shooting the young man in the kneecaps. He fell to the floor, screaming in pain, and Layla put him out of his misery by charging and bringing the blade of the sword crashing down, stabbing through the soldier's jugular. The second soldier followed, and struck Layla with the barrel of her rifle. Layla was knocked back against the wall of the corridor as the soldier (A strict looking woman in her mid thirties) took aim with her service rifle. Layla ducked to dodge the soldier's first shot, before firing into her chest. The soldier's chest plate took most of the impact, but it still knocked her off balance. Layla charged in and kneed the woman in the face, knocking her to the floor. She landed face first in the doorway of the overseer's office, and Layla pressed the button to close the door. She heard a grinding of gears as the door closed on the soldier's head, crushing it like an egg. Layla pressed the switch again and the door obediently opened to reveal that there was nothing left of the woman's head besides a mass of blood and brains. Layla walked into the room, and was greeted by a gunshot.

She rolled out of the way to avoid a bullet fired from her mother's gun, and fired a bullet out of That Gun at Choke, who was standing behind the desk. He rolled towards Cooke to dodge the bullet, and quickly got to his feet before using the founder of the Powder Gangers as a human shield.

"Not bad bitch, not bad at all." He said with a mocking grin. "I remember when you couldn't even shoot straight." His left hand, no longer holding his knife, moved to where his ear used to be. Layla guessed that he had put the knife in the secret compartment in his boot. "Now look at you! You just killed two NCR soldiers without breaking a sweat. Your fuck buddy here would be proud." His left hand slapped Cooke across the face as he continued to use his unconscious body as a human shield.

"Let him go." Layla said in a determined voice.

"And why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because if you do, I'll make your death quick and painless."

"I have no such plans for you whore. I'm going to make you beg for it." Layla continued to point That Gun at Choke, still holding her sword in her other hand, while Choke continued to use Cooke as a shield, pointing Elisa's hunting revolver at Layla as he did so. "I think I'll start by cutting your ear off, see how you like it. Then I'll make you watch as I kill your fuck buddy. Then..." He licked his lips disgustingly. "...then I'll make you feel what your mother felt on that night 3 years ago."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" Layla had had it. She fired That Gun at Choke's right hand, the hand that held her mother's revolver. Like that night, the bullet hit the hand that held the revolver, but unlike that night, the hand's fingers weren't blown off. Layla wasn't as good a shot as Choke. The bullet did blow a hole straight through his hand however, and knock the gun out of his hand. While Choke was distracted by the pain, Layla charged. Choke saw her coming however, and threw Cooke's unconscious body at her. Cooke smacked into Layla, knocking them both to the floor. While Layla recovered from the impact and tried to get Cooke off her, Choke ran for the revolver. She threw Cooke off her and fired That Gun in Choke's direction. The exact second she did so however, he grabbed the hunting revolver and fired it in her direction.

Layla's bullet hit Choke in the shoulder, while his bullet hit her in the chest. They were both knocked back, but Layla's recon armour protected her. The bullet never even touched her skin. She got to her feet cockily, but was surprised when Choke got up too. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he pistol whipped Layla in the face. The blow hit with great force, making Layla drop both her weapons and knocking her to the floor. Choke stood over her, grinning madly.

"I'm going to make you scream bitch. You're going to pay for what you did that night." It was Layla's turn to unleash a stream of mocking laughter.

"The only one who deserves to pay is you, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Layla kicked the overseer's chair at Choke, knocking him off balance. She quickly got to her feet and tried to wrest the hunting revolver from Choke's grasp. She was incredibly strong, but Choke was stronger. He held on to the gun, before elbowing Layla in the stomach. She stumbled backwards, and he prepared to fire. She dropped to the floor to dodge his bullet, before punching him in the balls. Choke cried out weakly, before stumbling backwards, holding his balls as he did.

Layla quickly rose to her feet before charging and punching Choke in the face. His head snapped back as her blow broke his nose, and she managed to wrest the revolver from his grasp. He surprised her however by unleashing a roundhouse kick. The attack knocked Layla back onto the desk, and made her drop the revolver. It flew across the room, and Choke pulled his combat knife out of the secret compartment on his boot before charging. He pushed Layla against the desk, moving the blade closer to her throat as he did so. She kicked him back however, before drawing her own combat knife from one of the pockets of her battered leather jacket.

"So it's a knife fight you want then you little whore? Fine." He grinned confidently.

"I wouldn't think you'd ever want to see a knife again after my mum cut your pretty face with a letter opener." It seemed Layla had hit a nerve, as Choke finally showed a look of anger.

"IM GOING TO CUT OUT YOUR DAMN INTESTINES, AND SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR FUCKING THROAT!" It seemed Choke had finally lost it. He roared in anger before rushing Layla. She darted to the side to dodge as he slashed with his knife, and let loose her own slash. He parried her blow however before kicking her back. She recovered from the kick just in time to block with her knife as Choke tried to stab her. He jumped back before trying another roundhouse kick. This time she was ready, and ducked under the kick. As she did however, Choke charged and unleashed a barrage of angry slashes with his knife. Layla weaved side to side to dodge every attack, and tried to punch Choke in the face. His head moved to the side to dodge her punch, and he let loose his own punch. His blow struck her in the gut, and she spat blood as she stumbled backwards. Choke laughed confidently as he charged forwards and tackled Layla into the wall that the door was on.

All the breath left Layla's lungs as she was slammed into the wall. He knife fell to the ground and Choke laughed madly as he spun her to face the wall. Before she could react, he slammed her face into the wall with all his strength. Crippling pain darted through her skull as he head impacted with the wall, and her vision began to swim. She remembered her concussion, and tried to break free from Choke's grip. He was strong however, and she was unable to escape from his grasp.

"Tsk tsk." He tutted annoyingly before slamming her face against the wall again. She fell to her knees as pain and dizziness filled her skull, and she felt blood run down her head. Choke continued to laugh madly as he pulled her up and slammed her head against the wall for a third time. The pain and dizziness only increased, and Layla felt like she was going to be sick. Her vision became even more blurry, and she was sure she was going to faint. She just managed to stay conscious, and Choke rewarded her by pressing his combat knife against her throat. He pressed the blade against her throat hard, and blood started to run down her neck. "Having fun whore?"

"Oh yeah. It's...great." Layla barely managed to form words as her injured brain flickered like a broken TV. "I think you should try it." Before Choke could question her meaning, Layla stomped on his foot with all her strength. Choke screamed in pain as the bones in his toes audibly shattered, and Layla took advantage of the brief opening by breaking free of his grasp. She grabbed the wrist that held his knife and twisted it, breaking it painfully. He cried out in pain, and a sadistic grin covered her face as she grabbed him like he'd grabbed her, and slammed his face against the wall as hard as she could. There was a sickening thud as bones in his skull cracked from the impact, and she responded by throwing him across the room. He landed painfully on the floor, and she quickly picked up both her knife and his knife before walking over to him. Just as he managed to get to his knees, she copied his move by roundhouse kicking him in the face. He was knocked flying onto the desk, where he lay as Layla approached him.

"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!" He yelled as she approached. "I CAN'T BE KILLED BE YOU, YOU MOTHERFUCKING WHORE!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, and Layla shut him up by stabbing one of his hands with her knife. The knife stabbed through his hand easily and imbedded itself in the desk, trapping him. He desperately tried to free his trapped hand, but she put a stop to that by stabbing his other hand into the table using his own knife. He tried to kick her with his legs, the only limbs that were free, but she easily dodged, before walking over to her sword.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Layla said evilly as she picked up her sword and walked over to Choke. He desperately tried to free himself as she approached, shaking his hands with all his strength. It was hopeless however. They weren't going anywhere. He spat in her direction as she reached the desk but she sidestepped it. "This is for my mother." Before Choke could shout an insult or a threat or some other word of defiance, Layla raised her sword over her head. He had just enough time to swear loudly before she brought the blade down and stabbed straight through his face. The blade passed through him as though he was made of butter, and stabbed into the desk on the other side. She wrenched the sword out, and took a breather.

Before her, lay the man who had violated her mother. The sick bastard lay stabbed into the table, his face little more than a gaping hole through while blood and brains poured out. It was a truly horrific sight, but to Layla it was one of the most beautiful things she had seen in years. She suddenly remembered Cooke, and ran over to his unconscious body, which still lay on the floor where Choke had thrown him. His eyes opened slowly as she reached him and helped him to his feet.

"Layla..." He said weakly, blood pouring from his mouth. With all the cuts on his face, he was barely recognisable. "What...what happened?"

"He's dead Cooke." She said happily. "The fucker raped my mother and beat you to a bloody pulp, but he's dead." Cooke smiled weakly, but there was no happiness in his eyes.

"I'm fucked Layla." She looked at him, completely dumbstruck. "There's no way I'm going to survive this. He cracked my ribs, cut my face, broke most of the bones in my body. A man just doesn't recover from something like that." He laughed humourlessly, spitting blood as he did so.

"Don't say that!" She said in a distraught tone, her eyes starting to well up with tears. "You're going to get through this you son of a bitch! I'll get you to the Followers in Freeside! They'll know what to do! They..." Cooke put a finger to her lips, cutting her off mid sentence.

"I'll be dead before we get out the door and you know it." Tears started to run down Layla's cheeks.

"No! You can't die! You're the only one who understands that the NCR need to be destroyed! You're the only one who understands me! I need you!"

"You don't...need me. I'm just some fucker with a loud mouth and a large cock who hates the NCR. You can do it Layla. You can kill every one of those fuckers and drive them from the Mojave...forever."

"Not without you." He wiped a tear from Layla's eyes using the last piece of strength he had left.

"Yeah...without me. You don't need me Layla. Now go out there and give those fuckers pain the likes of which they've never known." He looked deep into her eyes as he breathed his last breath. "I...believe in you." He kissed her weakly on the lips, then his head fell back. Whether it was because of internal bleeding, loss of blood, or intense physical trauma was unclear, but Samuel Cooke breathed no more.

"Layla?" A familiar voice filled her ears, and Layla turned her head to see Veronica, standing in the doorway of the overseer's office. "Are you...alright?" Layla didn't answer. She just burst into tears.

*Later*

Layla let out all her emotions, and cried for a full minute. Veronica comforted her the entire time. When Layla had managed to compose herself, Veronica helped her carry Cooke out of the vault, and bury him outside. They stood before the mound of dirt that marked Cooke's resting place, none of them speaking. After a few minutes, Layla finally broke the silence.

"How did you find me?" She asked, wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks as she spoke.

"After you left, I felt like I needed to apologise. I assumed you'd gone back to Cooke, so I remembered your story and managed to find the vault. Cooke's men found me and brought me to him, but he told me you'd already left to go see Papa Khan. I stayed the night there, then set out for Red Rock Canyon. I got lost though, and spent a few days wandering aimlessly. By the time I found Red Rock Canyon, a guy named Regis told me you'd already left. I made my way back here, where I found you." Veronica looked Layla in the eyes, and smiled slightly. "You're a pain in the ass to find." Layla smiled wanly, but kept her gaze on Cooke's resting place. "That ranger you killed in there...was he the guy who..."

"He was." Layla cut Veronica off mid sentence, not wanting to remember that horrible night.

"But I thought he..."

"So did I. He said he managed to avoid the explosion. He got a few burns and shrapnel wounds from the look of it though."

"And that was Cooke?" Fresh tears started to form in Layla's eyes but she quickly wiped them away.

"It was. That fucker beat him to within an inch of his life." There was another uncomfortable silence, then Veronica spoke.

"He's not bad looking. Good job." Layla genuinely smiled at that.

"He looked a little bit better before today."

"I can imagine." Veronica put a supportive arm around Layla. "I'm sorry." She said comfortingly.

"Thank you. It seems like people are comforting me over the death of loved ones a lot lately."

"That's not all I'm sorry about." Layla looked at Veronica quizzically. "I'm sorry I didn't agree to help you. After everything you've told me about the NCR, and what I've seen of them, I think you're right. Not only do they treat the people of the Mojave like crap but they kill innocents, take what they want without caring about anyone else, and..." She looked into Layla's eyes. "They killed your parents."

"They also pushed the Brotherhood to near destruction, and killed countless of their number at Helios One." Layla said with a wry grin.

"Oh yeah. Goody, another reason to hate them."

"So you'll help me wipe them out?" There was a brief pause, then:

"Yes. Yes I'll help you destroy the NCR and drive them from the Mojave." Tears of happiness filled Layla's eyes, and she hugged Veronica with all her strength.

"Thank you." She said happily.

"You're welcome." Veronica replied, relishing the contact. "Besides, after all you've done for me, it'd be selfish of me not to help you." Layla smiled happily as they continued to hug. _I was wrong. She does understand me._ _And with her at my side, the NCR doesn't stand a chance._

**Wow, that was intense. But now Veronica has agreed to help Layla in her vendetta. There's just one more thing Layla needs to do before they can concentrate on their goal however. You'll find out what it is in the next chapter. And if you haven't guessed yet, I would love as many reviews as possible.**


	15. The Mighty Caesar

**_Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the great and powerful Caesar. Yes, Layla's going to meet Caesar in this chapter. Sparks will most definitely fly. Read on dear reader, read on._**

The Mighty Caesar

Layla got some strange looks as she walked into Cottonwood Cove. The Legion camp that dominated the cove was small, but there will still a large amount of Legion troops, and they took notice when Layla walked in. She had made it half way through the camp before the legionaries snapped out of their confusion and moved forward to block her way. Layla sighed in annoyance as she was suddenly surrounded by legionaries. Some of the legionaries drew machetes, preparing for battle, while others drew firearms. Layla's hand moved to the bumper sword on her back, when the legionaries in front of her moved aside to allow a man through. His armour was the same as the armour of the legionaries, he wore a cloth hood, and a look of suspicion covered his face.

"I am an explorer of Caesar's Legion. What are you doing here outsider?" He spoke, venom filling his voice. "Speak now...woman...before we tear you asunder." The man spat out the word 'woman' like something foul had just passed his lips. Layla ignored the man and simply flashed the Mark of Caesar. The legionaries and the explorer backed away slightly in surprise. The crowd of legionaries then dispersed, while the explorer spoke to Layla. "I see. You must be the one that Cursor Lucullus spoke of. He is waiting by the dock to ferry you to the fort. Know outsider that while you bear the mark, you are not our equal." With that, the explorer walked away. Layla ignored the man's stupidity and headed to the dock. At the dock she found a boat and another member of the Legion that she assumed was Cursor Lucullus.

"Ave outsider, I am Cursor Lucullus." He confirmed. "Do you bear the Mark of Caesar?" Layla flashed the Mark once again. "I must say I am surprised that Caesar would give his mark to a profligate, especially a woman."

"I'm sorry what?" Anger flared in Layla's voice, but it seemed to go unnoticed by Lucullus.

"Women are mentally and physically inferior to men. Their purpose is to reproduce in order to keep the species alive, and to cook and clean for the males." Layla felt rage begin to bubble up inside her. She attempted to suppress it, but failed miserably.

"Is that right?" She asked, moving closer to Lucullus as she did.

"It is. This is the way of Caesar."

"I see." Before Lucullus could react, Layla kneed him in the stomach. Lucullus recoiled in pain, spitting blood from his mouth as he did so.

"How dare..." Before he could finish, Layla punched him in the face, shattering his nose with a single blow. Lucullus's hands went to his nose, and Layla let loose two fast blows to his stomach. Lucullus was taken completely by surprise, and fell to his knees. Layla smiled sadistically before letting loose a roundhouse kick to Lucullus' face. Lucullus was knocked flying back, and off the dock. He fell into the water, making a large splash as he did so. Layla laughed out loud, before sitting down in the boat. When Lucullus came to the surface of the water, Layla was sitting in the boat, an innocent look on her face. Lucullus climbed onto the dock and stomped towards her.

"You dare attack a member of the Legion!" He was practically seething with anger, and Layla simply smiled in response.

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought men were superior to women, so my blows wouldn't hurt you. But if that were true, then how did I...a woman...dispatch you...a man...so easily?" Lucullus raised his fist, ready to strike her. Layla's hand moved to her sword however, making him think otherwise. "So are you going to take me to the fort or not?" Lucullus didn't answer. He simply got into the boat and began to row. Layla leaned back in the boat, still smiling.

*Later*

They arrived at Fortification Hill an hour later. Layla was forced to give up her weapons upon arrival, but she managed to hold on to Maria, her combat knife, several throwing knives and some sticks of dynamite. They also forced her to give up her chems and medical supplies, but she was able to convince them that she had a heart defect. They thought less of her, but she got to hang on to her chems and meds. To her annoyance they also took the platinum chip, but there was nothing she could do about it so she let them take it and began to make her way up the hill.

As she walked up the hill to the main camp, Layla thought about what Lucullus had said. It seemed that the Legion really were just as sexist as she'd heard. _That could make this difficult._ She thought to herself. She didn't see a single female as she walked up the hill, and the reality dawned on her. _There are no women in the Legion. Not one. How the hell am I supposed to get them to help me?_ Layla would've turned back right then, but her hatred for the NCR drove her onward.

_I have to convince them, because they're the only ones who can help me destroy the NCR. I can't let them get away with what they've done._ She remembered all those who had died at the hands of the NCR. _Mum. Dad. Cooke. _She remembered all her friends and family who had been killed in the Bitter Springs massacre. She couldn't let their deaths be in vain. No, she was going to convince Caesar, or die trying.

She finally reached the top of the hill, and entered the camp. Most of the Legionaries avoided her gaze as she walked towards Caesar's camp. _Goddamn sexists. If this keeps up I'll end up killing Legionaries just as frequently as I kill NCR troops._ She arrived at a large circular structure, made entirely of sheets of metal. She realised with a small amount of excitement that it was an arena. There had been an arena back at Bitter Springs, and she'd taken great pleasure in beating the crap out of boys twice her size. There was only one problem. The man who ran the arena in the fort was a misogynistic prick.

He was absolutely adamant that she go tend to the pots and pans instead. She just about managed to resist knocking several of his teeth out, and climbed the hill overlooking the arena. On this hill was Caesar's tent. She entered the tent, and found herself surrounded by soldiers of the Legion.

These soldiers had tougher looking armour than the Legionaries Layla had seen, and wore strange gloves similar to power fists. They also looked more muscular, more focused, and overall more skilled than the other soldiers of a camp. Layla realised that these were the Praetorian Guard. She'd heard rumours about them, claiming that they were incredibly skilled unarmed fighters. She didn't want to find out if the rumours were true, and walked further into the tent. She came to a large open area that was positively swarming with Praetorians. There were also a few legion mongrels who growled at her as she walked past. Directly in front of her was an extravagant throne on which the mighty Caesar sat.

Caesar didn't look all that impressive, but he had a powerful presence that demanded respect. His armour was in much more well built and extravagant than any other armour she had seen in the fort. He also wore a strange glove on his hand like his men, but his was different. His glove looked more high tech than the gloves the Praetorians wore, and Layla was sure it would hurt like hell if he punched her with it. Caesar looked up as she approached, and a small smile played across his lips.

"So, I finally get to meet the courier who's been causing so much trouble for the New California Republic." Caesar said in a powerful voice, looking into Layla's eyes as he did so. "You spread word of the massacre at Nipton, just as Vulpes asked you. Beams of light shot down from the sky over Helios One, killing who knows how many profligate troops. You turned Camp Forlorn hope into a mass grave." Layla felt great pride as Caesar listed a few of her many accomplishments.

"I enjoyed every minute of it."

"I get it, we share a common enemy. And now you come before the mighty Caesar to...what?" Caesar sat back in his throne, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Do you wish to offer your services?"

"I simply seek to see the NCR destroyed great Caesar." She made sure to pronounce the C like a K, matching the way other members of the Legion pronounced his name. Caesar seemed to like this, as small smile played across his lips. "I hate the NCR with every bone in my body, with every fibre of my being. I want nothing more in this world to see them destroyed. To that end, I will serve you Caesar. I shall aid the Legion in its mission to take the dam. Just tell me what I need to do." Caesar's hand stroked his chin, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

"Interesting. Do you know why I asked you here?" Layla shook her head. "You pursued a man who had wronged you over the width and breadth of the Mojave. You waltzed into the Lucky 38 like someone had left you a key under the mat. You assassinated the head of the Chairmen in his own casino, and got away with it. You get things done...I like that."

"Just tell me what you need me to do, and it will be done."

"Down the hill, on the edge of camp, is an old building. It was here when the hill was taken in 2277. Inside that building is a hatch, and inside that hatch are two steel doors that bear the sigil of the Lucky 38. That same sigil is on the platinum chip that you were carrying. Isn't that interesting?"

"You think the chip can unlock those doors?"

"There's a slot in the hatch the exact shape of the chip. You tell me."

"Okay, so I unlock the doors and go inside. Then what?"

"You destroy whatever you find. Smash it, blow it to crap I don't care. Just make sure that whatever's behind those doors is eliminated, then report back to me."

"It will be done."

"Yes...it will. Here, take this fucking platinum chip and head down to that building. My legionaries will be waiting with your equipment. Let my will be done."

"Yes Caesar." Layla took the platinum chip from Caesar's outstretched hand. She put it in one of the pockets of her armour and started to walk away. Before she made it a few steps however, she heard Caesar's voice behind her.

"One last thing Courier. I heard that you attacked Cursor Lucullus down by the docks." _Shit. _Layla thought to herself angrily. _I should've known that would come back to bite me in the arse._ "Is that true?" There was a brief silence before Layla answered.

"Yes Caesar, it's true."

"I see." Caesar suddenly got to his feet, and approached Layla. Before she could even blink, he flexed the fingers of his gloved hand and punched her in the stomach. The punch itself was painful, but the glove made the punch much more powerful. Not only that, but on the point of impact the glove emitted a small shockwave. The shockwave pushed Layla back with great force, knocking her flying across the tent. She smacked into the far wall of the tent, knocking all the air out of her lungs, and fell to the ground, landing face first in the sand. The Praetorians around her began to laugh loudly, as Caesar sat back on his throne. Layla spat blood onto the sand, and started to get to her feet. She clutched her chest as she rose, feeling an intense pain in her ribs. Grabbing the wall she'd just hit to support herself, Layla slowly got back to her feet. She leaned against the wall, trying to get her breath back. _What the hell is up with that glove?_ She thought to herself as more blood ran from her mouth. She wiped it off and the Praetorians finally stopped laughing as Caesar spoke. "That was a warning. Don't ever attack one of my men again...woman..., or there will be serious consequences." He spat out the word woman the way the explorer back at Cottonwood Cove had spat it, and Layla clenched her fists in anger.

"I understand Caesar." She replied, just barely managing to avoid keeping the anger out of her voice.

"Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight." With that, Layla was all but dragged out of the tent by the Praetorians. She stood outside the tent, looking over Caesar's camp as she became lost in her thoughts. _Let him have his fun._ Layla thought to herself, absentmindedly clutching her stomach as she spoke. _Once the NCR are wiped out, I won't need him anymore. Then we'll see how far his sexism gets him._ As these thoughts filled her head, a sly smile appeared on Layla's face.

**_So Caesar's an arrogant, sexist prick. No shock there. But just how safe is he having Layla working for him? Only time will tell dear reader, only time will tell. _**


	16. Cutting out the Tongue

**_Sorry but this is quite a short chapter. On the upside, it's relevant to the story and violent! Pretty much like every chapter. Enjoy nontheless!_**

Cutting out the Tongue

Ambassador Crocker was once again buried in paperwork. Even more NCR soldiers had been dying recently, slain by the Legion. Most highways near Cottonwood Cove were decorated with the crucified corpses of NCR soldiers. It was almost as if the Legion knew every move the NCR were making. As Crocker finished reading about a young NCR recruit who'd had his throated ripped out by a Legion mongrel, his secretary, Liza O'Malley, poked her head in the office.

"Sir, there's someone here to see you." She said hesitantly.

"I'm very busy Liza, tell them to come back later." Crocker replied without looking up, his usual charismatic calmness being taken over by annoyance at the sheer amount of paperwork that was burying him.

"Sir, she says she was invited." Liza seemed to be growing more nervous by the second, but Crocker had no idea why.

"She's lying. I don't have any appointments scheduled for today. Ask her to leave."

"Sir, she's carrying a sword." Crocker had never expected her to say that, and he looked up, eyes widened in surprise.

"A sword?" He said, portraying a scepticism in his voice that he didn't feel.

"A huge sword." There was a highly frightened look on her face. He hadn't noticed it before because he hadn't been looking at her. "A sword bigger than me."

"Does she have blood red hair?"

"Yes, but how did..."

"Send her in." Crocker said urgently. "And ask security to be on standby." Liza nodded and headed back to the reception area. A few seconds later, the woman at the top of the NCR's hit list walked in.

"You must be Crocker." Layla replied without any emotion. She was wearing a grimy business suit, which consisted of a black jacket and skirt with a white shirt and red tie. She was also wearing dark, aviator sunglasses that looked like ranger standard issue. Crocker had a few guesses as to where she'd got them from. Her formal attire suggested she wished to talk, but the huge bumper sword she had holstered on her back suggested she wanted to kill. To Crocker's immense relief, she leaned the sword against the wall as she came in, shutting the door behind her.

"You got my letter of invitation." Crocker said, his charismatic tone of voice having now returned.

"I did." Layla said, still speaking without any emotion. "I was surprised, but also curious, so I decided to accept your invitation." She sat down in a seat opposite Crocker's desk. "So what do you want?"

"I think you can be a big help to us." Crocker said politely, remembering the speech he'd prepared in case she actually arrived. "You are a skilled combatant, and could be a major help to the NCR. With your assistance, we could..." Layla suddenly burst out laughing, interrupting Crocker's speech. Crocker sat there in stunned bewilderment. "Is something wrong?" Crocker asked, highly confused. Layla finished laughing, then looked Crocker dead in the eye.

"You actually think I came here to help you?" Her face contorted into a sneer. "I'd sooner be buried alive than help the NCR."

"But why? What has the NCR ever done to you?" Layla got to her feet and walked towards the desk. Her gaze never shifted from Crocker, and it felt as if her eyes were boring into him.

"Why? What has the NCR ever done to me? Let me tell you where I grew up Crocker. I was born to two members of the Great Khans, and spent my childhood in Bitter Springs." Crocker's face fell, as he realised where the story was going. "But then a group of NCR thugs swooped in and destroyed everything. They destroyed everyone and everything I'd ever known, and one of the rangers raped my mother before my very eyes. Since then, the NCR has destroyed anyone or anything I cared about. I exist only to destroy your precious republic Crocker, and there is nothing I would not do to achieve that goal." Crocker sat back in his chair, utterly dumbfounded.

"You don't have to do this." He said, turning the charm up to ten. "We don't have to be enemies. You can help the republic, and we can give you anything you want. Money, power, you name it."

"Can you bring my family back Crocker? Can you bring back everything else the NCR has taken from me?" Layla's voice was practically dripping with venom. "No, I don't think you can. There's only one other thing I want Crocker. Only one desire I have in this life. To destroy the NCR. I highly doubt you can do that for me. You think you can talk me down? You think you can reason with me?" Layla's fist slammed onto the computer that stood on Crocker's desk, leaving a large dent in the back of it. She grabbed the computer with both hands before throwing it across the room. "I will not be reasoned with! The only thing I want Crocker, is to see your fucking republic burn, and I will work towards that ideal to my dying day!" Crocker had never been so scared in his entire life. He was covered with sweat, and his heart beat in his chest with the force of a jackhammer.

"Please, reconsider." He said with all the charm of a turtle. Layla completely ignored him. She backed away from the desk, and turned her back to Crocker.

"You know what you need to kill someone Crocker, something that's always a big help? You need to shut them up, stop them from screaming or begging for mercy. I assume it's the same for an organisation." She turned to glare at Crocker. "In order to destroy an organisation you must first silence it. Cut out its tongue if you will. It seems to me that your only talent Crocker, is talking. You talk your way out of everything don't you? As far as I can see, you're the voice of the NCR. You're the republic's tongue." Layla quickly pulled her combat knife out of a pocket inside her jacket. "I need to cut you out." Crocker quickly reached into a drawer on his desk and pulled out a simple 9mm pistol. He pointed at Layla with all the confidence of a bird underwater.

"I may be a pacifist, but I have no qualms with defending myself from someone like you." His hands shook as he pointed the gun at her, and Layla laughed.

"Goodbye Crocker. After today, the NCR in the Mojave will be mute." With that, Layla opened her suit jacket, to reveal that she had a stealth boy tied to her chest. She pressed the switch on the stealth boy, and vanished.

"Security! HELP ME!" Crocker shouted, as his eyes scanned the room for Layla. There was so much sweat covering him now that he could barely see, and his heart was beating so fast that he was certain that a heart attack was imminent. He sensed movement nearby, and felt a mouth bite his ear. By then however, it was too late to do anything. The invisible form grabbed Crocker around the waist and held him in a vice like grip, while pressing something sharp and jagged against his neck. He remembered the combat knife she'd been holding while she was still visible, and recoiled as the knife was pressed against his neck so hard that it drew blood. The knife moved to the side as blood poured down his neck, and Crocker just had enough time to soil himself before the blade came back with a vengeance. It sailed across Crocker's throat, cutting it open and spraying blood like a garden hose spraying water. Crocker's eyes widened and he gurgled something incomprehensible, before the invisible form loosed its grip, and Crocker's corpse fell onto his desk.

*Later*

Three seconds later, two NCR military police officers burst into the room. They immediately wished they hadn't. Ambassador Crocker was slumped over his desk, and blood poured to the floor from his slit throat. His sightless eyes gazed at them, his face set in a look of pure terror. Plus there was a faint urine smell in the air, and they realised with disgust that Crocker had soiled himself.

"Is there anyone here?" One of the officers said, more to himself than anyone else. He took his cattle prod off his belt, and his eyes scanned the room.

"Didn't the secretary say that Crocker had a visitor?" The second officer asked his comrade.

"Yeah, but there's no sign of anyone." Besides them and Crocker's corpse, there was not a single being in the room.

"Wait...what the hell is that?" The officer pointed to a huge sword that was leaning against the wall.

"It's a sword, but why would a sword be in here? Unless..." The officer suddenly realise in horror what they were dealing with. He'd been hearing stories recently about a red haired woman that had been murdering NCR patrols with a huge sword. The stories had been passed around so much, that this woman had become something of a boogeyman among NCR soliders. They had a name for her, but the other officer remembered it first.

"The Red Blade Witch." The other officer said out loud, so full of fear that he could barely stand.

"Christ, we have to get out of here!" They never had a chance to move however. Before their brains could even send the orders to flee to their legs, the officers saw something that paralysed them with fear. A pool of blood had began to form on the floor, and something walked through the puddle. The only problem was that there was nothing there. An invisible form seemed to step in the puddle. It didn't stop however, as bloody footprints suddenly began to appear on the floor, and they seemed to be coming towards the two officers. Before either of them could even scream, two throwing knives flew towards them. The knives had appeared out of nowhere, and had simply flown out of an empty space above the bloody footprints. The knives were thrown expertly, and they both found a vital spot. One knife hit the first officer in the neck, skewering his jugular and killing him almost instantly. The second knife flew into the head of the second officer. It had been sharpened expertly, as it stabbed through the man's skull and into his brain. Like the first guard, his death was almost instantaneous.

The two military police fell dead to the floor simultaneously, and bloody footprints continued to walk towards them. Invisible hands pulled the knives out of their victims, and put the knives in an invisible bag. The invisible form then left the office and walked out the embassy's front door. Liza didn't look up from the pre-war book she was reading, so didn't see several bloody footprints make their way to the door, and didn't see the door swing open, as though being opened by an invisible hand. Likewise, none of the guards outside saw an invisible figure casually stroll out of the embassy, and none of them saw an invisible girl smile an invisible smile as she walked back to the Lucky 38 with a spring in her invisible step.

**_I believe I may have overused the word 'invisible' in that last paragraph. Oh well._**

**_It seems that the NCR has been well and truly silenced. You don't need a voice to kill however. Please review if at all possible._**


	17. House Call

**_Sorry, but this is another short chapter. On the bright side, it's longer than the last chapter and the next one will be finished very soon._**

House Call

"I'm back!" Layla announced as she walked out of the elevator and into her Lucky 38 suite. She was greeted by a series of high pitched beeping sounds. A few seconds later, ED-E hovered out of a nearby room and flew towards Layla, beeping with what Layla assumed was happiness. "For a machine, you're pretty affectionate." She said more to herself than anyone else as she embraced the eyebot. Rex ran up to her a few seconds later, barking happily. She stroked his head and quickly rubbed his belly, then walked into the recreation room.

"That beeping is getting really annoying." Veronica said as Layla entered, looking up from the pre war book she was reading as she did so. She was sitting in the corner of the room, next to the snow globe stand.

"You think that's annoying, try travelling with her. She spouts out random patriotic music whenever she sees an enemy. It gets really annoying." Layla sat on the pool table and took off her suit jacket, before reaching into her bag for a bottle of whiskey. She also put her sword down on the table.

"She?"  
>"Yeah." Veronica looked at her quizzically. "What? I think of it as a she. She's got a female sounding name after all."<p>

"Fair enough. I still can't believe you repaired that thing. You're not usually good with tech."

"I'm good at smashing it."

"Besides that."

"It wasn't that hard. I've picked up a bit by watching you repair things, and I had a lot of scrap metal and other electronic junk."

"Couldn't you figure out a way to make it stop beeping?"

"I think it's a miracle that I got her beeping at all." Veronica was about to return to reading her book, when she saw blood dripping from Layla's suit jacket, which lay discarded on the pool table. "You're jacket's bleeding."

"Oh that's just my combat knife. It's in the jacket pocket." Layla said casually. She finally found a bottle of whiskey and opened it before taking a big swig.

"Your combat knife is dripping with blood?"

"That's right."

"Who did you kill?" Layla laughed, then took a big swig of whiskey before putting down the bottle and taking off her aviator sunglasses.

"Crocker." Veronica's eyes widened.

"Ambassador Crocker?"

"That's right."

"Why did you do that? Did Caesar ask you to?"

"No, that was just for fun." It was getting hot in the suite, so Layla unbuttoned the top few buttons of the collared shirt she was wearing. Veronica resisted the urge to look at her exposed cleavage. "Caesar just asked me to blow up Mr House's bunker under Fortification Hill, which I did, and then he asked me to kill House." Veronica's eyes widened even further. They looked as though they were about to pop out of her head.

"I don't know if you should be saying that in here." Veronica said nervously.

"Why not?" Layla enquired, confused. Veronica nodded her head towards the top corner of the room. Layla was lost at first, then she followed Veronica's nod and saw that there was a security camera on the wall.

"I've found hidden cameras and listening devices all over the suite." Veronica said anxiously. "House sees and hears everything that goes on in here. Which means he just heard you openly declare the fact that you betrayed him."

"You're exaggerating." Layla shrugged off Veronica's concern and continued to drink her bottle of whiskey. "I doubt House will do any..." As if on cue, the sound of the elevator doors opening cut her off.

"Mr House would like a word with you little lady!" A familiar robotic cowboy voice called. Layla peeked out of the recreation room to see Victor roll out of the elevator, flanked by four securitrons. Rex ran up to him, barking angrily, but Victor quickly batted Rex aside with one of his pincers, knocking the dog across the room.

"Okay, maybe you're not exaggerating." Layla said, now sharing Veronica's nervousness. Victor and the securitrons readied their weapons, showing that they weren't in the mood to chat.

"Come out little lady!" For the first time since she'd known the robot, Victor sounded pissed off. Maybe it was because she 'killed' him back in Novac, but he looked thirsty for blood. Sensing that something was wrong, ED-E hovered over to the securitrons, and attacked them with her electrical weapon. She let loose a burst of electricity that short circuited the two closest securitrons, then opened fire on the others with her laser weapon. They shrugged off her weapon, and quickly returned fire with the 9mm SMGs built into their arms. ED-E stood no chance, and their guns tore through her weak armour, eviscerating the small robot. ED-E fell to the floor and beeped one last time before Victor rolled over her, crushing her.

"I just repaired that damn thing!" Layla said angrily, before getting her grenade rifle out of her bag and firing at the elevator. Since the securitrons were in such a small space, the explosion did a lot of damage, knocking most of the securitrons on their backs. Victor stayed upright however, and quickly opened fire with the Gatling laser built into his other arm. Layla quickly dived to the side to avoid the lasers. Veronica followed her example and dived to the floor as the barrage of laser blasts tore apart the recreation room. The snow globes on the stand were caught in the crossfire, and exploded, blasting shards of glass and powder everywhere. The TV was also destroyed by the barrage of lasers, as its screen was smashed and the lasers heavily scorched it. When Victor stopped firing to reload, the entire room was covered with burn marks. Unlike the room, Layla and Veronica managed to dodge the barrage.

Layla took a brief peek out of the room and saw that the securitons were somehow getting up. Two of them were wheeling their way towards the recreation room. Layla quickly picked up her sword as the first securitron entered the room. She rushed the bot with her sword and slashed madly, screaming like a demented she demon as she did so. The securitron was knocked back by the sheer ferocity of the assault, but her sword failed to pierce the bot's armour.

"Dammit!" Layla cursed angrily as the securitron readied its SMG. Layla dived over the pool table, landing behind it as the bot opened fire. Veronica quickly rushed the securitron before delivering a powerful punch to its face with her power fist. The securitron was knocked back against the wall, while the second securitron entered the room. It readied its Gatling laser when Veronica sweep kicked it, knocking it to the floor. The securitron that she'd punched into the wall readied its SMG while Layla grabbed her hunting rifle out of her bag, along with some armour piercing rounds. She loaded the armour piercing ammo into her rifle before firing at the securitron. Her first bullet punched straight through the bot's screen, damaging it. Veronica took advantage, unleashing a barrage of power fist punches right in the bot's 'face'. It tried to strike her with one of its pincers, but Veronica ducked under the attack before roundhouse kicking the bot. It felt like kicking a brick wall, but knocked the securitron to the floor.

"My fucking foot!" Veronica exclaimed, hopping on one leg as she did so. Layla smiled despite herself, but the securitron that Veronica had sweep kicked was getting up. It readied its Gatling laser, and Layla called out to Veronica.

"Behind you!" Veronica turned around, and upon seeing the securitron readying its Gatling laser, she hurriedly picked up the other downed securitron and used it as a 'human' shield. Securitron armour was designed to defend against small arms fire and explosives, not energy weapons. Unaware that it was firing at its comrade, the securitron opened fire with its Gatling laser, firing a barrage of energy blasts at the bot that Veronica was using as a shield. The blasts didn't go straight through the bots armour, but they did pierce the front of it, and managed to hit the bot's important components. The securitron that was attacking ceased fire as it realised it was attacking a comrade, and Veronica pushed said comrade into it, knocking both securitrons to the floor. Veronica dived out of the way as Layla swapped hunting rifle for grenade launcher and fired at the two downed securitrons. This grenade hit them both dead on, eliminating both securitrons in one large blast.

"Two down, three more to go." Layla announced without enthusiasm.

"I hate securitrons." Veronica replied, panting with exhaustion as she did so. "The damn things just don't go down."

"Not to mention the fact that most of our weapons are useless against them."

"Don't you have any pulse grenades?" Layla felt like slapping herself.

"My god I'm an idiot. I found about ten pulse grenades in House's bunker! I used a few, but there should still be some left." As Layla rooted around in her bag, Veronica peeked out of the room to look at the elevator. The two securitrons that ED-E had short circuited were coming back online. They got to their 'feet', and started to wheel towards the room. Victor stayed where he was, guarding the elevator.

"You'd better find those grenades quick, because two more bots are coming our way." Veronica said urgently.

"Shit! Where the hell did I put them?" Annoyance filled Layla's voice as she continued to fail to find the grenades. "Use this to slow them down!" She threw Veronica a frag mine that she found in the bag, then continued to search for the grenades. Veronica caught the frag mine, and looked at doubtfully.

"I don't know how to use one of these things. There weren't many mines in the bunker."

"Arm it, put it down, and get the fuck away from it. It's not that complicated!" Layla said in an exasperated tone as she still failed to find the godforsaken grenades. Veronica nervously pressed a button on the mine, which she assumed armed it, then she put it in the doorway and ran behind the pool table, before crouching next to Layla. The securitrons rolled through the doorway, and immediately stepped on the mine. It emitted a telltale beeping sound, then exploded a few seconds later, knocking both bots onto their backs.

"I'd recommend hurrying up." Veronica said anxiously as the bots started to get to their 'feet'.

"There's more crap in this bag than your average scrap yard." Layla replied. "It could take me ages to find the..."

"There 's one." Veronica replied, cutting Layla off and taking a pulse grenade out of the bag.

"No comment." Layla said in an annoyed tone, as Veronica armed the grenade and threw it at the two downed securitrons. The grenade released a burst of electricity that short circuited the two securitrons instantly.

"You're the only one left Victor!" Layla shouted confidently as she picked up her grenade launcher and walked to the doorway. "I'd run if I were you!"

"I'm afraid you may be wrong about that little lady!" Victor called back, and a few seconds later Layla heard the elevator doors open.

"Crap." She cursed as she peeked out of the room and saw eight more securitrons wheel out of the elevator.

"You might be wanting to surrender little lady! I'm sure the boss will be merciful!"

"That makes one of us!" Layla shouted back before leaning out of the room and firing a grenade at the group from her grenade rifle. Several of the securitrons were knocked down by the following explosion but most, including Victor, stayed on their 'feet', and opened fire with their Gatling lasers. Layla dived into the room to avoid being incinerated.

"I get the feeling that House doesn't like us." Veronica quipped as she went prone to avoid the barrage of laser fire.

"We've got to get the fuck out of here!" Layla was forced to shout in order to be heard over the laser fire.

"Yeah, the only problem being that those tin cans are standing in front of the only way out." Layla suddenly had a brainstorm.

"I'll be right back." She said, before crawling over to her bag. The bots continued to blindly fire their Gatling lasers as Layla crawled, eventually reaching her bag. She reached up quickly, barely managing to have her arm burnt to a crisp by the laser fire that now filled the room, and pulled her bag down to the floor. Once it was safely in her grasp, she rooted around in it. This time she found what she was looking for in a matter of seconds.

"What are you doing?" Veronica asked as Layla pulled out a stealth boy.

"You'll see. They won't." She replied as she activated the stealth boy. The stealth field immediately covered her, rendering her invisible. Veronica had no idea where Layla was, so she peeked out of the room to look at Victor and his companions, who were STILL firing their Gatling lasers like there was no tomorrow. They suddenly stopped firing to reload their weapons, and Veronica was just able to make out an invisible form creeping towards them.

"What's the matter little lady? Scared?" Victor yelled with as much cockiness as it was possible for a machine to muster. "It's a showdown at high noon little lady! Come out and face us!"

"Well, if you insist." Victor followed the sound of Layla, voice, but there was nothing there. Suddenly, he felt invisible hands grip his wheel, and slowly lift him up.

"What the hell is this?" Victor said, now with as much fear as it was possible for a machine to muster. The other securitrons, sensing nothing wrong, stayed where they were in front of the elevator. The invisible hands continued to lift Victor, slowly but surely into the air. "Put me down! Put me down you yellow bellied coward!" Layla obliged the cowboy, throwing him with all her strength into the elevator. Victor knocked down all the other securitrons like bowling pins as he flew into the elevator, knocking them into the elevator too. Before any of them could even begin to get to their feet, Layla dropped a pulse grenade into the elevator. The securitrons readied their weapons, but Layla simply pressed the button to shut the elevator doors, leaving them trapped with the armed pulse grenade. A few seconds later, Layla heard the pulse grenade detonate, and opened the elevator door to see all the bots deactivated.

"The coast is clear!" She shouted to Veronica. Veronica ran to the elevator, and looked at the deactivated securitrons in amazement.

"Did you just throw Victor into the elevator?" Veronica said in disbelief, looking at where she assumed the invisible Layla was standing as she did so.

"Barely. That fucker's heavy." Veronica's eyes scanned the room, trying to figure out where Layla was standing.

"Okay this is getting weird. Could you please turn visible?"

"Later. Right now grab all your stuff. We have to leave."

"I don't really have any stuff."

"Then wait here while I get my stuff." The invisible Layla ran back into the recreation room, and Veronica waited as she gathered her belongings. A few seconds later, she heard invisible feet step into the elevator. "Let's go."

"What about Rex?" As if on cue, the cyber dog got to his feet and trotted over to Veronica. She patted Rex's head before motioning him into the elevator. With all three of them now in the elevator, Layla pressed the button for the casino floor. They stood in silence, surrounded by the 'corpses' of the securitrons and trying to ignore the cheesy elevator music. A few seconds later they arrived on the ground floor, and quickly ran out of the elevator. Apparently House had sent all the casino guards to the suite, because there were no bots standing guard as they ran to the exit. They quickly burst out of the Lucky 38, and ran to New Vegas' front gate as fast as their legs would carry them.

"Well...there are nicer ways to be evicted." Veronica quipped as they reached the gate. "What now?" She felt quite silly, as to the casual observer it would appear she was talking to herself.

"For now I guess we'll stay in that hotel in Vault 21."

"But doesn't Mr House own that hotel?"

"Alright then, I guess we'll buy a room in the Ultra Luxe."

"Two problems. 1) That would be way too expensive. 2) Mr House owns the Ultra Luxe too. He owns every building on the strip."

"Crap." Layla took a second to think about their predicament. Suddenly, she had a brainwave, "Mr House doesn't give a shit about Freeside right?"

"I don't think so."

"Then that's where we'll hide out. I've got a free room at the Atomic Wrangler. You and Rex head there." Veronica could just make out Layla's invisible form as she started to walk away.

"But what are you going to do?" Layla stopped, and turned to face Veronica.

"I guess I'll do what Caesar asked me to do sooner than I expected."

**_House just made a big mistake: you don't piss off Layla. In the next chapter, Layla hits House where he lives._**


	18. Bringing Down the House

**_Layla pays House a social visit, to get payback for his actions in the last chapter. There will be blood._**

Bringing Down the House

The casino floor of the Lucky 38 was as dark and dismal as always. There was not a single sign of life, unless artificial life qualified. Two securitrons stood vigilant next to the elevator, the faces on their monitors watching the entrance. An invisible form suddenly crept into the Lucky 38. Light seemed to bend away from the form, making it invisible to the naked eye. Apparently this extended to robot eyes too, as the securitrons didn't react as the form crept towards the elevator, before entering it and selecting the penthouse floor.

As the elevator shot upwards to the penthouse, the form leaned against the wall of the elevator, before reaching into a bag it was carrying. The form took out a vial of Med-X. It injected itself with the Med-X and stood in the elevator, ignoring the cheesy elevator music as it did so. The elevator doors opened a few seconds later and the form crept out.

Mr House's penthouse was far more guarded than the casino floor. It was crawling with securitrons, but none of them saw the invisible form as it crept down the stairs and past Mr House's monitor. Mr House was not so easily fooled.

"So, you actually dare to come back here after all you've done?" Mr House said to the form as it crept by. The form stopped creeping and got to its feet before looking Mr House dead in the eye, so to speak. "You betrayed me and destroyed my securitron vault, yet you have the nerve to come back here? I suppose you're here to kill me. If only you realised the futility of your actions." The stealth boy suddenly wore off, exposing Layla to the nearby securitrons. She was wearing a suit of combat armour, ready for battle.

"It ends here House." She said confidently.

"You're right, it does end here. I survived a nuclear war you fool; I've been alive for over 200 years. I shall not be defeated by a young simpleton so blinded by vengeance that she'll destroy countless lives to get it. I'll find someone else to do my work for me, but right now you're just in my way. Securitrons, I'm tired of talking to this imbecile. Remove her from my home. Painfully." With that, the securitrons moved in, and Layla heard them loading their weapons.

"Oh but House, you have such a lovely home." She said cockily, reaching inside her bag as she did so. "I think I'll stay, and I may even head on up to your private quarters to pay you a visit." Before House could say anything else, Layla pulled a pulse grenade out of her bag. She grinned evilly before arming the pulse grenade and dropping it to the floor. The securitrons on either side of House's monitor sensed no danger, and continued to move forward. Then the pulse grenade detonated. A large sphere of electricity burst from the grenade and blasted the securitrons, short circuiting them instantly, while Layla took no damage from the weapon, as it was designed to harm machines, not humans. The two securitrons fell 'dead' to the floor, and Layla strode confidently over to the computer on the far wall.

Before she made it however, bullets rained down from the balcony above, fired by a lone securitron. Layla dived to the side to dodge the bullets, before firing upwards with That Gun. The bullets bounced off the securitron's titanium alloy armour, and it wheeled down the stairs, continuing to fire in Layla's direction as it did so. Layla put That Gun back in its holster then dived behind the nearest chair, feeling very glad that she hadn't upgraded the securitrons back in the securitron vault. That would've made things far more difficult. She considered using a pulse grenade. _No, I only have a few of them so I have to conserve them._ Layla thought to herself, before getting out her sword while continuing to take cover behind the chair. _But my sword's useless against that damn armour. What do I...wait._ Layla suddenly got an idea. The second the securitron stopped to reload, Layla vaulted over the chair and dashed towards the bot. She slashed the wheel of the securitron with her sword, deflating the tire and causing the bot to topple over. While it was stunned, Layla cut open the screen that served as its face, revealing a large amount of circuitry. She quickly withdrew her sword before getting out a lighter and a stick of dynamite. She lit the dynamite and shoved it through the cut she had made. She imbedded the dynamite in the circuitry before diving backwards. The dynamite detonated a few seconds later, destroying the securitron from the inside and obliterating its circuitry.

Layla drew her sword then ran up the stairs to deal with any stray securitrons. She found none on the balcony, but there was one in the room below that led to the room with House's screen. It prepared to fire, but Layla quickly leaped off the balcony. She slashed open the securitron's face in midair before landing in a roll. She rolled into a crouch, then got to her feet as the securitron turned around. She put her sword back on her back, then pulled her hunting rifle out of her bag. The rifle was already loaded with armour piercing rounds, and ust as the securitron turned to face her, Layla fired a shot into the exposed circuitry on the its face. The bullet knocked the securitron back, but before Layla could fire again, she saw Jane, Mr House's securitron 'girlfriend' on the balcony above, where Layla herself had been standing moments ago. Jane's shoulders opened up to reveal missiles launchers, and Layla realised that House must've upgraded her earlier. Seconds before Jane fired, Layla dived behind the securitron she'd just been fighting moments ago, using it as a 'human' shield. Jane fired a barrage of missiles towards Layla but the securitron took the hit. Layla dived out of the way as the missiles devastated the securitron, destroying it almost instantaneously. She quickly loaded another bullet into her hunting rifle, before firing it upwards at Jane. The bullet hit one of the missiles in Jane's missile launcher, causing it to explode and blow Jane apart.

Layla quickly ran to the computer on the far wall, and found an option to open a secret door. She selected it, opening the wall next to her to reveal an antechamber, and setting off an alarm in the process. A securitron wheeled out of the gap where the hole used to be, but Layla quickly drew a pulse grenade from her bag, and threw it. The grenade detonated, deactivating the securitron and allowing Layla to run into the antechamber.

The chamber itself was small, and was empty apart from an elevator and one final securitron. Layla quickly dealt with it using a pulse grenade, before getting into the elevator. There was only one floor available, the control room. Layla pressed it, and the elevator took her down.

Not knowing what security House would have in his control room, Layla readied all her weapons. She needn't have bothered however. When the elevator door opened, Layla saw a barren, empty room. She realised that she was in the basement, as this room didn't have the same class that the rest of the casino possessed. It was made up of iron bars, and looked like no effort had been made to keep it looking presentable. The only sound in the whole basement was the humming of the casino's generators. Layla walked down a narrow catwalk and came to a human sized pod. She through the pod's glass window and could just make out a wrinkly human shape. _It's a life support pod._ Layla suddenly realised. _So that's how this bastard has stayed alive for so long._ She saw a computer nearby and quickly accessed it. She was presented with an option to open the pod and she instantly selected it.

A whistling sound emerged from the pod, and it opened up, revealing House's shrivelled form. The bed to which his body was attached was raised out of the pod, and he was turned to face Layla. She recoiled slightly at the sight of him. Due to his incredible age, he was covered with wrinkles, and had absolutely no fat or muscle on his entire body. All his bones could be seen through his skin, which looked to be as durable as paper. His skin was a dark green, and there were several mechanical components all over his body, most notably his heart. Mr House gazed at Layla with his bloodshot eyes, clearly finding it an effort to even exist.

"You!" He attempted to shout at her, but his voice came out more like a hiss. He went into a small coughing fit, and when he spoke again, it was almost inaudible, and clearly incredibly difficult for him. "You...destroyed decades of planning...and preparation! All of this...everything I have done...has been for the future of...man...kind. It has been...for the...greater good! Why? Why have...you done...this? Why...have...you destroyed my...my life's...work?"

"Simple, Caesar asked me to kill you." Layla answered confidently.

"What? Caesar! You've undone...everything I've been doing...for that psychopath? He is a slaver! Thanks to you...slavers will...rule the world! What...what have you done?"

"The Legion will destroy the NCR, that's all I care about. I don't give a shit about politics. They can turn the Mojave into a bonfire for all I care."

"You...you're doing all this...in the name of...petty...vengeance. You're doom...dooming the Mojave...just so you can have your pathetic vengeance. You...insolent child! There is...more to...life than your...pitiful revenge fantasy! Lives are...going to end because of...your...selfishness! Destroying the...NCR is...ridiculous and foolish, and it will...never...bring your...parents...back. All it will bring is...suffering and d...death to the...M...Mojave."

"Shut your mouth House!" Layla yelled, pressing the blade of her sword against his throat as she did so. "Just shut your goddamn mouth! You don't know a damn thing about me!"

"Is that true? You for...forget that I have surveillance...cameras all over the...Lucky 38. I s...see and hear...everything. I've heard the...conversations you've been h...having with that Brother...hood of...Steel...scribe. You...you're single...handedly des...destroying the only...organisation that...can defend the... Mojave you ignorant child! You know...nothing of the ways of the world. Thanks to...you...New...Vegas will burn...and the sociopaths of...Caesar's...Legion will enslave...everyone. You...stupid...bitch!"

"I've heard enough of your crap House." To House's surprise, Layla brought her sword away from his throat, and put it back in its holster before walking away.

"Wh...where the...hell are...you going?"

"I'm leaving you House. I've cut off all your connections to the Lucky 38's mainframe and the securitrons by using that computer. You'll still be alive, but you won't be able to do a damn thing. Goodbye House." Layla walked away, and House's bloodshot eyes widened as he realised his horrific fate.

"No! N...n...no! You..you can't...do this to me! P...please! D...don't do this!"

"Begging for mercy House?" Layla asked, as she stopped walking and turned to face House.

"The...exact...opposite. K...kill me. I...I'd rather die...than be stuck like...this. Please...for the love of...God...kill me." Layla laughed harshly.

"The great Mr House begging for euthanasia? Now who's pathetic?" Layla spoke with a massive amount of venom, a cruel expression on her face.

"You...you've won. Just...let me d...die with...dignity."

"I'm tempted to say no House, but Caesar did ask me to **kill** you, not leave you to die. Besides, I want my blade cutting your flesh to be the last thing you feel."

"Y...you are a sadistic...sociopath. You should...fit right in...with the Legion."

"Goodbye House." With that, Layla drew her sword and charged at House's ancient body. He closed his eyes and prepared for the end as she reached him and slashed straight through his chest. The effect was instantaneous. The machinery keeping House's heart and other organs exploded, blowing open his chest and causing blood to pour out. Mr House gasped in pain, but no sound came out of his mouth. As his blood began to pool on the floor, his head dropped forward, blood seeping from his mouth. It was over.

Layla put away her sword, turned away from the now dead House, and walked away. She took the elevator back up to the penthouse, and walked out of the antechamber. She approached House's monitor, which now had a blank screen, then walked up to the window at the end of the penthouse. She gazed out of the window, and looked out at New Vegas. _I guess the Lucky 38 is mine now._ She thought, a sly grin appearing on her face as she did so.

**_Another major player has left the game. It's beginning to look like Caesar's going to leave with all the winnings, but will the dealer that is fate have a surprise in store? The next chapter should have all the answers._**


	19. An Intermission

**Layla sets out to complete a task she's been putting off for ages. And since it's been a few chapters since she and Veronica travelled together, Veronica's coming too. Enjoy.**

An Intermission

"This is Mr New Vegas, wishing you good luck on those dark roads. Now I invite you to listen to one of my favourite songs." With that, pre war music started to play from the Pip Boy. This was the third song that Mr New Vegas had played since night had fallen during their trek through the mountains. They had been walking all day, and Veronica was exhausted. The only thing Layla could think of was going to sleep. Hell, even the ground seemed like a good place to slumber. Rex was having no such problems. He quickly ran off to tear the head off a particularly unlucky mantis, before running back to join Layla and Veronica.

The area was surprisingly beautiful. It had more flora than most places Layla visited, and there were very few mutated creatures to spoil the mood. They came across the occasional big horner, but they never attacked unless provoked. The mountain path looked unnaturally serene, as the wind softly blew the towering pine trees, and the moon's pale glow lit the way. If not for the group's sheer exhaustion, they probably would've stopped to appreciate nature, especially since neither of them had ever seen a tree before, except in books.

"When Julie Farkas told you to head to Jacobstown if you wanted to get Rex a new brain, did she care to mention how long it would take to get there?" Veronica said tiredly.

"You mean did she mention that the trek would take over 12 hours?" Layla replied, equally as tired. This morning she decided she'd been putting off the trip to Jacobstown for too long. They'd set off from New Vegas at 9am. Now it was wearing midnight. "No. She neglected to mention that fact."

"I like pre war music as much as the next gal, but listening to so much of it in such a short time is making it grate on my nerves." Layla took the hint and turned the Pip Boy's radio off, leaving them in silence. "How much longer is this going to..." Veronica's complaint died in her throat as they turned a corner, and saw the outskirts of a town in the distance. To Layla it looked like a beautiful oasis in the middle of a scorching desert. They began to walk at a brisker pace as they closed in on the camp. Then Layla saw something that made her stop suddenly, almost making Veronica walk into her.

"Trouble." Layla said mysteriously as she drew her sword.

"What trouble?" Veronica asked, annoyed that they'd probably have to fight.

"Mutants." Layla motioned in front of her, and Veronica looked on. Her eyes felt heavy, and the darkness of night made it difficult to see, but Veronica could just make out two super mutants guarding the town.

"They're not Nightkin." Veronica observed. Even through the darkness, she could see that their skin was dark green, while Nightkin had blue skin.

"So? They'll probably still attack us."

"Then why haven't they?" Veronica's response took Layla off guard.

"What?"

"Think about it. If we can see them, then they can definitely see us, and if they're as aggressive as you think they are then why aren't they rushing over here to club our brains out?" Before Layla could think of a response, a super mutant walked out of the town. He walked up to Layla and Veronica, and they saw that he was unarmed. Still, Layla kept her sword at the ready.

"Greetings humans." The mutant said as he approached, surprising both Layla and Veronica. The mutant had a deep voice, but he spoke very politely. Seemingly sensing no danger, Rex trotted up to the mutant, panting happily and wagging his tail. The mutant patted Rex's head, then turned back to Layla and Veronica. "Welcome to Jacobstown." He saw Layla's sword, and a look of understanding appeared in his eyes. "You have nothing to fear here human. Nobody here will harm you unless you harm them first. We'll treat you fairly here."

"What is this place?" Veronica asked as politely as she could.

"This is Jacobstown, a town for mutants to live safely and peacefully. We're also trying to cure Nightkin here."

"Cure them?" Layla asked, confused. Realising that the mutant truly meant no harm, she put her sword back in its holster.

"Nightkin suffer from severe schizophrenia due to their overuse of stealth boys. Doctor Henry is hoping to find a cure of their addiction, and their madness." The name rang a bell.

"Doc Henry? We came here to see him." Layla said.

"I see. Doc Henry's in the main lodge, but I wouldn't bother him until morning. There are plenty of rooms in the lodge, so make yourselves at home. Just don't look at the Nightkin. They don't like being stared at."

"Thank you, Mr..." Veronica tried to thank the mutant, but had no idea how someone addressed a mutant.

"Where are my manners? My name is Marcus." He shook each of their hands, with a grip that could crush a human's skull.

"I'm Layla, and this is Veronica." Veronica gave a friendly nod, then massaged her hand as Marcus stopped shaking it and continued to speak.

"I'm the Mayor and the Sheriff of Jacobstown. You're free to stay here for as long as you need." With that, Marcus turned and walked back into town.

"You're not going to start killing them all are you?" Veronica asked nervously. Layla shrugged in response.

"They didn't attack us. Live and let live."

"There's a surprise." With that they entered the town, and made their way to the main lodge. It wasn't that hard to find, as the town wasn't really that large. They got a few strange looks from the super mutants as they walked, and they gave strange looks right back, including to a particularly strange mutant wearing a dress, who seemed to be tending plants.

They entered the lodge, and found themselves in a large entrance area. Layla saw a snow globe on the registration desk, and felt inwardly pissed that she hadn't found it before she killed House.

"Just what we need, more damn humans." A nearby Nightkin hissed at them. "One was enough, but now three?" They looked at him, and he recoiled slightly. "Don't look at me scum! Cast your gaze elsewhere before I rip your eyes out!"

"Can I help you?" Layla said to the Nightkin in a threatening tone.

"Can't you pick a fight with him in the morning?" Veronica said in a weary tone. "I want to sleep."

"Stop looking at me human!"

"What the hell's your problem?" Layla was getting angry now, and began to reach for her sword.

"Godammit." Veronica cursed under her breath, certain that in a few seconds all the mutants in town would be swooping upon them.

"I don't like being stared at human, that's my problem!" The mutant walked closer to Layla, until they were almost nose to nose. "Look away. NOW." Layla grinned evilly, and her gaze intensified. The mutant recoiled slightly, as though he'd looked into the eyes of Medusa. Layla laughed, and the mutant readied his fists.

"Stop." A familiar voice said. Everybody turned to the source of the voice, and saw Marcus standing in the doorway of the lodge. "You've been in this town less than five minutes, and already you're picking a fight?" Marcus didn't look pleased.

"This bastard started it." Layla replied, glaring at the Nightkin as she did so.

"Keene, stop bothering our guests." Marcus scolded the mutant, who lowered his fists in response.

"Bah! Humans." With that, Keene turned and walked away, mumbling to himself as he did so.

"We're so, so sorry!" Veronica pleaded with Marcus, not wanting to incur the wrath of a ten foot wall of muscle.

"It's quite alright." Marcus replied calmly. "I'm sorry about Keene. He's very impatient. He's also smart, charismatic and has a hell of a mean streak. Unfortunately, all the other Nightkin follow him." Layla would've questioned further, but was far too tired. Instead she yawned loudly.

"Goodnight." She said to Marcus, then began to walk upstairs. Veronica said goodnight too, then followed. Marcus nodded in response, then left the lodge. At the top of the stairs they found a long corridor littered with rooms, most of them free for the night. Layla found a suitable room not far from the staircase, and threw her bag onto the comfortable looking double bed.

"A double bed?" Veronica raised an eyebrow at Layla.

"We don't need to share it. There's another room right across the hall." Layla didn't see Veronica's smile fade slightly.

"Okay then. Goodnight." With that, Veronica walked into the room across from Layla's and shut the door. Layla walked into her room, and Rex followed. She shut the door, then dropped her sword to the floor. She took her leather jacket and sunglasses off, then deposited them in the corner of the room. She tried to reach for the zipper on the back of her recon armour, but failed miserably. She looked at Rex for assistance, but he was too busy licking his crotch.

"Its times like this I wish you had opposable thumbs." Layla said to Rex, who showed no indication of having understood her. Either that, or he was too absorbed in the pleasures of licking his own crotch to notice. After trying for a while to reach the godforsaken zipper, Layla gave up, and decided to seek assistance. She left her room, shutting the door behind her, and knocked on the door to Veronica's room. A short while later the door opened, to reveal Veronica wearing a pink nightgown. For some reason, her hood was still on. The nightgown showed off Veronica's figure, and Layla felt a sense of surprise. She'd never realised just how beautiful Veronica's body was. Layla gazed at Veronica, slightly dumbfounded, and Veronica grinned.

"Sexy sleepwear. Like it?" Layla quickly composed herself, and ignored the question.

"Can you help with this damn zipper?" Layla turned her back, and motioned to the zipper that had so far resisted her.

"Not a problem." Veronica said cheerfully, and pulled down the zipper. Her eyes widened as she pulled it past Layla's shoulder's exposing her smooth, pale skin. She felt a deep warmth inside, and just managed to suppress it.

"Thanks." Layla said, turning to Veronica and smiling warmly. "Goodnight." With that, Layla walked back into her room, shutting the door behind her. Once back in her own room, Layla slithered out of her recon armour and threw it onto the growing pile in the corner of the room. Rex was still busy exploring the mysteries of his crotch. Now in her black lingerie, Layla took her bag off the bed and put it onto the pile of clothing, then pulled back the bed's thick covers and settled in. She wrapped the covers around her, and revelled in just how comfortable the bed was.

The mood was ruined by a pained whine. Layla followed the sound, and saw Rex clawing at his head. _Poor dog._ She thought to herself, then got out of bed and started to stroke Rex's belly. He sighed, clearly appeased, and Layla got back into bed. Rex looked sad, but then Layla patted the foot of the bed and Rex immediately understood. He settled at the foot of her bed, and quickly drifted off to sleep. _Goodnight boy. Tomorrow we'll get your brain fixed. _With that, Layla ventured off to join her hound in dreamland.

*Later*

Layla's eyes squinted open as the first rays of sunlight shone through the room's window. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes to get rid of the last of her sleepiness. When most of the grogginess left, she got out of bed and put her leather armour back on. Before she could wonder how she was going to zip it up, Rex gabbed it with his teeth, and pulled it right up to the top.

"Good boy." She said affectionately, stroking Rex's head in the meantime. "You're learning." With that, she put her leather jacket and sunglasses back on, then put her sword back in its holster. Now ready to roll, she picked up her bag and left the room.

Before she knocked on the door to Veronica's room, Layla looked at the clock on her Pip Boy. It was 8:35am. _Still too early to wake up Veronica. _She thought to herself. _Better let her sleep._ With that, she made her way down the stairs with Rex following closely. After asking a few non-schizophrenic mutants for directions she managed to find Doc Henry's lab. After a brief conversation she managed to convince him to remove Rex's brain, and offered him a brain that she'd taken from one of Old Lady Gibson's dogs as a substitute. The doc informed her that the procedure could take a while, so Layla decided to explore while she waited. She stepped out of the lodge and into the cold mountain air, then started to wander the town. She didn't wander long however before she saw a figure swimming in the town's lake. Closer examination revealed that it was a human. A woman actually.

"Morning!" Veronica said, smiling warmly as Layla walked closer to the lake. She was wearing nothing more than her small clothes, a white vest and blue shorts. Even her hood was missing, showing off her small, brown hair. Layla saw her hooded robes sitting in a pile next to the lake.

"What are you doing?" Layla asked in a surprised tone.

"Swimming." Veronica replied simply, swimming backwards as she did so.

"Haven't you lived in a bunker for around 80% of your life? How do you even know how to swim?"

"You learn quickly, especially when you're being chased by a group of cazadors and your only hope to escape is to dive into the nearest lake." Veronica grinned broadly as she continued to backstroke, and Layla smiled despite herself.

"I didn't think you'd be up yet." Layla sat on the grass next to the lake as she spoke. "I already took Rex to Doc Henry. He's operating on him now."

"Oh I woke up about half an hour ago. I felt the need to relax, so I decided to go for a swim."

"But isn't that water freezing?" Layla dipped a finger in the lake, and recoiled at just how cold it was.

"Well yeah, but it's also extremely invigorating."

"Isn't it also irradiated?" Layla heard a quiet beep coming from her Pip Boy to indicate this.

"A few extra rads won't kill me." Veronica swam underwater briefly, then resurfaced, her head completely wet and her short hair plastered to her head. "Damn, that is cold!" Layla laughed at that, and Veronica began to breaststroke towards her. "Come on in, the water's fine."

"I'd rather not."

"Suit yourself." Veronica stopped swimming and simply lay back, looking into the early morning sky. "But I think we need a break."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, so much shit has happened recently, especially to you, and we've never had a chance to just stop and smell the roses. I think we could use a break. An intermission if you will. A few days to just...you know, clear our heads." Layla lay back on the grass, joining Veronica in looking into the morning sky. She had to admit that Veronica had a point. _I've been so caught up in wiping out the NCR, and that business with Choke has only put me more on edge. Not to mention my alliance with Caesar and feud with House. It's all so overwhelming. Maybe Veronica's right. Maybe I just need to unwind._

"Fuck it." Layla said, giving in, and took off her jacket, along with her sword. She took off her sunglasses and put them in her jacket pocket, and leaned down next to the lake so Veronica could undo the zipper on the back of her recon armour. She then took of the armour, put it with her jacket and sunglasses, and dived into the lake next to Veronica, splashing water everywhere. Veronica burst out laughing as Layla swam to the surface of the water. "It's bloody freezing!" She cried as she surfaced, causing Veronica to laugh even more.

"It's invigorating though isn't it?"

"Yeah...actually it is." Layla swam back, letting the ice cold water soothe her body. "This is...nice."

"See?" Veronica leant against the side of the lake. "You need to relax once in a while. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

"What?"

"Oh it's something I read in a pre war book when I was a girl."

"Why don't you like to show your hair?" Veronica was a little taken aback by the sudden question, but quickly answered.

"Just self conscious I guess. You know, since my hair is so boyish."

"I think it's pretty." Veronica smiled at Layla.

"Thanks." Before Layla could say anything else, Marcus suddenly ran up to the lake. If he found it strange that the two girls were swimming half naked in a freezing cold, irradiated lake, then he didn't show it.

"Layla, you know how to handle yourself, correct?"

"Where are you going with this Marcus?" Layla replied.

"There are humans outside the town. Five of them I think. They're armed, and they've been harassing the town for weeks now."

"Harassing how?" Veronica asked, looking at Marcus as she spoke.

"Killing our big horners, shooting at the lodge, and basically causing trouble."

"So take them out. You guys have them heavily outnumbered and you're bigger and tougher than them."

"It's not that simple. We're trying to build friendly relations with the humans, so we can start trading with them. Killing a group of humans will send the wrong type of message, make them think we're savages."

"What do you need me to do?" Layla asked.

"Talk to them, try to get them to leave peacefully. You're humans, perhaps they'll listen to you."

"I'll help." Veronica quickly pitched in.

"Don't worry, I've got this under control. Stay here and relax" With that, Layla climbed out of the lake. Shivering in the cold, she put her recon armour back on. Marcus zipped it up for her, and she put her jacket and sunglasses on, then followed Marcus to the outskirts of Jacobstown. When they reached the outskirts, she saw that here was a man standing a few feet away from the town. He was wearing combat armour and holding an assault carbine.

"He looks like a merc." Layla replied, noting his professional looking equipment and his thuggish appearance.

"But who would hire expensive mercenaries just to get rid of us?" Marcus wondered.

"I intend to find out." Layla walked out of the town's front gate, and approached the mercenary. He didn't bat an eyelid, not even when he saw the massive sword on Layla's back. "Is there a reason you're being a prick to these mutants?" She said confidently as she reached the mercenary.

"Don't know the reason; our employer just wants them gone. We're being paid to drive them out, and that's what we intend to do." Layla sensed movement nearby, and noticed that there were more mercs, two on either side of her. The closest merc on her left and right both held plasma rifles. There were two more mercs to the far left and far right who had sniper rifles.

"I have an idea. You tell me who employed you, and I may let you leave here without chopping your legs off."

"I don't give out that kind of information bitch. Tell your mutie friends to clear out, or we'll start upping the stakes a bit."

"Go to hell." Layla drew her sword, and pointed it threateningly at the merc. "Leave. Now."

"Only if those muties leave first."

"Either you leave peacefully, or you leave in a box. Your choice."

"Here's my decision." The merc quickly aimed his assault carbine. In the time it took him to fire however, Layla dropped to the ground to dodge the bullet and slashed his leg. The combat armour he wore took most of the damage, but the merc was still knocked off balance. Layla dashed to her feet and struck the merc with the hilt of her sword, knocking him to the ground with blood spewing from his mouth. The other mercs didn't need any more of a reason to fire. The two closest mercs let loose with their plasma rifles, but Layla took advantage of the plasma rifle's slow speed to roll out the way of the shots. Before the mercs could take aim and fire again, Marcus and the two mutants who stood guard outside Jacobstown charged in. While the closest mercs were distracted by three super mutants rushing them, Layla charged at the plasma rifle wielding merc to her left. He only saw her coming as she sliced his head off.

There was another merc nearby wielding a sniper rifle, and he started to run. Layla followed him and he ran as fast as he could through the trees. Just as Layla was starting to close the distance, the merc spun around and fired his sniper rifle right into her chest. Layla was unprepared for this and was knocked flying. Her recon armour took most of the damage but Layla still had the wind knocked out of her, and landed painfully on the ground. The sniper rifle merc moved in, this time aiming for her head. Before he could fire however, Marcus moved up behind him. The merc sensed Marcus' presence, and spun to face the mutant. He fired a bullet into Marcus' chest at point blank range with his sniper rifle, but the mutant didn't even blink. Marcus gritted his teeth in anger before grabbing the merc by the throat. The merc screamed for help as he was lifted off his feet, and Marcus used his other hand to punch the merc in the stomach. Marcus' fist punched straight through the merc's stomach and out his back, killing the merc almost instantly. Marcus pulled his arm out of the merc before casually tossing the corpse away.

"Are you alright?" He asked politely, completely ignoring the fact that he had just punched a merc through the stomach.

"I'm fine." Layla replied, getting to her feet as she did so. A mutant cry of pain rang out however, and Layla and Marcus both turned where the sound was coming from to see a mutant fall dead to the floor. The merc leader that Layla had hit with the hilt of her sword stood over the dead mutant, assault carbine smoking from his recent kill. Marcus angrily rushed the merc leader, but he opened fire with his assault carbine. Marcus crossed his arms in front of his face to block the bullets, his armour and thick skin causing most of the bullets to ricochet off. As the merc leader continued to unload, Layla rushed him with her sword.

A super mutant behind the merc leader finished killing the last of the grunts, and rushed the merc leader with a nail board. The merc leader span around to face the mutant however, before shooting him in the kneecaps. The mutant went down, and the merc leader stopped to reload his assault carbine. Layla and Marcus started to close the gap, but the merc leader drew a plasma grenade from a pocket in his armour and tossed it their way. Marcus pushed Layla out of the way as the plasma grenade landed next to them, taking the full force of the grenade's explosion himself. The explosion knocked Marcus onto the ground, but he quickly started to get to his feet. The merc leader meanwhile finished reloading and took aim at Marcus' head. Before he could fire however, Layla reached him. She slashed her blade in an upward arc as she reached the merc, and he just had time to block with his carbine. Her blade slashed straight through his carbine, cutting the blade in two, and he dropped the pieces before throwing a clumsy punch. Layla swerved to the side to the dodge the punch, before slashing the merc's arm off. The merc fell to his knees, screaming in pain as his arm fell to the ground. The super mutant that the merc leader had shot in the knee caps got to his feet, nail board at the ready.

"He's all yours." Layla said to the mutant before putting her sword away and walking towards Marcus, leaving the mutant to bash the merc leader's brains in with his nail board. "Are you okay?" She asked as she reached Marcus. He slowly got to his feet, his skin singed.

"I've been better, but I'll live." He said calmly. "I was hoping we wouldn't have to kill them."

"They were going to keep harassing you until you either left or attacked them. Killing them was the only way."

"No. I have a feeling that their employers wanted us to kill them." Before they could continue the conversation, the super mutant who had smashed the merc leader's brains in walked up to them, holding a holotape.

"Found this!" He said to Marcus, clearly proud of his accomplishment.

"Good work." Marcus congratulated the mutant, before taking the tape off his hands. The mutant ran back to town, and Marcus looked at the tape. "Do you have the means to play this tape?"

"Put it in my Pip Boy." Marcus did, and Layla used her Pip Boy to play the tape. A masculine voice immediately emerged from her Pip Boy. The tape's recording.

"The Brahmin barons are an important part of Senator Morales' political base, and he's up for reelection soon." The masculine voice said. _An NCR senator?_ "The mutants at Jacobstown need to be driven off or provoked into an attack. The senator wants to be able to show he's taking a strong stance against the mutant presence, but there can't be any blood on our hands. So, use the same tactics as you did against those squatters back in Oak Creek. Harass the hell out of the mutants, but don't kill them unless they attack first." Layla and Marcus stood in silence as the tape finished.

"The NCR hired these mercenaries." Marcus said, looking at the corpses as he did so.

"Yeah, and they tried to drive off your people just so that senator could win a damn election." Layla's fists clenched in anger.

"You don't seem too fond of the NCR." Marcus observed.

"That's an understatement."

"I don't understand."

"I'll explain later. Right now, let's just head back to town." With that, they walked back to the town, leaving the corpses to bathe in the morning sun.

*Later*

Layla and Marcus went into the lodge as soon as they arrived back in town. She emerged from the lodge a few hours later, and went back to the lake. Sure enough, Veronica was still swimming. Rex was lying by the side of the lake, occasionally rolling on his belly.

"Where've you been?" Veronica asked as Layla approached. Layla sat down on the grass by the side of the lake as Veronica performed another backstroke.

"Well, I killed the mercs that were bothering the town. Turns out driving the mutants off was all the plan of an NCR senator. He wanted the mutants out of the way so brahmin barons could run their cattle through this area and so he could win an upcoming election."

"NCR?" _Dammit. _Veronica thought. _So much for taking a break._

"Yep. I've just spent the last few hours talking to Marcus, trying to convince him to help us wipe out the NCR."

"And?"

"He said he'd think about it."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"It's a maybe, which in my opinion is better than a no." Rex suddenly got to his feet and started chasing his own tail. Layla looked at him and shook her head. "So you got Rex from Doc Henry?"

"Yeah. After an hour passed and you didn't come back, I got dressed and went to check on Rex. The doc had just finished the brain transplant, and he turned Rex over to me. I immediately came back here and continued swimming. I'd let Rex swim, but I'm pretty sure the water would short circuit his cybernetic components." Rex seemed perfectly content with chasing his own tail. Layla suddenly got to her feet and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Veronica asked her friend.

"This whole business has reminded me that the NCR still need to be brought down. We'll be leaving in a few hours." Layla continued to walk away, but Veronica's voice stopped her again.

"Layla, I know that destroying the NCR is everything to you, but you can't accomplish that goal if it's all you think about. If you don't take a moment to rest, the stress and the hatred will bubble up inside you until your head pops. Come on, let's just take a break. We can relax here for the weekend. What do you say?" Layla stopped walking, and slowly turned to face Veronica. There was a serious look on her face, which quickly turned into a smile.

"Godammit." She said with a grin. "You always know just what to say." With that, Layla sat down next to Rex, as Veronica continued to swim, grinning as she did so. _The relaxation will do me some good. _She thought as she lay back on the grass and closed her eyes. _The NCR can wait a weekend to be wiped out._

_**Layla gets a holiday. Don't worry, she'll be back in action come the next chapter. Reviews please.**_


	20. A Report

**_Wow, chapter 20 already. Not bad if I do say so myself._**

**_This is a short chapter, but it's mostly a sequel to Chapter 3: Rap Sheet. That basically means that big players in the NCR will review what Layla's been doing recently. Also some foreshadowing for future chapters. Read on for the intrigue._**

A Report

"I've been hearing some very unpleasant things general." President Kimball said as he walked down a corridor deep inside Hoover Dam.

"We're making headway in the effort to defeat the Legion Mr President." General Oliver replied as he walked next to Kimball. Two NCR soldiers, both wearing power armour salvaged from the Brotherhood, accompanied the two important men.

"Don't give me that crap Oliver." Kimball replied in an exasperated tone. "Those dress wearing freaks aren't who I came here to discuss. I'm here to discuss the bitch who's been causing the NCR so much trouble." A brief look of anger appeared on Oliver's face, but it quickly disappeared. "Report general. Who is this bitch and why hasn't she been caught yet?"

"Her name is Layla sir." Oliver replied, remembered the information his spies had gathered about her. "Her father was named Carl something or other. He was a big lieutenant in the Great Khans, killed during that business in Bitter Springs. Layla first turned up on our radar a few months ago. Did you read the folder I sent you sir?" Kimball remembered the folder. It was the same one Crocker had received, but he didn't know that.

"The information was out of date Oliver. What has she been doing RECENTLY?"

"Well we have reason to believe she's aiding the Legion sir."

"But those freaks hate women as much as they hate trousers." Kimball said, spitting on the floor of the corridor as he did so to show his hatred of the Legion.

"I know sir, that's why it's so strange. Before our spies reported her going up the river, I sent a decorated ranger named Chris Hoke to eliminate a group of escaped convicts who'd been holing up in the abandoned Vault 19. I later got word that all the convicts were killed, but so was Hoke, as well as the soldiers that accompanied him."

"And what does that have to do with Layla?"

"There were several stab wounds sir. Large stab wounds, that looked as though they'd been caused by a large sword. Hoke was found nailed to the vault overseer's desk with a combat knife through one of his hands, and a hole savagely stabbed through his head."

"You think the bitch was responsible?"

"We know sir. Our records indicate that Hoke was at Bitter Springs." A brief silence followed. Kimball, Oliver and the two power armoured soldiers turned a corner, then continued to walk down another corridor. _This shit hole has a lot of long corridors. _Kimball thought to himself as they walked.

"You say Layla did this before going up the river to the fort?"

"That's right sir."

"Well tell me what she did afterwards you idiot." Another look of anger briefly flashed across Oliver's face, but Kimball wasn't even looking at him, so didn't notice.

"She went quiet for a week sir, simply dropped off the radar. Then Ambassador Crocker was found dead in his office. His throat had been slit with a jagged blade, most likely a combat knife from what our investigators could determine. Two members of the military police were also found dead in the office, both with stab wounds. The receptionist revealed that Crocker had sent out a letter asking Layla to see him."

"Idiot." Kimball cursed, reaching into his suit jacket pocket and pulling out a cigarette as he spoke. He quickly lit it, and hungrily inhaled the smoke. Oliver was smiling inside. He'd hated Crocker for a while, and now that he was dead, Oliver was completely in charge of the NCR's forces in the Mojave. "That jackass Crocker always tried to talk things out. You can't talk things out with a fucking psychopath." Kimball took a long drag on his cigarette. "What happened after Crocker died?"

"A few nights after Crocker's death an obituary was sent out over several local frequencies, reporting the death of Mr House. We have reason to believe that Layla killed him, and that Caesar ordered the hit."

"That's good." Kimball blew smoke out of his nose. "Without that jackass House in the way, we can finally do what we want with that damn city." Oliver quickly continued.

"That was about a week ago sir, and since then we haven't heard much. The only bit of information we've got is that Layla was seen going into the Boomer's compound at Nellis Air Force Base a few days ago." Kimball looked at Oliver dubiously. He may not have actually operated in New Vegas, but he'd read enough reports to know who the Boomers where and where they got their name from.

"But don't those tribals blow the shit out of anybody who goes near Nellis?"

"Yes sir. That's what makes this so strange. We have an eye witness source that claims Layla made her way to the base, avoiding the Boomer's artillery shells as she did, and actually managed to reach the base relatively unscathed. Then the Boomer's let her into the base."

"What?" Kimball took another long drag on his cigarette. The smoke was beginning to get on Oliver's nerves. "Why would those fuckers let her in?"

"We have no idea sir. It's safe to assume that Caesar sent her to get the Boomer's allegiance, but that still doesn't explain why they'd just let her in."

"What else has happened since then?"

"That's it sir. She entered the base on Tuesday, and I got word this morning that she left. You arrived yesterday on Wednesday and..."

"I remember when I got here you idiot." Kimball remembered the flight over here on his personal Vertibird, Bear Force One. He'd felt a little queasy during the flight but at least he'd been allowed to smoke. Being the president of the NCR gave you certain privileges. "So why the hell hasn't she been killed yet?"

"Sir, we're having difficulty with that. All of our men are busy fighting the Legion, and we can barely spare any to..."

"Don't give me your fucking excuses!" Kimball yelled. "This bitch is a massive threat to the NCR, more so than maybe even the Legion. She needs to be killed before my speech. If she isn't dead by then, then I'll have your fucking job! Is that understood?"

"Perfectly." Oliver replied, barely managing to keep the rage out of his voice. "As it stands, I've already come up with a way to eliminate her." As he spoke, they reached his office. He entered a combination into the keypad on the side of the door, and it quickly opened. Oliver and Kimball wasted no time in entering. As he walked through the open doorway, Kimball saw that there was someone waiting for them in the room.

"SECURITY!" The two soldiers that had been accompanying them readied their weapons, when Oliver flicked the office's light switch. A man stood before them, not Layla as Kimball had believed.

"This is my solution sir." Oliver said proudly, motioning to the man as he did so. The man saluted briefly in response.

"One man?" Kimball said incredulously. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"This isn't just any man Mr President, he's the best. He was at Bitter Springs, and he's the one who scored the headshot that killed Layla's father."

"I'm still not impressed general."

"I will deal with this problem sir." The man said emotionlessly. He spoke in a gravelly voice, but didn't emote at all as he spoke. His eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, and he wore a red beret on his head. "I will kill this Layla for you. You have my word." Kimball didn't look convinced.

"Your word means nothing to me soldier." Kimball replied sourly. "Bringing this woman's head to me on a plate would mean something." He turned to Oliver, and his gaze hardened. "We have a few weeks until my speech. Let this man try to kill Layla, but if he hasn't succeeded by the week before my speech, it'll be on your head." With that, Kimball left the office. The two soldiers quickly followed him.

"Arrogant windbag." Oliver said as Kimball left, sitting at his desk as he did so.

"I will get results sir." The man said.

"You'd bloody well better, because it's not just your career on the line now, it's mine."

"You have nothing to worry about sir." The man said as he walked to the door. "Nothing at all." With that, the man left the room, leaving General Oliver alone.

**_Yeah, a short one this, but it did set up a new foe for Layla to face. And he's not an OC by the way._**

**_Also, I made Kimball out to be a dick mostly because I've never actually met him ingame. I assume though that the stress of having to run the NCR while the Legion's causing trouble, combined with paranoia about being killed by Layla would make anyone act like a dick. It would also make them smoke too. Next chapter coming soon._**


	21. The Heist

_**That's right, Layla's going to be stealing something. Will it be money, diamonds, or something equally as valuable? Well...not exactly.**_

The Heist

Veronica sat in the Lucky 38's recreation room, reading a pre war book and desperately wishing that Victor hadn't destroyed the TV. After House had been slain, all the securitons had gone offline, and the task of reprogramming them had fallen to Veronica. Using the computer in House's control room (And trying to avoid looking at House's corpse as she'd done so), she'd managed to bring the securitrons back online, and had made them loyal to Layla. The ones in the Lucky 38 anyway. She wasn't 100% sure that securitrons outside of the casino would obey.

At the moment, Veronica was bored. Layla had gone out to meet the Boomers again, asking her to repair ED-E as she left. _That weekend in Jacobstown went by way too fast._ Veronica thought as she continued to read the book, which was fast becoming boring. ED-E's shattered 'corpse' lay on the table, the repair work unfinished. The bot looked to be Enclave tech, and Veronica was quite unfamiliar with it.

At that moment, the ping of the elevator doors opening sounded throughout the suite, followed by Layla stomping into the suite. She walked into the recreation room and slammed her bag down on the pool table in the middle of the room, before taking a bottle of whiskey out of it and chugging said whiskey down her throat.

"So how was your day?" Veronica asked sweetly.

"Oh fine, I've been the Boomer's bloody errand girl all day!" Layla said in an annoyed tone, before taking off her leather jacket and draping it over her bag. "I don't mind the Boomers, they're nice and have no allegiance with the NCR, but doing shit for them all day is very annoying."

"Do they trust you yet?" Veronica closed her book as she spoke.

"Yeah, I managed to gain their trust, but only after killing a colony of ants that had infested their generator room, treating some of their medical patients, and giving this guy named Jack 20 pieces of scrap metal." Veronica looked at Layla dubiously.

"20?" She asked doubtfully. "Where did you find 20 pieces of scrap metal?"

"I gathered them throughout my travels. Never know when they might come in handy. Anyway, I got their trust and now they want me to raise some WW2 bomber from Lake Mead."

"WW2? You mean World War 2?" Layla nodded. "Wow." Veronica didn't think she'd ever heard of anything that old. "But how the hell are you supposed to raise a plane from underneath a lake?"

"Well Loyal, the guy Jack works for, gave me some ballasts. I'm supposed to attach them to the bomber, and use them to float it up to the surface of the lake. The only problem is that I can't hold my breath very long. Loyal said that Jack was working on something called a rebreather. All I know is that it'll let me breathe underwater. There's a problem with that too." Layla took a long swig from the bottle of whiskey before continuing. "Apparently I need to bring Jack a pressure cooker so he can use the parts to finish the rebreather." She slammed the pool table in frustration. "I don't think I've ever been near a fucking pressure cooker!" She sat on the table and lay back on it, looking up at the ceiling. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" There was an uneasy silence, which Veronica eventually broke.

"I think I know where you can get a pressure cooker." She said slowly. Layla sat up as Veronica spoke, and looked at her with excitement in her eyes.

"Where?"

"Well..." Veronica said uncertainly. "I've never actually seen the pressure cooker in question. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's there. Just not 100% sure."

"Where?" Layla repeated.

"I think it's in the Ultra Luxe."

"The casino?"

"Like I said, I've never actually seen it. I sometimes go there to eat dinner though when you're out adventuring. They have this restaurant called the Gourmand and the food there is amazing. Usually there's a massive waiting list, but they know I'm one of your friends and they're scared shitless of you. You got a massive reputation on the strip after humping then killing Benny."

"The pressure cooker?" Veronica realised she'd gone off topic.

"Oh right! Sorry. Anyway, like I said, the food there is delicious, but I think some of it could only be cooked using a pressure cooker."

"You think?"

"I'm fairly certain. I'm standing on the line between certain and uncertain right now." Layla sat back on the pool table, taking a small swig of the whiskey bottle as she started to think.

"Okay, I'll just go in and take the pressure cooker, killing any of the posh bastards that get in my way."

"Yeah, because that won't attract attention will it? I told you that the securitrons on the strip won't obey you, so they'll probably blast you as you leave the casino. Even if they don't, a commotion like that is bound to attract NCR military police. They won't be lenient."

"Have you got a better idea?" Layla's right hand began to idly roll one of the pool balls across the table, as her other hand moved the whiskey bottle to her mouth so she could take another swig. Veronica was continuously impressed by her ability to drink so much whiskey and never get drunk.

"As a matter of fact, I do have a better idea." Veronica smiled. "Go in, and stealthily take the pressure cooker. You know, without killing everyone in the casino?" Layla took a second to think this over, putting the now empty whiskey bottle down on the table as she did so.

"Well I have been meaning to work on my stealth skills. Alright, we'll do this your way. I'll go to the Ultra Luxe tonight." Layla turned around to grab another bottle of whiskey, and noticed for the first time ED-E's wrecked body lying on the pool table. "Why isn't she fixed yet?"

*Later*

"I'm terribly sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to surrender all your weapons. I apologise for the inconvenience madam." The greeter said with immense politeness as Layla walked through the front doors, armed to the teeth as usual. She was wearing her business attire that she always wore on the strip: black suit jacket and skirt with white shirt and red tie. She was also wearing her aviator sunglasses. Normally Layla would've asked him to shove his apology where the sun don't shine, but she was supposed to be operating low key, so she put That Gun into her weapon filled bag before handing it to the greeter.

"Can I go?" Layla asked as politely as she was able, which was far less polite than the greeter.

"I'll also need your err...sword madam." The greeter replied nervously, motioning to the sword on Layla's back as he did so. He put the bag over his shoulder as Layla reluctantly handed over her sword, and barely managed to lift the hefty weapon as he took it.

"If I find even one scratch on that weapon, I'll shove it up your ass." Layla threatened. She was certain that the greeter was sweating underneath his creepy mask.

"You have nothing to worry about." The greeter said nervously as Layla walked past him. Layla wasn't usually impressed by the places she visited, but even she marvelled at just how amazing the Ultra Luxe's bar looked. It was completely circular, and the entire lobby in which it stood was dominated by a giant crystal sculpture of a rose, that almost touched the ceiling. Soothing classical music was poured into the lobby, and Layla found that even she felt relaxed by the music.

Remembering Veronica's directions to the Gourmand, Layla left the bar and casino and walked down a long corridor. She came to the Ultra Luxe's hotel and turned left, seeing a snobbish looking man wearing a top hat glaring at her in the corner of her eye as she did so. She was stopped at the entrance to the Gourmand by several members of the White Glove society, all wielding dress canes like they were lethal weapons. Layla bet they'd cry if they felt a real injury, and considered putting that theory to the test.

"Do you have an appointment?" A middle aged woman asked Layla. She looked to be in charge.

"No, but maybe you can make an exception." The woman raised an eyebrow at Layla, then her mouth slowly opened as she realised who she was talking to.

"Oh, you're the Courier! My sincerest apologies! You two, take the Courier to our finest table!" The two White Gloves quickly obeyed, and Layla followed them to a round table in the middle of the restaurant. Beautiful odours filled the Gourmand, making Layla's stomach rumble. She hadn't eaten in a few days, and most of what she had eaten had been crap. _The pressure cooker isn't going anywhere I guess._ Layla thought to herself as a waiter approached her and handed her a menu. She quickly selected the brahmin steak off the list. The waiter complimented her on her fantastic choice, then took the menu and left. She had a feeling he would've complimented her choice even if she'd asked him to bring her a steaming turd. Layla looked around the room as she waited for her food, and saw a door at the end of the room. Next to the door was an intercom, and all the waiters spoke customers orders into the intercom. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the Gourmand's kitchens – and the pressure cooker – were behind that door.

Layla's brahmin steak arrived a few minutes later, and she devoured it like a death row inmate. Less than five minutes later she leaned back in her seat, full and content, as an empty plate lay in front of her. Lay was awestruck by just how delicious the food was here. _Screw cooking at home, I'm going to eat here every night! _Then the bill came. Layla had never seen so many zeroes on a piece of paper in her life. _Plan B._

She took a stick of dynamite that she'd smuggled past the greeter out of her jacket, making sure nobody in the restaurant saw it. This stick of dynamite had a long fuse, and she lit it with her lighter before carefully tossing it under her table. She then casually yawned and got to her feet, before walking over to the door that lead to the kitchens. The waiters looked at her suspiciously, but quickly found a bigger concern as the stick of dynamite under her table suddenly detonated. A deafening boom filled the Gourmand, and the table flew into the air. The guests began to panic and ran for the exit, as all nearby White Gloves, waiters included, ran over to the sight of the explosion to investigate. Nobody saw a smartly dressed girl with blood red hair slip into the Ultra Luxe's kitchens.

*Later*

It was obvious that the White Gloves had made absolutely no effort when decorating the basement. And why should they have? Nobody was ever going to see it other than a select few. Nobody in the White Glove society would ever have guessed that Layla would be among that select few.

Layla snuck down a dark corridor, and heard a familiar sound as she reached the corridor's end. _Are those flamers? _Her left arm twitched as she remembered when Cook-Cook had burnt it. She reached the end of the corridor and saw that they were indeed flamers, and were being fired by two particularly bored looking White Gloves. They were blasting jets of flame at two pieces of meat that hung from the ceiling, cooking them. The smell of cooked meat filled the corridor, and would've made Layla's stomach rumble if she hadn't just eaten.

_Wouldn't it be cheaper to just cook the meat?_ Layla thought randomly before snapping back to reality. Not wanting to take on two flamer wielding snobs without most of her weapons, Layla snuck towards a nearby elevator, making no sound whatsoever as she reached it. She pressed the button to open the elevator's doors, and the ding as the doors opened went unheard by the White Gloves, who were so close to the roaring flamers that they were probably partially deaf. She entered the elevator, and rode it down further into the basement.

Unlike the elevators in the Lucky 38 that played cheesy elevator music, this elevator played relaxing classical music. Layla leaned back against the elevator and enjoyed the music, before darting out of the elevator as the doors opened about ten seconds later.

She found herself in a long corridor that stretched as far as the eye could see. The smell of fresh cooking filled the corridor. _I've got to be close._ She snuck down the corridor, making sure to check every room as she went. She found nothing of interest in any of the rooms, and was beginning to get annoyed when she reached the middle of the corridor and saw a White Glove walking towards her. She dived into a nearby storage room, unsure if the Glove had heard her. She listened closely as she crouched behind a box in the storage room, listening for the Glove's footsteps. Eventually they faded away, and she breathed a sigh of relief before exiting the storage room.

"What the deuce are you doing here?" The White Glove said to her in a British accent as she left the room. _Crap. _Layla thought as the Glove pointed a dress cane at the intruder threateningly. The Glove was a woman, and wore a pink dress with only one shoulder strap. She glared at Layla through her mask, trying to be as threatening as possible. "You're not allowed down here! You'll have to leave!" Layla tried to think of an excuse, but a more simple solution entered her mind. She obediently turned and began to walk down the corridor. The White Glove followed her, pressing the dress cane against her back as she did so. The Glove was so focused on where she pressed the cane, that she didn't see Layla pulling a throwing knife out of her jacket pocket. Layla suddenly stopped midway down the corridor, and before the Glove could question why she spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick. The Glove was knocked flying, her mask flying off as she hit the floor. Before she could begin to react, Layla threw the knife with deadly accuracy. It hit the Glove right between the eyes, killing her instantly.

Layla pulled the knife out of the Glove's head, and wiped the blade before putting it back in her pocket. She prepared to walk down the corridor, when she saw that the Glove had something interesting in her possession. Layla took the interesting item from the corpse and stuffed it into one of her jacket pockets, then continued to walk down the corridor. The search lasted a few more minutes, but eventually bore fruit. Layla came across a pressure cooker while searching one of the rooms, and was filled with relief. _Finally._ She thought as she put the cooker into the pocket on her skirt. _Christ, I'm running out of pockets._ Her mission complete, Layla quickly made her way back to the elevator.

*Later*

"I got it!" Layla yelled as she walked out of the elevators and into the Lucky 38 suite. Rex ran up to her as she approached, and she quickly stroked his belly before entering the dining room. Veronica was pouring a cup of tea using the pre war kettle. Layla had never understood Veronica's love of tea. She'd tried some once and it had tasted horrible. She placed the pressure cooker on the table in triumph, then draped her jacket over a nearby chair and sat on said chair.

"It took you three hours to get a pressure cooker?" Veronica asked as she sat down too.

"No, it took me about half an hour to get the pressure cooker. I spent the rest of my time drinking in the cocktail bar and enjoying the sauna." Layla sat back as she remembered the sauna. "That casino is a paradise."

"How was the food?"

"Amazing."

"Told you."

"I also got you something." Veronica's eyes widened in surprise.

"You got me something?" Layla took the item she'd stolen from the White Glove's corpse out of her pocket, and placed it on the desk. Veronica flushed with excitement and gasped loudly as Layla laid a beautiful pink dress on the table. "A dress?" She said with immense happiness.

"You're always going on about how much you want one." Layla said with a grin. Veronica quickly jumped to her feet and ran around the table towards Layla. Layla had just enough time to get up before Veronica enveloped her in a massive hug.

"Thank you! Thank you!" She began to say it over and over again as she hugged Layla with all her strength. When she finally stopped thanking Layla, she looked deep into her eyes, releasing the hug slightly. Before Layla could react, Veronica closed her eyes and kissed her on the lips. Layla's eyes widened as they kissed. She was taken aback by the kiss, but it wasn't exactly unpleasant and she didn't recoil away. Layla's heart beat like a drum as Veronica pressed her body against hers. After a few seconds Veronica's eyes opened, and her eyes widened too. "Shit." She said as she backed away from Layla. "I am so sorry." Before Layla could say anything, a securitron wheeled into the room.

"Miss Layla, a letter just arrived for you." The bot said. The last thing Layla felt like doing right now was reading a letter, but this was the first letter she'd ever gotten.

"Who's it from?" She asked curiously.

"The name at the bottom of the letter says Mum." For the second time that night, Layla's eyes widened in surprise.

**_Shocking developments galore! How does Layla react to the kiss, and is her mother really alive? You'll get your answers in the next chapter! As always, please feel inclined to review._**


	22. Omens

**_.yojnE .tnasaelpnu ylriaf dna, gnibrutsid, ypeerc eb lliw retpahc sihT_**

Omens

A loud ping filled the Lucky 38 suite as the elevator doors opened. Layla was wearing her typical adventuring attire, her leather jacket over recon armour, with her aviator sunglasses and headband. Strangely, she couldn't remember where she'd been, or why she was covered with blood. She walked out of the elevators and was about to announce her arrival. Something was wrong however. For one thing, Rex hadn't rushed out to greet her the second she arrived. For another thing, she smelt blood. Layla slowly drew her sword and crept to the recreation room, which was where the smell of blood was coming from. She slowly entered the room, and her eyes widened in shock and horror.

Rex was lying on the pool table, but he was covered with blood. His stomach had been ripped open, and his intestines covered the table. Rex's cybernetic components were stained with blood, and the jar that held his brain had been ripped off. It lay shattered in the corner of the room, but the brain was gone. His blood had pooled around him, and was beginning to drip off the table to form another pool on the floor. Rex's eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead in what Layla assumed, was as close an expression of fear as a canine could possibly give.

Layla felt herself about to throw up, but she resisted the urge. There was something unusual about the killing. For one thing, Rex looked like he'd been ripped open. What man would take the time to rip open a dog's stomach? The most unnerving thing about the scene however, was that there were bloody footprints on the floor. They weren't human however. They looked to belong to some form of canine.

_A dog did this?_ Layla thought to herself, not believing what her brain was telling her. Her heart began to beat erratically, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. What was this unfamiliar feeling? _Fear._ Her mind told her, but it wasn't her voice. It was a familiar voice, but she hadn't heard it for a long time, not since entering Nipton and seeing the banner of the Legion blowing in the breeze. Vulpes. Vulpes' voice spoke in her mind. No, it wasn't speaking, it was laughing. As Vulpes voice laughed in her mind, a horrific, unnatural sound, Layla's managed to think one clear thought. _Where's Veronica?_

At that instant, Layla saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She spun around quickly, but whatever had been there was gone. She hadn't been able to make the form out in the corner of her eye, it had been a blur. And it had been dashing towards the master bedroom. Layla burst out of the recreation room as fast as she could, and ran to the master bedroom. The door was shut, but a powerful kick took care of that. The door flew off its hinges, and Layla burst into the room to find...

Nothing. There was no blood, no canine, no danger. Just Veronica, sleeping in the master bed. Still wearing her robes for some reason. Layla tried to feel relieved by the sight, but her heart continued to beat like a drum, and she felt herself begin to sweat. The reason for this was Vulpes' laughter. It no longer came from her head, but now seemed to fill the room. The mildly loud laughter rose in volume, until it became a cacophony of noise that seemed to shake the entire room. The wallpaper began to peel from the walls, and all the furniture in the room turned to dust. Layla's hands went to her ears as the laughter all but deafened her. Somehow, the laughter didn't wake up Veronica. She continued to lie there in blessed slumber, even when an image began to form on the wall above the bed, drawn in blood.

An unseen brush painted the image, the brush's tips coated with blood. Layla stepped back, fear filling her very being as the brush finished its picture. An image of a bull stood on the wall behind the bed, looking down at Veronica. The insignia of Caesar's Legion.

Layla had a sudden moment of realization, and realised at that moment that ignorance is bliss as the thought caused her beating heart to go into overdrive. She knew that that logo meant trouble, that it was going to kill Veronica, and ran towards the bed. Before she even made it halfway across the room however, something stepped out of the bull, as though it were a portal. The bull and the wall behind it shimmered like water, as Vulpes Inculta walked straight through it.

He hovered above the bed, as the laughter suddenly stopped. Sweat now covered Layla, and she continued to run towards the bed as fast as she was physically able. It seemed like the more she ran, the closer away the bed got however. It didn't seem like he'd gotten any closer since she'd started running. If anything, she'd moved further away.

At that instant, Vulpes began to change. His facial features contorted before her very eyes, and the sound of bones cracking filled her ears as Vulpes' face became strikingly canine-like. Fur began to cover his entire body, and he dropped onto all fours, still hovering above the bed. His legion armour and his hood melted off him, as his physical features contorted to match the canine appearance of his face.

A few seconds later the transformation was complete, and Layla was horrified to see a fox hovering above the bed. It was no ordinary fox though. This fox was bigger than most bears, and its claws were sharper than the claws of most deathclaws. Its eyes glowed red, illuminating the room, and its fangs looked like machetes. Before Layla could do anything, the fox dropped onto the bed. Veronica's eyes opened just in time to see the fox strike.

"NO!" Is what Layla wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. She wasn't even running anymore, her legs wouldn't obey. Instead she just watched in horror as the fox ripped Veronica apart. A few seconds later it turned and leaped across the room, landing in front of Layla. The bed was covered with blood, as was the fox's maw. Its fangs were coated with flesh and pieces of brain, and the beast smelt of death. Layla raised her sword, but to her horror the blade was no longer in her hand. That wasn't the only change her equipment had undergone however. To her continued horror, Layla saw that she was wearing Legion armour. Not only that, but the armour seemed to be stabbing her. She didn't know how she knew, but Layla knew that the inside of the armour was covered with sharp needles. Layla screamed in agony as the armour seemed to squeeze her, and the needles dug into her flesh.

"Beware the Bull." The fox Vulpes said as it approached her. Layla could barely hear it over her own screams as the armour dug in. She'd never felt this kind of agony before. The pain forced her to her knees, and tears of pain began to form in her eyes. "Beware the Desert Fox." Was the last thing Layla heard as the fox's fangs went for her throat.

*?*

Layla's eyes slowly opened as sunlight shone done on them. Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the glare, then she looked around. Her surroundings seemed familiar, yet seemed to have come from a lifetime ago. Layla sat up, and realised that she was sitting in sand, but didn't care. She wracked her brain, trying to remember where she was. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. _I'm home._ Layla realised in disbelief as she looked around at Bitter Springs.

It wasn't the corpse infested ruin it had been when she left however. It was fine, good as new. All the tents were back up, everybody was alive, and the only fire was the one coming from a nearby barbecue as it cooked lunch. Layla got to her feet, still not believing what she was seeing, when she saw something else that defied belief.

Her mother and father were standing at the other end of camp, waiting for her. Tears of happiness ran down Layla's face as she ran to them, bolting across the camp as fast as her legs would carry her. Before Layla reached them however, a dark thought entered her mind, so dark that it forced her to stop. _Those tears aren't tears of joy, they're tears of sadness._

Just as Layla began to wonder what the hell her mind was talking about, the sky went black. The sun seemed to melt away, and the entire sky was covered with darkness. Layla suddenly smelt burning, and looked on in horror as a column of fire appeared out of nowhere. The column began to spread, coating the outskirts of the camp in flames. Before Layla knew it, the camp was surrounded by a ring of fire.

_No way out. Just like last time._ She thought incoherently, as cries of agony began to fill the camp. The tents suddenly set ablaze, reminding Layla of what had happened before. Layla looked on in stunned terror as all the nearby Khans dropped dead. Everyone who had been enjoying the day seconds ago died before her very eyes. Bullet holes appeared on their body, then they died. They didn't stay dead for long however. Before Layla's terrified eyes, the corpses began to get to their feet. They seemed to be rotting as they stood, as skin began to fall from their bodies. Their eyes were milky white, and they were covered with maggots. Flies swarmed around the corpses, and vultures circled above.

Layla felt her very being become consumed by terror as the corpses stood and walked towards her. They shuffled slowly, reminding Layla of several pre war zombie movies she'd watched on TV with Veronica. Finally Layla's legs decided to obey her, and she started to back away from the corpses. The moaning, rotting corpses. No, they weren't moaning. As Layla continued to listen, the so called 'moans' formed into words.

"Get out." A male corpse said as it reached her, its left eye being ripped out by a vulture as it spoke.

"Leave." A female corpse said, missing both arms as it shuffled ever closer.

"Don't come back." A little girl said, a clean bullet hole decorating her face. She was the dead girl from the longhouse. Layla suddenly realised it, and tried to reach for her weapons. She didn't find them however, and saw that she wasn't even wearing armour. She was wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt with a white t-shirt underneath, white baggy trousers and brown boots. The outfit she'd worn on the day it happened. If she had a mirror, Layla was certain that the face that stared back at her would be her 18 year old face. The corpses suddenly picked up the pace, and began to overwhelm her. Layla tried to fight back, but it was hopeless. _You didn't know how to fight back then._ Her seemingly insane mind told her.

The corpses covered Layla like a swarm of locust, grabbing her from every possible angle. Some clawed at her hair, others held one of her legs, while some simply wrapped their rotting hands around her waist. Layla tried to break free, but it seemed like somebody had taken all the strength out of her, like a doctor taking a sample of blood. As the corpses continued to grab her, Layla heard a surprising sound. She'd never heard it before, but recognised it instantly.

_A horse._ Her mind told her, as loud hoof beats began to fill the camp. The corpses took their attention off Layla for a second, and looked towards the camp. Still being held and completely unable to break free, Layla had no choice but to follow their gaze. She felt compelled to. Layla couldn't believe what her eyes showed her and her brain told her was true, as a horse and rider galloped onto one of the hills that surrounded the camp. There was no light whatsoever, and the rider was on the other side of the camp, yet Layla could still make him out perfectly.

The rider sat atop a black steed, who's eyes glowed red. _Like the desert fox's eyes._ Layla thought incoherently. The rider himself was wearing a hooded black robe, and was carrying a scythe. Red eyes stared at Layla through the hood, but none of the rider's face could be seen. Layla had a horrible realisation, as she saw that the rider had a startling resemblance to the Grim Reaper. There was something wrong however. The rider got off his horse, and his scythe began to change. It shrunk down until the blade was gone and only the handle remained. The handle then began to change shape too. It grew a barrel, a handle, and a scope. The sides of the handle smoothed out, until it was no longer a handle. It was a scoped hunting rifle. The hooded figure suddenly threw back his hood, and lay prone on the hill. The rider, now a sniper, aimed his rifle in Layla's direction, looking through the scope as he did so. His face seemed invisible to Layla, but she could just make out a red beret that sat on the sniper's head.

Layla's heart threatened to burst from her chest in a shower of blood as the sniper took aim. The corpses' tightened their grip on her, and Layla knew there was no chance of her breaking free. As Layla stood helpless, her head suddenly turned by itself. She looked at a corpse that held her left arm, and saw that it was her mother. She was the only corpse not covered in bullet holes. Instead she was covered with burns. Her face was almost unrecognisable from the burns, and shrapnel was stabbed into her right eye. _From the grenade._ Layla could never mistake the beautiful red hair that ran down to the corpse's head however. As Layla looked at her mother's corpse, her heart taking a break from its beating to ache with loss, the corpse spoke.

"Don't come back here Layla." The corpse said, as though begging. "Please don't come back. You'll regret it." Before Layla could question her dead mother, the sniper fired. The gunshot was the loudest thing Layla had ever heard, and it threatened to deafen her. She looked helplessly as the bullet flew towards her, threatening to end her life. She couldn't even close her eyes as the bullet reached her. It didn't extinguish her life however. To Layla's great surprise, the bullet flew straight through her, as though she were a ghost. Layla's head turned backwards the follow the path of the bullet, and saw that it was heading towards a figure that stood at the end of the camp. Layla's heart stopped as she realised it was her father. More than that, he was alive.

Carl didn't have a scratch on him, and stood at the end of the camp. He seemed to be looking directly into Layla's eyes, and didn't move an inch as the bullet closed in. Layla wanted to cry out to him, but her mouth failed to form words.

"The Bear wants blood." Was the last thing her father said, as the bullet blew his head apart.

*?*

Layla screamed as her eyes shot open, and she sat up in her bedroll. She was coated with sweat, and was in total darkness. A brief panic fell over her as she tried to figure out where she was, then a memory surfaced that calmed her. _Mum's letter. _She thought as she remembered the night before. She'd immediately read the letter upon its arrival, and had been unable to believe its words. According to the letter, which was written in her mother's handwriting, Elisa had survived the Bitter Springs Massacre. The letter didn't go into too much detail, but apparently the grenade explosion didn't kill her, and she was taken back to Camp McCarran for interrogation. Under intense torture she'd refused to talk, and so she'd been locked up in the NCR Embassy's jail and left to rot for three years.

The letter went on to say that she'd recently broke free, and had left the letter on Layla's doorstep as she left the strip. She asked her daughter to meet her where it all began. At Bitter Springs.

Layla had slept the night back in the suite, not saying a word to Veronica, then set off this morning. She'd made camp on a mountain near Bitter Springs, and then..._Then I had those god-awful nightmares. _She thought with a shudder, as she wrapped her arms around herself.

She'd had nightmares about Bitter Springs before of course, who wouldn't after a such traumatic event? But these nightmares had been different. She couldn't remember them clearly, just the intense terror she had felt. There were words, she remembered someone speaking them, but couldn't remember for the life of her what those words had been.

She lay back in her bedroll to try and return to the land of dreams, knowing as she did so that such a thing was impossible. After the bloodcurdling nightmares she'd just had, sleep was an impossibility for tonight. Even if sleep had been possible, Layla wasn't certain she wanted to return to Dreamland, afraid that instead she would find herself in that dark realm where nightmares were born and the only emotion was fear. So she wrapped her jacket around herself as a blanket, and simply looked up at the stars, trying to remember the dreams and at the same time not sure that she wanted to.

**_So instead of answering all of your questions like I promised in the last chapter, I actually presented you with several new questions. Most of them probably involving my sanity. Yeah, sorry about that._**

**_Anyway, I promise I'll answer your questions in the next chapter. Probably not all of them, but most. Until then, what do you guys think the dreams meant? They weren't weirdness for the sake of weirdness. Let me know your conclusions!_**


	23. Bitter

**_Layla arrives at Bitter Springs, but what awaits her? One way to find out!_**

Bitter

The fire gecko screamed as a roundhouse kick to the face knocked it flying off a nearby cliff. The beast's cry was quickly cut short however as it landed head first on a nearby rock, shattering its skull. The second fire gecko backed away, unsure as to whether attacking this girl was a good idea. Before the gecko's miniscule IQ could decide on a course of action, Layla sliced its skull in half vertically. The two halves of the beast's head fell to the ground, along with blood and brains. The creature's body slumped to the floor a few seconds later, and Layla put her sword away before moving on.

After the horrific nightmares of last night, Layla had set off again as soon as the first tiny specks of light appeared from the heavens. She'd been walking through the mountains for a few hours, occasionally slaughtering a few unlucky fire geckos. Killing the stupid beasts was at least entertaining, and it kept her busy, so that her mind didn't focus on less preferred topics. Like the kiss.

Layla had had no idea that Veronica had those kinds of feelings for her. She'd always seen the girl as her best friend, or even the sister she'd never had. Now that Layla thought back on it however, the signs had been painfully obvious. There was Veronica's occasional playful flirting for one, which Layla had never taken seriously. There was also the fact that Veronica occasionally gazed at Layla when she thought that Layla wasn't looking. Whenever they were travelling, Veronica's eyes would sometimes look over Layla, in what Layla now realised was admiration of her beauty. And probably lust too.

Layla's mind was in a tail spin. She had no idea what her feelings were for Veronica, but she knew she would have to figure them out soon. _Dammit Veronica, why did you have to make things so complicated?_ She thought angrily as she continued to trek through the mountains. The concept of being attracted to another woman wasn't completely alien to Layla, she had been close to a few girls in the Bitter Springs camp. She'd always preferred men though. If she had to put percentages on her attractions (An unusual concept if ever there was one), Layla would have to say that women took up 30%, while men took up 70%. There was no particular reason why; it was just the way she felt.

But was she attracted to Veronica? This was like asking someone if they were attracted to a close family member. She honestly had no idea. She'd never really looked at Veronica like that before. Then again, there was the time in Jacobstown where she'd seen Veronica in the naughty nightwear..._God why is this_ _so bloody_ _confusing?_ Layla could face off a deathclaw with little fear, but when asked to talk about her feelings her cheeks would go so red you'd think she was a traffic light.

Before Layla could ponder her thoughts anymore (An admittedly futile endeavour), she walked over a hill and saw something she'd never thought she'd see again. _Home. _Bitter Springs stood where it had always been, inside a small canyon and surrounded on all sides by cliffs. _No way out._ Her mind flashed back to that fateful day three years ago, when a Great Khan had run into the camp screaming of NCR soldiers, only to be felled with a quick headshot. The first death she'd ever seen. The memory came back so quickly and so vividly that it struck like a blow to the chest. With great effort she dispelled the memory. _I won't get anywhere today if I keep thinking about the past. _She thought to herself, a determined look on her face.

She was high up enough to see inside the canyon, and saw to her surprise that there were tents there. New tents. She felt a surprising amount of anger at the thought that a new group now inhabited Bitter Springs. That rage only intensified as she saw a familiar flag blowing in the wind, and realised what group now owned her childhood home. The NCR.

The two headed bear fluttered in the breeze, but for some reason it was upside down. Layla didn't care in the slightest what way up the flag was. The fact that it was even there was all that filled her thoughts. _Those bastards came here, slaughtered countless women and children, non combatants, and they have the FUCKING NERVE TO CALL THIS PLACE THEIR OWN? _Layla shouted to the sky in anger, before kicking a nearby rock. Despite the fact that the rock was bigger than her head, Layla's blow shattered it, and she felt no pain whatsoever. She allowed her anger to subside for a moment however, as confusion and suspicion took its place.

_Why would mum ask to meet me in a place owned by the NCR?_ It didn't make sense, unless..._I've been set up. _She shook that thought from her mind, hoping against hope that her mother was still alive, and waiting in the place that had once been her home, but was now the sight of a massacre, and the place that fuelled her nightmares.

Taking a deep breath, Layla climbed down the side of the mountain on which she now stood. It didn't take long, and before she knew it her feet we on solid ground again. Layla stomped towards the canyon entrance determinedly, and before she knew it she was walking up the path towards the camp. A sign in front of the camp said the name of the place 'Bitter Springs', and the insignia of the two headed bear lay beneath it. The sight of that damned bear brought back Layla's rage, and she ripped the accursed sign out of the ground using all her strength, before throwing it into the side of the canyon. _How dare they. _Was the only thought in her head as she carried on walking and reached the outskirts of the camp.

Layla felt a great sense of unease as she reached the first tent, and saw that it was empty. The camp was as quiet as a graveyard, the blowing of the wind the only sound that pierced the silence. Something was definitely not right. If the NCR had repopulated Bitter Springs, then where the hell was everybody? There wasn't a self righteous NCR soldier to be seen, and no sign of any NCR citizens.

Layla checked every tent, remembering who had lived in each tent three years ago as she did so. She could still remember all their faces. Time hadn't faded her memories even a little bit. She had checked twelve tents before she realised the longhouse was gone. That was the only structure that she wanted gone, and she was glad to see that fate had granted her at least one favour. That building brought too many memories.

"_I'm already gone Layla. Don't ever forget me."_Her mother said through the medium of memories, and Layla felt tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes. She wiped the tears away before they could escape, and continued to search the camp.

On the hill where the longhouse had once stood there were now several NCR tents. Layla drew That Gun from her thigh holster, and fired at one of the tents to see if there was any response. Not a single sound came from that direction, not even the sound of birds flying away from the gunshot. Bitter Springs was well and truly deserted. There wasn't a single soul. Not even Elisa.

_What the hell is going on here? _Layla thought angrily, when a sound suddenly caught her attention. It sounded like footsteps, coming from a tent on the far side of the camp. Layla quickly ran towards the tent, ready to draw her sword at any moment. The second she reached the tent, a little girl walked out, and recoiled in fear at the red haired madwoman rushing her. The girl was wearing rags, and carried nothing but a teddy bear. She couldn't have been much older than 8. Layla quickly calmed down upon seeing the girl, and crouched down next to her.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." Layla said softly. The girl didn't let her guard down in the slightest.

"You're the bad lady aren't you?" The girl asked, her voice filled with fear.

"Bad lady?"

"A man came here yesterday. He talked to that NCR lady on the hill, and she told everyone to leave."

"Why?"

"Mummy said a bad lady was coming here, and the man was going to get rid of her." Layla's eyes widened.

"Everybody left yesterday, but I came back looking for my teddy."

"Get out of here." Layla's eyes scanned the mountains surrounding the camp as she spoke, looking for the man that the girl had mentioned. "It's not safe here." The girl didn't need to be told twice. Clutching her teddy bear tightly, she ran out of the camp as fast as her little legs could carry her, leaving Layla and the man alone. She continued to look around the mountains, but saw no sign of the man. "Show yourself!" She shouted into the air, seemingly to no-one. "I know you're out there! Why don't you stop being such a coward and..." Layla never finished her sentence. A gunshot filled the air, responding to her taunt and firing a lethal bullet straight towards her. Layla had no idea where the bullet was, so she just dived to the desert ground. She was certain that she felt the bullet fly by, millimetres away from her head, as she landed on the ground.

She quickly rolled to her feet, and her eyes returned to the cliffs surrounding Bitter Springs, with the same result as last time. There were so many places to hide on those cliffs that she had no chance of spotting her assailant. Layla backed away warily, heading for a nearby rock that she could use as cover, while looking all around her for any sign of movement as she did so.

*The sniper*

She was good, there was no doubting that. If it had been anyone else, that last bullet would've gone straight through her skull, and that would've been that. But no, that would've been far too easy. _Nobody associated with the Legion dies that easily._ The sniper thought as he lay prone on a nearby cliff, looking at the girl through the scope of his hunting rifle. Her reflexes were impressive to say the least, but that was the last bullet she'd dodge. Of that he was certain.

He loaded another bullet into his rifle, moving extremely slowly to avoid catching the girl's attention. So far her eyes had passed over him several times without seeing him. The sniper didn't want to give her any clue as to where the next bullet would be coming from. He effortlessly loaded the bullet into his rifle as he'd done countless times before in 1st recon. Back then he'd had a spotter, but he didn't need a spotter to kill this girl.

It was hard to believe that this young girl could be the monster who'd killed countless soldiers and officials within the NCR. She couldn't have been much older than 20, and not any older than 25. Of course, when the sniper had been that age he'd been killing people like a pro. For the NCR of course. Killing knew no age limit, he knew that for a fact. He took a deep breath, and took a quick dose of steady to make sure that he wouldn't miss the next shot. He couldn't miss. He lined the girl's pretty head in his scope, and his finger tightened on the rifle's trigger. _She looks just like Carla. Such a shame she has to die so young._ Boone thought as he pulled the trigger.

*Layla*

Layla's entire body had been alert, wary for any movement or noise, so when she heard the gunshot she didn't wait a second before diving to the left. The sniper must've anticipated that however, as Layla didn't escape unscathed. The bullet flew right by her right cheek as she dived, leaving a scar on the skin just below her right eye. A few more inches upwards and the bullet would've blown her right eye apart, and probably would've flown straight through her skull too. Layla got up the second she landed from the dive, and darted behind the rock she'd been backing towards earlier.

She was breathing heavily, her heart beating like a drum. Her hand instinctively went to the scar on her right cheek, and her fingers came back covered with blood. Layla tried to calm herself, and wracked her brain trying to figure out where the bullet had come from. She was certain she'd seen a muzzle flash seconds before she'd dived out of the way of the bullet, but she had trouble remembering where the flash had come from.

Layla reached inside her bag and pulled out her grenade rifle, before leaning out from behind the rock. The second her head left cover, the sniper fired. This time Layla saw where the shot had come from, and for a second she cast eyes on the sniper.

It wasn't easy to judge his height seeing as he was lying prone, but he looked to be tall and powerful. He was wearing a white shirt with brown cargo trousers, a merc grunt outfit. He wore dark sunglasses that completely hid his eyes, along with a red 1st recon beret.

_NCR. _Layla thought hatefully. She absorbed all this information in less than a second, before leaning back behind the rock to dodge the bullet. Layla knew that right now the sniper would be moving to a new location, and would be vulnerable. This was her chance. Layla dashed out from behind the rock, roaring a battle cry as she did so, before shooting a grenade at the cliff above using her grenade rifle. As the grenade flew, she saw no movement, and began to suspect that she had shot in the wrong direction. This suspicion proved incorrect however, as the sniper got to his feet and dived out of the way as the grenade hit the ground near him and exploded.

*Boone*

_Crap. _Boone dived to the side as the girl's grenade exploded. He dodged most of the explosion, but the shrapnel wouldn't let him go without a fight. It burst from the grenade and flew after him, before stabbing into his back. Boone grit his teeth as several pieces of shrapnel imbedded themselves in his back, ignoring the pain and rolling behind a nearby rock.

_How did she find me?_ It didn't matter. She knew where he was now. He was in serious danger. He took a deep breath, then sat back against the rock and loaded another bullet into his rifle. As he turned to look over the rock, he saw that it was covered with blood. His hand went to his back, and sure enough the hand came back bloody. Boone had seen more than enough blood to last him a life time, and seeing his own liquid life force running through his fingertips didn't bother him in the slightest. Boone looked over the rock, just in time to see the girl finish loading another grenade and fire.

*Layla*

Layla knew that she had no chance of hitting the sniper with any of her firearms from that range. Her pistol and shotgun were useless from far away, and by the time she'd aimed her hunting rifle he would've perforated her. The grenade launcher proved a good way to keep him off balance however, allowing her to close in.

She saw his head poke up from behind a rock of medium height, just as she fired another grenade in that direction. The sniper ran out from behind the rock, and ran along the edge of the cliff. As he ran, he put his rifle on a holster attached to his back, before reaching into a small satchel on his waist. To Layla's surprise he pulled out a 10mm sub machine gun.

Layla started running back to the rock she'd used as cover just as he fired. The sniper anticipated this however, and fired at the area surrounding the rock, leaving Layla exposed. Layla dived to the ground, going prone as she did so, before dropping her grenade launcher and whipping out That Gun. She fired That Gun in the sniper's direction, but he managed to run out of the path of her shot.

He fired at where she lay on the ground, and she rolled to the side to avoid being filled with holes. The sniper slid behind another large rock to avoid Layla's last shot, and she took advantage of the opportunity by getting to her feet, grabbing her grenade rifle, and running towards a nearby tent. The sniper must've loaded another bullet into his rifle inhumanely quickly, because Layla heard a gunshot, followed by the whizzing of a bullet as it followed her towards the tent. Layla tried to swerve to avoid it, but the bullet still hit its mark.

Layla was knocked flying forwards as the bullet hit her in the back. She landed face first in the dirt next to the tent she'd been running towards, and quickly crawled behind it. Her recon armour had taken most of the impact, but Layla had a feeling that the shot had blown yet another hole through her leather jacket. Not only that, the impact of the bullet had done more damage than the bullet itself, as Layla felt a sharp pain coming from her spine. She swore under her breath, then dropped That Gun and her grenade launcher before reaching inside her bag. After a few seconds she pulled out a dose of Med X. She pulled up one of the sleeves of her recon armour, before injecting herself with the Med X. Immediately the pain turned into a dull ache, an ache that Layla ignored as she went prone behind the tent. These tents were built to be tough, but not even the toughest fabric could stop a bullet.

Layla was taken aback by just how skilled her opponent was. He'd put just about everyone she'd fought up till now to shame. Hell, he even made Choke look like a rookie by comparison. Layla had no idea who she was dealing with, but knew that if she didn't end this battle soon, then her foe would get a headshot. It wasn't a question of if, but when. She was beginning to get tired. It seemed that all the diving and dodging she'd been doing up till now had worn her out, plus she hadn't had a chance to rest since she'd actually arrived at Bitter Springs, and the long walk had worn her out.

She ignored all this however, and peeked out from behind the tent, knowing that if she took her eyes off the sniper for too long then he'd hide again, and she knew that he'd kill her before she found him. As she peeked out, she saw the sniper doing the same thing. He was looking out from behind a rock that he was no doubt lying prone behind, and they both locked eyes on each other. He immediately moved back behind the rock, no doubt loading another bullet. That reminded Layla to reload her grenade launcher, and she put That Gun back in its holster before reaching into her bag and taking out another 40mm grenade. Wasting no time, she quickly cracked the rifle open and loaded another grenade. The second she did, yet another gunshot filled the air.

Running purely on instinct and still lying prone, Layla rolled to the side. Seconds later a bullet blasted through the tent and into the ground where she'd been lying seconds ago. The position of the bullet told Layla that it would've been a headshot. _Impressive. It'll be a shame to kill someone who can actually give me a challenge._ Layla thought confidently as she ran out from behind the tent.

*Boone*

_How did she manage to dodge that?_ Boone wondered, his usual calmness shattered by the girl's seemingly unexplainable ability to cheat death. Just before leaning back behind his rock to load another shot, Boone had seen her run out from behind the tent that she was using as cover, an expression of pure rage covering her face. She was giving him a run for his money; that much was true.

Knowing for a fact that she would fire her grenade rifle the first chance she got, Boone took out the 10mm SMG from the satchel on his waist once more. He wasn't as comfortable with the SMG as his rifle, but it was great for knocking an opponent off balance. He got to his feet and instantly opened fire on the girl.

A look of surprise appeared on her face but it was gone in an instant. She slid along the desert ground to avoid the barrage of bullets, before firing her grenade rifle in his direction while still on the ground. An infamous click told Boone that the SMG's clip was empty, just as a grenade came his way. Seeing no alternative, Boone leapt off the cliff in front of him. The grenade landed where he'd been standing seconds ago and exploded, as Boone fell towards the desert ground below.

*Layla*

_He's out of his goddamn mind._ She thought in stunned bewilderment as the sniper leapt off the cliff, seconds before the grenade fired from her rifle exploded. No emotions appeared on the man's face. There wasn't even a look of fear as he plummeted down to the desert ground below. He landed in a roll, and quickly got to his feet before throwing away his empty SMG and drawing a machete from a holster on his waist. In response, Layla put her grenade rifle back in her bag before drawing her sword.

"Fighting me in close quarters isn't wise." She taunted as she circled the man, blade at the ready. He just stood there, machete raised in a fighting pose. He didn't respond to Layla's taunt, and didn't show any reaction to it. "You're quite skilled for an NCR lackey." Layla continued. "Who are you?"

"My name is Craig Boone." Boone replied in an emotionless voice. "And mine will be the last voice you ever hear.

"I'm shaking." Layla responded sarcastically. "I'm Layla, or The Red Blade Witch as some of your idiotic comrades have labelled me. It's been fun Mr Boone, but it's time to say your goodbyes." Layla's grip tightened on her blade, and she rushed Boone in a mad fury. He seemed to have anticipated this however, and sidestepped her strike.

Her blow missed him completely, and he responded by roundhouse kicking her in the face. Layla didn't see the blow coming, and it knocked her flying backwards. She landed painfully on the desert floor, blood pouring from her mouth. She spat blood on the ground before rising to her feet, sword raised in front of her. Boone was still stood in the same place, not having moved an inch since his last attack.

"I have to ask...how did you copy my mother's handwriting for that letter you sent me?" She asked Boone, trying to distract him so she could get ready for another attack. "Did you plan this whole trap?"

"I did." He responded, still not showing any emotion, or any sign of distraction. "As for how I copied her handwriting, all Great Khans write horribly. I found some letters she'd sent in the NCR's records, turned in after the massacre 3 years ago. It wasn't that hard to copy." Layla rushed Boone again, this time swinging her blade in a horizontal arc. He ducked under the blow and attempted to sweep kick her. She leaped back to dodge the kick however, before dashing back over to him and unleashing a barrage of slashes. Boone weaved side to side to dodge every slash, before finally using his machete.

He struck like a viper, quickly and accurately. The blow went right for her throat, and Layla just barely managed to block the attack with her sword. While she was doing so, Boone kicked her in the stomach. The sudden attack knocked her onto her back, sparking a jolt of pain from where he'd shot her in the back earlier. She got to her feet slower this time, wary for any sudden attack. Boone didn't strike however. Instead he spoke.

"I take no pleasure from this." He said, still without emotion. "Just like I took no pleasure from what happened three years ago."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Layla all but growled. Boone's expression didn't change, and he responded calmly.

"I was with the group that attacked Bitter Springs. I was a sniper in 1st recon. There was a miscommunication in our orders and we attacked what we thought were fleeing combatants, but were actually innocents."

"Stop trying to sound innocent you scum!" Layla screamed vehemently before rushing Boone once more. She lunged at him, attempting to skewer him with her blade. He darted to the side to dodge the attack however, before striking at her exposed left flank with his machete. Layla had no chance to dodge, and he slashed the side of her torso. His machete pierced her battered recon armour, cutting open her side and spraying blood. If not for the Med X in her system, Layla would've screamed in pain. _That's going to hurt like a bitch later._ She thought as she parried another strike from Boone and backed away.

_How can he be just as tough up close as he is far away? _Layla thought angrily as her hand instinctively went to her injured side, even though she could feel no pain. Boone was showing no signs of exertion, but Layla was beginning to sweat. He had clearly been doing this a lot longer than she had, and she was beginning to doubt her chances of success.

"I did kill a combatant that day." Boone said suddenly, almost to himself. "Carl I think his name was. Killed him with a clean headshot." Layla's mouth hung open like a trap door, and her eyes widened in shock. Then her eyes glared at Boone, and her open mouth curled into a snarl.

*Boone*

Boone had never seen anyone look angrier in his entire life. She looked like she was about ready to explode. That was good though, in fact it was just what he wanted. In boot camp he'd been taught the basics of close quarters fighting, an art he'd improved in over the years. Back when he was first learning, Boone was constantly being beaten in combat training by the larger and bulkier recruits. They were most likely taking buffout. Boone's instructor had taught him an important lesson. If you're opponent's bigger than you, or stronger than you, then don't attack the brute's body. Attack their mind.

Psychological warfare had saved Boone's neck in combat against bigger or stronger opponents countless times. The girl wasn't bigger than him, and he didn't know if she was stronger, but he wasn't taking any chances. Getting the girl angry would distract her, make her careless. All it would take then is a few more strikes, and the NCR's greatest threat would be gone. Rain suddenly began to pour as the girl tightened her grip on her sword, visibly shaking the anger. There hadn't been a cloud in the sky before, but now rain thundered down, turning the dirt beneath their feet into mud. Boone braced himself as Layla rushed him, remembering all the combat techniques he'd been taught.

*Layla*

No thoughts filled Layla's head as she charged. No doubts, no strategies, no what ifs. Just rage. Rage was the only thing that filled her mind right now, and it drove her onward as she rushed Boone, screaming in anger as she did so. She was determined to make that bastard pay, one way or the other. The minute she reached him, Layla let loose a barrage of powerful, but admittedly clumsy strikes. Boone sidestepped each attack with ease, before delivering a powerful punch to Layla's face. Layla blocked the attack with the handle of her sword however, before slashing downwards. Boone rolled to the side to dodge the attack, just as Layla rushed him and delivered a roundhouse kick. Boone ducked under the kick, before unleashing a powerful uppercut. Layla was still midway through her kick, and unable to dodge the blow. Her sword went flying as the blow knocked her to the ground, making her land face first in the mud.

Boone stabbed downwards with his machete but Layla rolled to the side to dodge, getting covered in more mud as she did so. She sweep kicked Boon while she was down. The attack took Boone by surprise, knocking him to the ground too. Mud splashed around him as she landed on his back. The back of his shirt couldn't get much dirtier anyway, since it was already coated with blood. They both got to their feet at the same time, and Layla quickly drew her combat knife from her jacket pocket before rushing Boone with fury burning in her eyes.

She stabbed Boone numerous times with greet speed, but he parried every blow with ease before letting loose a quick jab aimed at her throat. Layla recoiled from the sudden attack, struggling to breathe. Boone took advantage and charged at Layla while she was stunned. Before she could react, he elbowed her in the face, before kneeing her in the stomach. The two quick blows knocked the wind out of Layla and sent her to her knees, kneeling in the mud. She dropped her knife, and with the last of her strength pulled That Gun from her thigh holster. Boone put a stop to that with a powerful roundhouse kick to the still kneeling Layla's face. That did it. Layla was knocked onto her back, and That Gun flew several feet away before landing next to her sword in the mud. Layla knew she had no chance of staying conscious after a blow like that, and darkness soon descended.

*Boone*

Boone stood over Layla's motionless form. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was quiet and strained. She was definitely injured, and there was no way she'd be able to stop him. Boone readied his machete, and prepared to stab downwards. The stab never came however. _What the hell's wrong with me? _He thought to himself, feeling anger for the first time since his wife had been taken by the Legion. _I've killed countless times without hesitation, so why can't I kill her?_ Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. The girl, Layla, looked just like Carla. A little younger than Carla maybe, but the likeness was uncanny. Boone hated to admit it but it was true. The NCR's public enemy number one looked just like his wife. The wife he'd been forced to kill.

Boone relaxed the grip on his machete, and lowered his arm. He just didn't have it in him to kill his wife twice, and he knew it. _She's not your wife!_ His mind yelled at him, but Boone didn't listen. He put his machete back in its holster, just as a voice filled his ears. It was coming from the emergency radio in his satchel. He immediately took the radio out, and heard Oliver's voice shouting at him.

"Boone, report!" Oliver yelled through the radio. "Is the girl dead? I repeat, report! Has Layla been killed? Answer me dammit!" Boone hesitated for a second, then spoke into the radio.

"This is Boone." He said in his normal emotionless voice. "I had the girl in my sights, but she got away."

"What?" Oliver sounded extremely angry, but it didn't bother Boone in the slightest. "Fuck! Fine, get your ass back here Boone. NOW!" Boone didn't need to be told twice. He put his radio back into his satchel, and turned to walk away. Before he left however, he took one last look at the girl. _I hope you appreciate this Carla. _He thought to himself bitterly.

*Later.*

Layla awoke to a massive amount of pain. It came from all over her body, and made her feel like she'd just been trampled by a Big Horner. With a great amount of effort, she opened her eyes and sat up. The rain had stopped, and it was now dark. Layla's recon armour was stained with mud, and she was still wet from the rain. Her hair was plastered to her skull, and she could feel water that had seeped through her armour. All this was the last thing on her mind however. _Where's Boone? _She mentally inquired. _And how the hell am I still alive? _Before she could ponder this further, Layla realised there was a note tied to her leg. She ripped the note off, and was surprised to see that it was the note that Boone had sent her earlier, pretending to be her mother. On the back of said note was a new message, written in block capitals in much neater handwriting than Boone had used when imitating Elisa. The note was only four words:

"NEXT TIME, NO MERCY."

**_Yes yes, it was Boone. Congratulations to all of you who guessed, though I suppose I did make it obivious._**

**_So yeah, it was a climactic battle, but Boone emerged victorious. Though he spared Layla's life this time, they will meet again._**

**_Also, I will finally resolve the kiss subplot that's been brewing for a few episodes in the next chapter. You're welcome. As usual, please review._**


	24. Feelings

_**I deeply and humbly apologise for just how long this freaking story took to write. I've been trying to write the bastard since Monday, but only just finished it (8:51pm, Friday 27th May). Why did it take so long? Well I can think of quite a few excuses, most involving me not getting enough time to use the computer lately. When it comes right down to it however, I think the main reason is that I'm shit at writing romance. Seriously. I don't mean sex, I mean feelings. Hence that's what I named the chapter, because conveniently enough, Layla's just as good with feelings as I am. Enjoy.**_

Feelings

Veronica was angry at herself. She lay on her stomach on the master bed in the Lucky 38 Suite, thinking over the events of three nights ago. Specifically, she'd been thinking over the kiss. _Goddammit I'm an idiot._ She thought angrily, throwing one of the bed's pillows against the wall as she did so. Everything had been going so well, and she'd ruined it in one fell swoop.

Layla had left the day before yesterday to return to Bitter Springs, and now it was 10pm two days later. Veronica wasn't worried about Layla returning; the journey was a long one but she was pretty much a force of nature when she got angry. Veronica was more worried about what Layla would say when she got back. It was likely Layla was thinking about the kiss too. The mystery of what she'd say about said kiss when she got back had Veronica's stomach tying itself in knots.

Veronica had been attracted to Layla as soon as she first saw her. Back then though the attraction was only physical. As she'd spent time with Layla, Veronica had grown to truly care for her. Layla was the best friend she'd ever had, but Veronica wanted more. She'd bonded with Layla both mentally and emotionally in the time since they'd met, and her feelings had only grown stronger. As much as it surprised her, Veronica was certain that she was in love. _Wouldn't be the first time. _She thought bitterly, remembering her past love experiences with displeasure.

Yes, Veronica had fallen in love. _With a psychopathic killing machine._ Veronica slammed her face down on the only pillow remaining on the bed. As much as Veronica was annoyed by it, the heart always wanted what it could never have. Either that, or the heart wanted what wasn't good for it. In this case, it was both. Layla's anger, her murderous nature and her single minded obsession with obliterating the NCR would scare off most. But to Veronica's surprise, she didn't care about those things.

She'd seen Layla's vulnerable side, something that nobody else had ever seen and lived to talk about it. She saw that Layla wasn't a mad killing machine, she was just a young girl who wanted justice for the deaths of her parents. No, she wanted justice for the annihilation of her life. Bitter Springs and the people that inhabited it had been everything that Layla had ever known, then the NCR had just wiped the place out. Veronica knew for a fact that Layla's hatred wasn't irrational.

She herself disliked the NCR, enough to help Layla wipe them out. She didn't share her friend's single minded hatred of them though. _The cause will always be more important to her than me. _Veronica realised sadly. Even if Layla walked through those doors right now and revealed that she shared Veronica's feelings, even if they made mad passionate love all night (Which Veronica deeply hoped would happen), Layla's quest to wipe out the NCR dominated her entire life. It was no coincidence that she didn't have much of a love life.

That explained why she'd been so enamoured with Cooke, even though she hadn't even known him that long. Cooke shared her feelings, he shared her hatred for the NCR, and he was the only man in the world who Layla could successfully mix business and pleasure with.

She was a complicated person, of that there was no doubt. Despite all the skeletons in her closet however, Veronica valued their friendship more than anything in the world. After the kiss however, she was worried there wouldn't be a friendship anymore. _I don't even know if she likes girls! _Veronica mentally slapped herself as she pushed her face further into the pillow.

Before Veronica could mentally beat herself up anymore, the familiar ping of the elevator doors opening sounded throughout the suite. She leaped off the bed with inhuman speed and dashed towards the elevator doors, getting there even before Rex. What she saw made her heart pang with concern.

Layla stood in the elevator, but she was extremely wounded. She leant against the back wall of the elevator, barely able to stand. Her recon armour and jacket were stained with mud, and the way Layla held her chest made it seem like she might've broken a few ribs. There was a bloody scar on her right cheek, and the cheek itself was stained red with blood. _That'll need stitches. _Veronica thought randomly. There was a tear in the left side of the recon armour, and blood poured from it. The armour was stained red around that area, though this could barely be seen because of the mud. Layla's left eye was black and swollen, and her nose seemed to be broken. The area around her nose was stained red, as was the area around her mouth.

Looking at the injured Layla, barely even able to stand, Veronica felt as if she herself had been injured. Tears ran down her cheeks, and Layla chose that moment to stumble, no longer able to stand. Veronica dashed forwards and caught her friend before she could hit the floor.

"I've got you." Veronica said, concern filling her voice. Supporting Layla, she managed to get her friend to the dining room. Layla sat down in one of the dining room chairs, grunting in pain as she did so, and Veronica quickly ran over to the fridge. She got a cold bottle of whiskey out of the fridge, and ripped the lid off before handing the bottle to Layla.

"You know what I like." Layla said weakly as she took the bottle, a small smile appearing on her face. She chugged down the whiskey, and continued to drink for about ten seconds. Then she slammed the bottle down on the table and sighed happily. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff." Rex had followed them into the dining room, and he rubbed up against Layla's leg. She scratched him behind the ear in response, and tried to relax. Veronica noticed she didn't lean back though.

"Did you hurt your back?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah. The bastard that did this to me shot me in the back. The armour stopped the bullet from getting through, but I think the impact may have injured my spine."

"Why didn't you go to the medical clinic on the way here?"

"It's pitch black out there Veronica, and the medical clinic is near Fiend territory. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm hardly in any condition to fight." Layla suddenly erupted into a coughing fit, which ended with her spitting blood onto the table.

"First thing in the morning, we're going to the clinic." Veronica ordered. Layla weakly nodded her agreement.

"And what about tonight?"

"Well, tonight you can sit here and relax while I go pour you a bath." Layla looked like she'd just been slapped.

"Say what?"

"You're filthy and you're tired. Nothing relaxes like a soothing bath." Before Layla could object, Veronica left the room. Layla chugged down more whiskey, while the hand that was scratching Rex's ear went down to stroke his belly. Rex immediately rolled onto his back, clearly enjoying the attention. Veronica came back into the room a few seconds later, and Layla could just barely hear water running in the bathroom. While they waited for the water to run, Veronica sat at the table across from Layla, while Layla told her about her encounter with Boone.

"Wait...so he didn't kill you?" She asked once Layla had finished her story.

"Apparently not."

"But why not?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I just woke up after being roundhouse kicked in the face, and he was gone. From that note he left though, I'm guessing he'll be out for blood next time we meet."

"But who the hell was he?"

"He said he was with 1st recon in Bitter Springs, and he had a 1st recon beret too, but he wasn't wearing an NCR uniform. Plus he was more skilled than any of those wannabe soldiers could ever hope to be."

"I can see that." Veronica looked over Layla's wounds as she spoke. "I don't think I've ever seen you be knocked out in a fight"

"I've never fought anyone like him Veronica." There seemed to be a hint of respect in Layla's voice. "He even put Choke's skills to shame. Which makes it even weirder that he didn't finish the job." There was a long silence after that, in which the pouring of the taps in the bathroom and Rex's murmurings were the only sound.

"I'm just glad to have you back." Veronica said eventually. Layla smiled happily. "I've got to be honest; after what I did the other night, I didn't think you'd be coming back."

"You mean the kiss." Layla's voice had no emotion, and her expression was unreadable, making Veronica even more nervous. "Veronica, I wouldn't leave you because of that. It's not your fault that I'm gorgeous." Veronica burst out laughing at that, and Layla quickly joined in. Rex just looked at them both, confused, before trotting over to the corner of the room and beginning to lick his crotch. "Veronica, I..." Veronica put up a hand to stop Layla mid sentence.

"Please...can we wait until you've had your bath?" There was great apprehension in Veronica's voice, and Layla felt a pang at her heart strings as she realised just how nervous Veronica was about this conversation.

"I don't see why not." She grinned.

*Later*

Layla had to hand it to Veronica; the girl knew how to relax. The only light in the room came from a few dozen candles, adding an extra touch of serenity to the scene. She could almost feel all her troubles wash away as she lay in the warm bath, feeling the invigorating water cleanse her body. Her mind would be a bit more difficult to cleanse however. Layla still had no idea what she was going to say to Veronica. _Dammit, I hate feelings!_ Layla thought angrily as she lay back against the head of the bath, allowing her hair to run into the water as she did so.

It was all so confusing. She hated being put on the spot like this. She had to tell Veronica how she felt, there was no getting around it, but she didn't even know herself. She'd been so overcome with hatred for the NCR that she'd forgotten what love even felt like. She'd felt something with Cooke, but that seemed so long ago now, like it was in another lifetime.

Whatever she'd felt with Cooke, she knew it was different with Veronica. She didn't know what it was, but it was definitely different. Veronica was more than just a friend, that much was certain. What was uncertain was just how much more than a friend she was. Veronica was the light of Layla's dark life, and she couldn't imagine not having her around.

Was that love though? Layla had no idea. Veronica was attractive, of that Layla was sure. She hadn't been sure when she'd left for Bitter Springs, and she hadn't been sure on the journey. Seeing Veronica tonight however, she'd been more sure than ever before. Veronica was beautiful. Her body was hidden beneath her hooded robes most of the time, but Layla knew that it was stunning. And yet...she still didn't know what she felt for Veronica.

_Fuck!_ Layla mentally yelled, becoming increasingly annoyed about the whole thing. She also felt guilty too. Veronica was just as nervous as she was about the coming conversation, if not more so. The apprehension in her eyes had saddened Layla. Veronica wanted to know what Layla felt, but Layla was uncertain that she'd be able to tell her. Giving Veronica closure was as good a reason as any to figure out her feelings. Whether it was what Veronica wanted to hear wasn't important, she just needed to get it out so that their relationship could either evolve or return to normal, and they could get rid of this damn pressure.

Layla spent another ten minutes in the bath, relaxing her body and trying to determine her feelings for Veronica. Eventually she decided she'd left it long enough, and got out of the bath. She wrapped herself up in a towel Veronica had left, and wrapped her soaking hair up too. When she walked into the master bedroom, Veronica was waiting on the bed.

"Hi." She said nervously, a small smile on her lips.

"Hey." Layla responded, equally as nervously, but mostly due to the fact that she wasn't wearing any clothes. "I...I'm sort of...naked. So...can I get dressed first?"

"I don't want to wait anymore." Veronica replied seriously. "We need to discuss this." Layla sighed, then sat down on the bed next to Veronica. "Layla...I...I know this sounds stupid, but I think I'm in love with you." Layla recoiled slightly, not in horror, but in surprise.

"I...I had no idea." Layla replied, trying desperately to think of a decent response. Her mind turned up a blank. Veronica briefly bit her lip, then continued.

"I don't know when it happened. I mean sure, I thought you were gorgeous when we first met...and I couldn't stop staring at your ass." They both burst into a brief torrent of laughter, then Veronica continued. "But...as we've grown to know each other, we've grown more attached. Now...I can't imagine not being with you. Somewhere along the line, I've fallen head over heels. I suppose that sounds idiotic." Layla cupped Veronica's chin in her hands.

"Not at all." Layla responded.

"What I did the other night was idiotic. Hell, I don't even know if you like girls!" Veronica slapped herself on the forehead. "You're probably just into men. Right?"

"Well...not exactly."

"Oh come on! I've never seen you so much as look at another woman before."

"I'm looking at you."

"You know what I mean."

"Veronica, I've been with a lot of girls over the years."

"Yeah right."

"In fact, the first time I ever had sex...was with a girl." Veronica's eyes snapped over to Layla, widening at the same time. The look in Layla's eyes spoke volumes. She was telling the truth, there was no denying it.

"Wait. So...you go...both ways?" Layla laughed nervously.

"For lack of a better term, yeah." Veronica smiled broadly.

"Damn, that was lucky!" She laughed apprehensively. "I was taking a complete shot in the dark there. I didn't know you liked girls too!" Veronica continued to laugh for a few more seconds, then went quiet. "So...does that mean I have a chance? Or are you going to shoot me down?" There was a long, uncomfortable silence, during which Layla tried to find the words to express what she was feeling. Eventually, she sighed, then spoke.

"I'm afraid it's a bit of both." Veronica looked at her, a confused look on her face.

"I've got to be honest Layla, I have no idea what you're talking about." Layla took a deep breath, desperately wishing there was a bottle of whiskey nearby as she did so, then continued.

"Veronica...you're the best friend I've ever had. What you said before, about how we've bonded...I feel exactly the same way. I don't think I could carry on without you. You're the only good thing in my life that the NCR hasn't taken away from me. But..."

"But?"

"I don't know if I love you." Veronica's face fell, and she looked down at the floor, completely crestfallen.

"Oh." She said sadly, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. "I underst..." Before Veronica could finish her sentence, Layla kissed her on the lips. It was brief, but passionate, and when the kiss finished Veronica's mouth shot open, and she stared at Layla, completely gobsmacked.

"Veronica, I care for you, I really do. At the moment, you're the most important person to me in the world. However, with all this shit that's going on at the moment, the battle against the NCR, the alliance with Caesar and everything else, I can't assess my true feelings for you. Even if I decided I was in love with you and we had mad passionate sex...which I'm sure you'd love..." Veronica blushed slightly. "...I wouldn't be able to give you the attention you deserve."

"What are you saying?" Veronica asked, confused once again.

"I'm saying we should stay friends for now, then try and figure out our feelings once every NCR soldier and official in the Mojave is dead." She looked deeply into Veronica's eyes. "Is that okay?" Veronica smiled.

"Yeah, it's okay." They hugged each other warmly. "But if we're trapped with shitloads of NCR soldiers coming and it looks like we're going to die...we get to have that mad passionate sex you were talking about before we die. Deal?" Layla burst into laughter, still hugging Veronica as she did so.

"Deal." Layla smiled as they separated. _I think I handled that quite well. _She thought to herself, well satisfied.

_**I'm sorry if it was shit. It probably was shit wasn't it? I'm a noob when it comes to writing romance. This is seriously the first story I've ever done with proper romance in it. Every time I sat down to write the chapter this week, my mind drew a blank. Romance and feelings are way out of my comfort zone. Blood, violence, anger and foreshadowing are in my comfort zone, and you may've noticed that this is the first chapter so far not to feature or mention any of them. For any of you that hated this chapter don't worry. I intend to return to my comfort zone next chapter. Count on it. :)**_

_**By the way, since this is the first proper romance story I've ever done, I'd appreciate more reviews than usual, just so I can improve my technique for my next romance chapter. Thanks in advcance.**_

_**Oh, and the romance between Layla and Veronica isn't dead in the water. Not by a along shot. ;)**_


	25. White Gloves

_**This chapter returns to my comfort zone, namely blood and combat, of which there is plenty in this chapter. I hope you're ready dear reader, because in this chapter some White Gloves are going to be stained red.**_

White Gloves

Caesar looked up and sat back on his throne as Layla entered the tent. He hadn't seen her for about a week, and had been quite annoyed that she hadn't given him a report on the Boomer situation. He guessed it had something to do with that fact that Layla didn't exactly look her best at the moment. She had a scar underneath her right eye that had been sown up, and her left eye looked like it had recently been swollen. Her nose looked like it had suffered recently, and she held her back regularly like there was something wrong with her spine. If Caesar had been able to see through the chest piece of the combat armour she wore, he would have seen that there were several bandages wrapped around her stomach.

"And where the hell have you been?" Caesar asked angrily as she approached the throne.

"Recuperating Caesar. I ran afoul of an NCR ambush and..."

"I don't give a shit." Caesar cut her off mid sentence. "It's been almost a week. Do you have a report for me about the Boomers?" And angry look appeared on Layla's face but it quickly disappeared before Caesar could notice it.

"The Boomers are loyal Caesar. They'll aid us in the coming battle, plus I managed to get a firing mechanism for the howitzer that the Legion recently required." Caesar stroked his chin, seemingly showing approval.

"Good." He said after a brief pause. "Their explosives will come in handy in the battle to come. I have another task for you."

"Your wish is my command." Layla replied, her voice showing enthusiasm that she didn't feel.

"Good." Caesar was clearly pleased by her fake loyalty. "I wish for you to forge an alliance between the Legion and the White Glove Society."

"The family that owns the Ultra Luxe?" Layla inquired.

"Unless you know of any other groups that name themselves after gloves, yes. Go to their casino, and convince their leader to join the Legion. They used to be cannibals, so you could use that as leverage to..." Caesar suddenly screamed in pain, and his hands shot to his head. Layla's eyes widened in surprise. After a few seconds, the pain seemed to subside and Caesar sat back down again. "Son of a bitch!" He screamed in anger.

"Is this the first time you've had such sudden headaches?" Layla asked, drawing from her brief amount of medical experience.

"Never...this...bad before." Caesar replied, clearly finding it difficult to even form words. "Fuck this, I'm going to bed! Come back when you've got those idiotic snobs to join the Legion!" With that, Caesar got to his feet and walked back into his tent.

"What was that about?" Layla asked Vulpes, who was standing next to the throne.

"That is none of your concern." Vulpes answered in his characteristically quiet voice. "Go and do as Caesar has asked." Layla didn't need to be told twice, and quickly left the tent.

*Later*

The next day she arrived back in New Vegas, and after changing into something more formal in the Lucky 38 suite, she immediately went to the Ultra Luxe. She surrendered her weapons at the door, to the same greeter who she'd threatened last time she was here. He looked just as scared as he was back then.

"Who's in charge around here?" Layla asked the greeter as she handed him her sword. She was wearing a long, gray dress that she'd bought for quite a lot of money from a random trader. The dress ran below Layla's knees, and wasn't the kind of thing she usually wore. It was posh though, which meant it would fit right in, in the Ultra Luxe.

"Our leader is Marjorie, but Mortimer is also a central member in our organization." He replied courteously as he struggled to hold the weight of the sword.

"And where can I find Marjorie?"

"She's usually outside the Gourmand."

"Thank you." Layla tipped the greeter ten caps, then made her way to the Gourmand. When she arrived, she saw the middle aged woman that she'd run into last time she was here, and realised that she was Marjorie.

"Ah Courier, such a pleasure to see you again!" Marjorie said as Layla approached. "How can I help you my dear?"

"I'm here to speak to you on behalf of Caesar." Layla said seriously. Marjorie's friendly expression suddenly disappeared, replaced by a look of disgust. "Quiet!" She whispered. "Do you want the whole strip to hear?" She looked right into Layla's eyes as she said the next part. "What does Caesar want with me?"

"He'd like to extend to you and your organization an offer to join the Legion."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Marjorie did not look amused. "The Society will have nothing to do with the Legion. They are a tribe of degenerate savages, and do not even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as our Society. I will not be associated with those savages in any way shape or form. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly." Layla replied, before walking away. _Well there's no convincing that stuck up bitch._ Layla thought to herself. She went to speak to Mortimer next, but although he seemed much more open to the idea, he regretted he could not accept the offer if Marjorie said no. Layla returned to the Top Shelf, the Ultra Luxe's overly expensive bar, and ordered a bottle of whiskey.

_Godammit. _Layla thought angrily as she sat at the bar, drinking her whiskey. Her arms lay spread on the bar, and her bottle of whiskey was quickly emptied of half its contents. _Caesar will be pissed if I can't get these uptight jackasses to join the Legion. I have to get them to join. But how?_ Before Layla could contemplate this further, she realised that an elderly gentleman sat next to her was trying to get her attention.

"Can I help you?" She asked irritably.

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am, but you haven't seen my son Ted have you? He's in his early 20s, has dark brown hair and wears a white hat."

"Haven't seen him." Layla replied apathetically, before taking another swig of her whiskey.

"Shit!" The man said, clearly pissed. "I keep track of god knows how many cattle herds all over the country, but I can't even keep track of my own son when we come to a fucking casino!" He slammed his glass down on the bar, accidentally shattering it, and quickly ordered the bartender to fetch him another one.

"Wait, you're a rancher?" Layla asked, looking at the man for the first time. She noticed that the man was wearing a rather expensive suit, and that he had two bodyguards accompanying him, both of which were wielding caravan shotguns.

"Sure am. The name's Heck Gunderson. I'm one of the most successful ranchers east of California."

"Why are your goons allowed weapons?"

"I have a special arrangement with the owners of the casino. I don't usually do business with people who wear masks, but their leaders don't, so I deal with them. They realise that I'm a wealthy and valuable customer, and that some people feel jealous of the rich, making them do something stupid. So, my guys are allowed to carry guns to keep the poor and stupid at a distance."

"Maybe you should've had them guarding your son."

"Maybe I should've." He sighed regretfully. "I left him here for less than a minute to talk to that Marjorie woman. When I came back though, he was gone."

"And how much would you be willing to pay to get him back?"

"A lot stranger." Heck replied, getting her meaning. "A hell of a lot."

"How about I find him for you?"

"That'd mean a lot to me stranger. Hell, I'd hire anyone with legs and at least one good eye at this point. Find my boy and bring him back to me, or if you can't, tell me who killed him. I'll make it worth your while." That was all the motivation Layla needed. She had another reason for taking the job however. _Maybe if I can find the kidnappers, the White Gloves will see that joining Caesar's Legion can be beneficial. If not, hell maybe I can find some way to blackmail them._ With that thought, Layla went back to talk to Marjorie.

"Back again I see." Marjorie said cheerfully as Layla arrived. "I trust you've put all that Legion business behind you?"

"Of course. " Layla replied, feigning politeness. "I'm actually here on different business."

"And that would be?"

"I'm looking for a missing person." A look of annoyance flashed across Marjorie's face, but it was gone in an instant.

"I thought I was through with this." She said in an annoyed tone. "I already answered the investigator's questions, told him everything I know about the girl's disappearance, and I gave him a free room until he's satisfied. I don't see what more I..."

"Wait what?" Layla interrupted, quite confused. "Girl? I'm looking for a male."

"Oh, a girl disappeared here last week. She was a bride to be, here with her fiancé. I think it's painfully obvious she got cold feet and ran away. Such a shame, but the boy hired a private investigator anyway."

"That's not who I'm looking for. I told you, I'm searching for a boy."

"Wait...another disappearance?" A look of horror appeared on Marjorie's face. "Good heavens! I'll be having a stern word to the other members of the Society about security as soon as possible. Until then, maybe you should have a word with the investigator, see if you can work together to find these missing persons? Mortimer should tell you what room the investigator's staying in." Layla took Marjorie's advice, and went to talk to Mortimer.

"What is it now?" He asked snidely as she approached the hotel registration desk, turning his nose up so high that it almost hit the ceiling.

"Marjorie said that you'd tell me what room the investigator's staying in." Layla replied, ignoring Mortimer completely as she did so.

"And what investigator might that be?"

"How many investigators are staying here?"

"You'd be surprised." A snide grin appeared on Mortimer's face, and he all but sneered at her.

"Cut the crap Mortimer." Layla said, in no mood for this snobbish prick's bullshit. "I'm looking for the investigator that's investigating the disappearance of that bride to be."

"Oh I see." Mortimer replied, faking sincerity with an almost natural skill. "Such a shame that was. But why should I tell you which room he's in?"

"A) Doing so would save you a couple of teeth." Mortimer didn't back down in the slightest, but his snide grin did widen considerably. "B), I'm on an investigation too, and I think we can help each other."

"Well why didn't you say so? Go right on up. His room is the first on the right on the second floor." Mortimer's continued fake sincerity made Layla want to punch him just for the hell of it, but she had bigger things to worry about. She took the room key that Mortimer handed her and made her way to the stairs that would lead up to the floor that the investigator was staying on. As she passed through the double doors and began to trudge up the stairs, she didn't see two White Gloves follow her, dress canes held tightly.

*Later*

Layla was once again awestruck by just how immaculately clean the Ultra Luxe was. There wasn't even a single speck of dust on the wall as she made her way up the stairs. At last she came to the second floor, and found herself in a large corridor. Remembering that the investigator's room was the first on the right, she quickly found it, and knocked on the door. There was no answer. Using the key Mortimer had given her, Layla unlocked the door. Wasting no time, she quickly opened it and walked in.

The room was, unsurprisingly, luxurious. It wasn't that large, but made up for it by having a large amount of furniture and an ensuite bathroom. To the right of the door was a mahogany coffee table, along with a leather sofa. On the wall behind the sofa was a beautiful painting, and next to the door was a chair along with a small writing desk. To the left of the door was a towering wardrobe that all but dominated the room. A large green rug covered the middle of the room, and directly opposite the room was a king sized four poster bed. It was on this bed that the investigator's body lay.

Layla approached the corpse and immediately noticed that it was at least a few days old. This wasn't a recent death. It wasn't accidental either, as the corpse had several blunt injuries to the head, making it obvious that the investigator had been beaten to death. Also, it was obvious there had been a struggle. The painting behind the sofa was tilted at an angle, and a nearby lamp had been knocked over.

The investigator himself was wearing a trenchcoat and a fedora, and had no distinguishing features. His fedora lay on the floor next to him, and his head was covered with blood. Layla thought she could see his brain sticking out of the head wound, and the investigator had a look of pain on his face. His hand was gripping something tightly, and Layla quickly pried it loose from his grasp. It was a matchbook. Not only that, there was a note written on the side of it. 'Steam room. 4pm.' The note read.

Before Layla could think on this, she heard footsteps behind her. She quickly spun around, and saw that two White Gloves stood on the doorway. Both were male, but it was impossible to determine any facial features due to their masks. One was completely bald, while the other had short blonde hair. The blonde Glove shut the door, while the other moved menacingly towards Layla, dress cane at the ready. _It's times like this that I wish I didn't have to turn in my fucking sword at the door. _Layla thought angrily as she backed away.

The bald glove rushed her with his cane, while Layla reached into one of the pockets of her dress. She pulled out her combat knife (Which she'd managed to smuggle past the greeter), and used it to block the Glove's blow. The blonde Glove dashed towards her, as his comrade continued to try and smash her head in with his cane. He threw a barrage of clumsy blows with his cane, and Layla swerved to the side to dodge each of them. She ducked under the bald glove's last blow, before elbowing him in the stomach. He stumbled backwards, knocked off guard by the blow, and Layla moved in for the kill.

The blonde glove quickly ran into her however, before tackling her into the wall. He backed away after they hit the wall next to the bed, and tried to break open her head with a downwards strike using his club. Layla grabbed the club mid strike however using her free hand, before kicking the blonde Glove back. The blow knocked him flying backwards, and he landed on the sofa.

The bald glove had recovered by this time, and withdrew his cane before picking up the coffee table and throwing it at Layla. She dived onto the bed to dodge the attack, but he quickly drew his cane and came after her. He leaped onto the bed, striking downwards with his cane as he did so. Layla rolled to the side to dodge however, and the Glove landed face first on the bed just as Layla rolled off.

She ended up on the left side of the room, with the towering wardrobe to her back. The bald glove rolled off the bed, ending up in front of her, and started to walk slowly towards her. Layla had a feeling that he was grinning under his mask. _Dammit, this dress makes it really difficult to move._ Layla thought in annoyance, as she realised that the long dress was impeding her movement. Using her knife, she sliced off the bottom of the dress at the knees, allowing her legs to breathe and shortening the dress significantly.

The bald Glove swung his cane in a horizontal arc upon reaching her, but Layla ducked under the attack before going right for his heart with her knife. He moved suddenly as she struck, making her miss his heart. Her stab did manage to stab him in the chest however, and he howled in pain as her knife pierced his suit jacket with ease. Before Layla could so much as grin however, he dropped his cane and angrily punched her in the face.

Layla's head snapped back and she was knocked flying backwards by the blow. She hit the wardrobe with great force, but before she could slump to the floor the Glove charged. He grabbed her throat with both hands and started to squeeze. Layla felt her air begin to vacate her lungs, and she desperately punched the Glove in the face. He didn't loosen his grip however, and Layla felt her strength begin to fade as her death neared.

"Let...go...of...me!" Layla yelled, before kneeing the Glove in the balls. He grunted in pain, but to Layla's surprise he didn't loosen his grip. So she kneed him again. And again. And again. This was beyond what any man could possibly take, and as the Glove produced a small whimper of pain, his grip loosened considerably. Layla took full advantage by breaking free from the Glove's grip and grabbing his arm. He was in no condition to escape her grasp, and she smiled evilly before opening the wardrobe door and putting the Glove's arm inside. The Glove realised what was going on, and tried to beg for mercy but all the air had officially left his lungs in the wake of Layla's crotch aimed attack. She viciously slammed the door on the man's arm, and he screamed in pain as the bone snapped.

He dropped to his knees, but before Layla could finish him, the blond Glove rushed her. She kicked the nearby downed lamp at him, and it flew right into his face. He was knocked flying to the floor, and Layla quickly picked up her knife before rushing him. He struck with his cane as she got up however, and Layla was unable to dodge. The cane struck her in the face, knocking her back against the wardrobe again. _Damn, that thing hits hard. _Layla thought as her head swam, and the blonde Glove rushed in for another strike.

She threw her knife at him as he neared, but he darted to the side to avoid the flying blade. While he was doing so however, Layla rushed him. She grabbed him by the throat, before slamming him face first against the wardrobe. He cried out in pain, and she kneed him in the stomach before throwing him across the room.

The bald glove suddenly got to his feet, and ripped his arm free from the wardrobe. He picked up his cane and swung it like a golf club, but Layla rolled out of the way, and towards her knife. She picked up the knife and got to her feet upon finishing her roll, just as the bald glove rushed her to unleash another strike. She parried his blow with her knife, before going right for his eyes. The Glove didn't realise what she was aiming for until it was too late, and her knife stabbed into his eye. He screamed in absolute agony at the top of his lungs as Layla brutalized his eye with her knife. She quickly put an end to his screaming by letting go of the knife (Leaving it stabbed in the eye), and grabbed his neck with both hands. Before he could react, she twisted, and snapped his neck like a twig.

The blonde Glove chose this moment to get to his feet, but started to back away upon seeing the fate of his comrade. Layla glared at him sadistically before picking up the dead Glove's cane and rushing him. The blonde Glove barely managed to block as she unleashed a barrage of devastating blows with the dress cane. He backed away from her further after blocking the last attack, but tripped over the coffee table. Layla quickly leapt upon her downed prey, before smacking him in the face with the cane. His nose shattered, and he yelled in pain, but she didn't stop. She struck him again and again with the blunt end of the cane, until he didn't scream anymore.

_Well that was fun._ Layla thought as she got to her feet, wiping the blonde Glove's blood from her dress as she did so. Realizing that she needed to hide the evidence, Layla grabbed the investigator's corpse by the legs and dragged him to the ensuite bathroom. Being dead, he was annoyingly heavy. Layla's natural strength made up for that however, and she dragged him relatively easily into the bathroom, before lifting him up and putting him in the bath. She hurriedly did the same with the two White Glove corpses.

Now that the evidence had been disposed of, Layla sat on the bed and took a breather. As she was doing so, she took a look at the matchbook, and the note written on the side of it. 'Steam room. 4pm.' It was as good a lead as any.

*Later*

Layla walked into the Ultra Luxe bath house, and an attendant immediately approached her, offering to take her clothes. She was about to tell him to go to hell, when she looked around the bath house and realised that everybody else was naked. Men and women swam in the pool and sat around it, wearing nothing but their birthday suits.

_When in Rome._ Layla thought to herself, and took off her dress, shoes and underwear. She handed her clothes to the attendant, and took a towel off a nearby rack. She then quickly wrapped the towel around herself before making her way to the steam room.

The steam room itself was small, and the only furniture was a bench that ran the length of the room. There were a few wine bottles on the bench, but besides that there was nothing else there. The sudden sweltering heat hit Layla like a slap to the face as she entered the room, and she sighed in pleasure before sitting on the bench. _Now we play the waiting game._

*Later*

Layla woke with a start. Trying to remember where she was, she suddenly realised that she had fallen asleep in the steam room while waiting for the informant to show up. Her body was coated with sweat, and she felt uncomfortably warm. She wanted to leave the steam room, but first she'd have to chat to the informant.

The sound that had woke her up had been the steam room door opening. A White Glove walked in, but he wasn't wearing a mask for some reason. The Glove sat down next to Layla on the bench.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked as he sat down.

"I could ask you the same question." Layla replied, her grip tightening on the towel that covered her as she did so.

"My name's Chauncey. I was supposed to meet an investigator here. Where is he?"

"He's dead. Some White Gloves beat him to death and they tried to do the same to me. They failed." Chauncey recoiled in shock, a horrified look on his face.

"Oh my gosh." He said, clearly taken aback. "That means they know. They know he was talking to someone on the inside. They're going to kill me next!"

"Calm the hell down!" Layla snapped. "I'm looking for Ted Gunderson. The White Gloves snatched him and I need to know where he is."

"Ted Gunderson?" Chauncey's eyes widened in shock. "They're going to eat him tonight.

"What?"

"Look, the White Gloves weren't always the White Gloves. Before they were recruited by Mr House and became snobs, they were just your average tribals. They were also cannibals. They turned their back on those ways after joining House, but Mortimer wants them to go back."

"Mortimer? That jackass is behind all this?"

"Yep. He held this meeting a short while ago, said something about making the Society go back to the old ways. I didn't know what he meant, so I went to the meeting. When I found out about his plan, it was too late to say no. I've been helping him ever since. I'm actually the one who distracted Ted so they could kidnap him." Layla looked at him angrily. "It's not like I had a fucking choice!"

"What did you mean though when you said they're going to eat him tonight?"

"Just that. They're going to eat him tonight. Not all the Gloves have joined Mortimer, but he's going to serve Ted at the banquet tonight, at which all members of the Society will be in attendance. When they've finished eating, he'll tell them they've just eaten a person, and he thinks they'll join him."

"That's insane!"

"Not exactly. The White Gloves love nothing more than being up to date with all the latest cuisine. They may actually end up joining him if they think cannibalism could be the next big food craze."

"Shit." Layla said, exasperated. "When will they be eating him?"

"Philippe, the head chef at the Gourmand, will probably be preparing the meal right now. They won't eat Ted though till around 10pm."

"I've got plenty of time." Layla said confidently.

"Well not really. You have to get someone to back you as a honorary member of the society if you even want to get in there. Then you've got to sneak down to the lower levels, find Ted, and get him out of there before those bastards make a meal out of him."

"Heck Gunderson's a powerful man. Couldn't we use his resources to get Ted out?"

"You could, but Heck's not exactly the forgiving type. He's the kind of man who'd use a wrecking ball to hammer a nail. If he finds out that the Society was behind this, he'll tear the Ultra Luxe apart. Not to mention what he'll do to the rest of the strip."

"Wait, why don't you back me as an honorary member?" Chauncey laughed nervously in response.

"I'm in deep shit as it is. Mortimer knows I'm a traitor, I can feel it. I need to lay low for a while."

"Fine. I guess I'll find someone else to back me."

"I recommend Marjorie. Now I've got to go. We'll meet back here as soon as...wait." Chauncey stopped mid sentence, as footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the steam room. "What the hell?" He suddenly looked at Layla, his face a mask of pure terror. "Were you followed?" Before Layla could answer, the door swung open. A man stood there. He was wearing a merc troublemaker outfit and had a large, blonde Mohawk. The thing that really caught Layla's attention however was the fact that he was holding a silenced pistol. He quickly fired at Chauncey, blowing a hole through his skull and killing him instantly.

"Crap." Layla said under her breath as Chauncey's corpse slumped to the floor, and the assassin took aim at her. She quickly kicked the door, slamming it shut in the assassin's face. Holding her towel close as she did so, Layla dived to the floor, landing next to the door. The assassin kicked the door open and stepped into the room. Layla was about to draw her combat knife, when she realised that it and all her smuggled weapons were in the pockets of her dress. She swore under her breath, and the assassin prepared to shoot her again. She quickly threw her towel over his head, blinding him, before jumping to her feet and punching him in the jaw. She then grabbed his still towel covered head before slamming him face first into the wall of the steam room.

"Bitch!" The assassin growled angrily before elbowing her in the ribs. Layla was knocked back, and the assassin quickly threw the towel off his head. Layla grabbed Chauncey's corpse as a human shield just as the assassin fired. The bullet silently impacted with Chauncey's skull, and Layla pulled off the corpse's belt before kicking the corpse towards the assassin. The assassin side stepped the incoming corpse, but Layla quickly whipped him with the belt. The assassin yelped in pain as the whip lashed his forehead, leaving a bloody gash. The angry assassin prepared to fire again but Layla quickly whipped his hand, making him drop the gun.

Obviously fed up, the assassin grabbed the end of the belt before pulling Layla towards him. He tried to punch her in the face as she reached him but she ducked, before grabbing one of the wine bottles that had been lying on the bench. She quickly smashed the bottle over the assassin's head, dazing him and knocking him against the wall. Before he could blink, Layla rushed him and stabbed the now broken bottle into his neck. The assassin leant against the wall, mouth agape, as blood spurted out of his neck like it was a geyser. Layla quickly walked over to the gun as the assassin tried to pull the broken bottle out of his neck. He failed miserably, and Layla picked up the silenced pistol before firing a shot into the assassin's skull, killing him instantly.

She quickly grabbed the towel, which was now stained with the man's blood, and wrapped it around her naked form. She then sat down on the bench, thinking about what Chauncey had said. _A coup within the White Gloves? Maybe I can use that._ After thinking for a while, she got to her feet. _I'd better go give my compliments to the chef._ Layla thought to herself as she left the steam room.

**_Yes you did read that right. Layla did just beat the shit out of an assassin, unarmed, in a steam room, and completely naked. Needless to say I am very happy with this chapter._**

**_The conclusion to this little tale of blood and fine dining will come in the next chapter. That will come next week._**

**_As usual, please review. I highly enjoy your comments._**


	26. The Key Ingredient

_**In this chapter, Layla concludes her business with the White Glove Society. Violently. Oh, and it's in Philippe's POV at the start of the chapter.**_

The Key Ingredient

The Gourmand's main kitchen was a flurry of activity. A small man wearing a White Gloves outfit and a chef hat was dashing around the room, chopping ingredients, adjusting the temperature on the oven at exactly the right moment, and making sure that everything was going perfectly. The man's name was Philippe. He was the head chef at the Gourmand, and the meal he was currently preparing was the most important meal of his entire life. He needed this meal to be spectacular, and wasn't taking any chances.

Oh how his chem fiend of a mother had laughed at him when he'd tried to cook at a young age. After his father left when he was 5 his mother stopped giving a damn about him, and had started whoring herself out to a load of random men to get cash, in order to by more chems. Philippe had been forced to cook his own food, which is what actually started his dream to be a chef in the first place. If a psychologist took the time to talk to him, they'd probably suggest Philippe's sour demeanour and mistreatment of his staff was formed out of repressed hatred for his mother. Philippe would most likely respond by shouting at them until his face turned red and all air left his lungs. That terrible childhood was behind him now however, and he was working at the finest restaurant in the Mojave, if not the world.

Philippe's main goal in life, if not his only goal, was to strive for 'superior cuisine'. Basically this meant he had to cook the finest food with the rarest and most exotic ingredients, or he wouldn't be happy. The happiness he felt when he cooked something truly delicious and unique was best described as fanatical, and his love of fine food bordered on the erotic.

Ever since the White Gloves had noticed his talent and hired him as their chef, he'd dreamed of cooking human meat. The rarest of all delicacies, a rare few had ever sampled this kind of meat, and those who did usually didn't live to tell about it. Either that or they were driven mad by it, or they simply kept it a secret.

Of course, since the White Gloves had decided never to eat another human again, Philippe had been left wanting. However, Mortimer's coup presented the perfect opportunity. Mortimer had provided Philippe with live humans to cook, and he'd finally had his wish. He'd cooked a few humans since then, each tasting better than the last as he improved his recipe. Now however, was the most important cannibalistic banquet of his life. He had to prepare the human meat perfectly, in order to win over the White Gloves who refused to revert to their cannibalistic roots. To achieve this end, he had been working feverishly for hours to get everything perfect. He'd prepared the broth, sliced all the vegetables to perfection, and now he only needed to add one more ingredient. The key ingredient.

As if on cue, he heard a loud banging sound coming from the freezer, followed by angry shouts which were muffled by the two walls that stood between the lips that they were spoken from and Philippe's ears. It would seem that the key ingredient had finally woken up. _Those idiots should've hit him harder. _Philippe thought angrily. No matter. Nobody who didn't know about tonight's key ingredient would be coming into the kitchen any time soon, so nobody would be able to help the idiot that was locked up back there. Nonetheless, Philippe felt that it was time he shut the imbecile up. He grabbed a meat cleaver from the cutlery draw, and turned around, planning to head to the freezer. As he turned however, he saw that there was someone there. And she wasn't a White Glove.

She was in her early twenties and had shoulder length, blood red hair. There was a scar just under her right eye that had been stitched up, and her left eye looked like it had been swollen recently. She was currently wearing a grey dress that had probably looked quite nice once, but was now ruined. The bottom of the dress had been sliced off so that it now stopped just above the woman's knees. Admittedly this offered a nice view of the woman's fairly muscular legs, not that an asexual being like Philippe would appreciate this. The dress also had several dark red stains on it, which looked suspiciously like the stains that covered Philippe's apron after he 'silenced' an annoying girl that he'd ended up cooking last week. She was definitely not anyone of class, that much was certain.

"What are you doing in my kitchen?" He asked impatiently. "Leave. Now." The girl didn't make to leave.

"I'm an honorary White Glove. Marjorie invited me for tonight's banquet." The girl said emotionlessly. There was a hostility in her eyes that made Philippe tighten his grip on the meat cleaver.

"I don't care if you're the ghost of Mr House! Nobody is allowed down here while I'm cooking, not even Marjorie! Get out!" Philippe was getting angrier by the second, but the girl didn't back down in the slightest. Before she could respond, the sounds from the freezer grew louder, and her eyes widened, seemingly in understanding.

"Are you deaf? GET THE HELL OUT!" Philippe was now as red as a tomato that he'd sliced earlier today, but the girl ignored him entirely and walked towards the small corridor that connected the kitchen to the freezer. Just as she opened the door to the corridor, Philippe reached behind him and grabbed an especially sharp butcher knife off the table. He threw it at the girl, who currently had her back to him, with expert precision. She seemed to sense something was wrong however, and rolled to the side seconds before the knife connected with the back of her pretty little neck. It was a near miss, as the knife sliced off several of her hairs before imbedding itself in the wall that she'd been standing in front of moments ago. As soon as she finished the roll she darted to her feet, and looked angrily at Philippe.

"You're going to regret that little man." She said in a threatening tone before drawing a combat knife from a pocket on her dress. Philippe slid over the kitchen counter in front of him before rushing the girl with his meat cleaver, eyes wide with fury. He slashed madly as he reached the girl, but she expertly parried every blow with her combat knife. She blocked Philippe's final blow before punching him in the face, sending him reeling backwards. Philippe's free hand immediately went to his nose, and came back bloody.

"NOBODY MAKES ME BLEED MY OWN BLOOD YOU WHORE!" Philippe was absolutely enraged now, the only thought that filled his head was a burning desire to get revenge on the bitch that had made him bleed. Nobody had made him bleed since he was six years old, and his brother had...well he didn't know what his brother had done. The memory had since become repressed, but he knew that he'd spent the rest of the night bleeding and crying. The morning after he'd gotten payback. His brother had come into the kitchen to insult him, but Philippe had cut the bastard off mid sentence, along with his hand. That was the day he left. He walked out the door of the shitty little shack he'd lived in, leaving his older brother lying on the kitchen floor, crying and screaming as blood poured out of the stump that used to be his hand and began to pool around him.

He'd taught that bastard a lesson for making him bleed, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let this little BITCH get away with doing the same thing. He roared in anger before charging the girl with his cleaver. She darted to the side as he cut through the air with a downwards slash, and he ended up with his back to the wall that the girl had been standing next to a few seconds before. She charged and stabbed with her knife, but he used his cleaver to deflect the blow with surprising skill. The girl looked momentarily surprised, and he took advantage by kicking her in the stomach.

His legs were long, thin and lacking strength, but they were fast. He quickly delivered three kicks to her stomach before charging forwards with the cleaver again. He tackled her into the kitchen counter and held her there as he prepared to finish her with his cleaver. She kicked him away however, before charging with her knife. She put all her strength behind a particularly powerful slash. Philippe managed to block the attack, but the sheer force of his blow knocked his cleaver flying out of his hand, and across the room. He tried to kick her again but she grabbed his leg with her free hand.

The hatred in his eyes turned to fear as she grinned sadistically. She withdrew her knife before grabbing the leg with her other hand. Now that both hands held the leg, she swung it in the direction of the kitchen counter. She let go mid-swing, and Philippe found himself flying towards the counter. He toppled over the counter as he hit it, and landed on the oven, knocking several plates, cutlery and vegetables to the floor.

He screamed in pain as his left elbow collided with the oven's hob, which was currently turned on and burning at a high temperature. He quickly rolled onto the floor before the hob burnt him beyond recognition, and landed on the various plates and cutlery that had also fallen to the floor. His left elbow was still in tremendous pain, and has he brought his arm up to look at it he saw that the area of his suit jacket that covered the elbow was scorched.

As he slowly got to his feet, he saw that the girl had a look of sadistic amusement on her face. In fact, she looked close to laughing. As impossible as it seemed, his rage grew even more, and he grabbed a meat cleaver off the floor, before angrily throwing it at her. This proved to be a mistake however, as she easily sidestepped the flying cleaver, and it clattered uselessly against the wall. Her eyes turned to follow the cleaver as it flew, and when she turned back to Philippe again he had picked up a plate that hadn't smashed on its journey to the floor.

He quickly threw it at her before she could react, and it hit her right in the face, smashing into pieces as it did so. None of the pieces cut her, but she did recoil in pain. Philippe took his chance and grabbed a frying pan off the floor before climbing over the counter. By the time the girl had recovered he was right in front of her, frying pan at the ready. He struck her in the face with the blunt end of the frying pan, causing blood to fly from her mouth and knocking her flying to the floor. She dropped her combat knife as she fell, and it landed next to her. Philippe kicked the knife as he approached her, knocking it across the room.

She just managed to get to her feet as Philippe reached her, and struck out with the pan again. She ducked under the swing before delivering two fast punches to Philippe's chest. He backed away slightly, and she darted forwards before kneeing him in the balls. He tried to cry out in pain as she hit him in his sensitive area, but all air left his lungs. While he was occupied by the crippling pain caused by the shot to his genitals, the girl grabbed him by the throat with both hands and lifted him off his feet.

She threw him with all her strength, and he flew into the fridge which stood next to the oven. The fridge was made of stainless steel, and it hurt immensely as he flew it into it. All the air left his lungs as he hit the fridge, and fell face first to the floor. He landed on his burnt elbow and screamed in agony as more pain flashed up his elbow.

Surprisingly, he'd held onto his frying pan through all of this, and continued to hold it as he got to his feet. She rushed him, fists bared, but he swung his pan in a horizontal arc as she reached him. His shot hit her in the stomach, sending her stumbling backwards. He saw his moment, and charged with the pan again. She was ready however, and grabbed the pan mid swing. Before Philippe could react, she ripped the pan from his grip, and used it to hit him in the throat. Philippe was knocked flying to the floor from the attack, and hit his head on the fridge behind him.

As his vision swam, he could just make out the girl approaching him. She threw the pan across the room, before grabbing his arm and pulling him off the floor. He was only semi conscious as she pulled him to his feet, and could barely comprehend what was happening as she pulled him towards the oven. It was only as they reached the oven and she turned him to face the hob as he realised what was happening.

"No! Please!" He just managed to scream. Talking was extremely difficult after her shot to his throat, and forming words was also a trial after hitting his head on the fridge. He tried to resist, but it was no use. He had a distinct lack of upper body strength, and was unable to resist as she pushed his face closer to the still red hot hob, the heat so sweltering that sweat started to form on his face as it moved ever closer. "NO!" Was the last thing he said as she gave his face one last shove, and it collided with the hob. The pain was unimaginable, and his screams of unfathomable agony filled the kitchen as his face was horrifically burnt. It only lasted a few seconds however, and after that, the pain became so intense that he lost consciousness. That proved to be a blessing, as he didn't feel the hob burn the rest of the skin on his face, and keep burning until he breathed his last.

*A few seconds later*

Even Layla found the sight of the chef's horrifically burnt face disturbing, and she looked away as she released her grip and he flopped dead to the floor. _Maybe burning his face on the hob was overkill?_ The sympathetic part of her brain thought. It was a small part however, and went unnoticed by the much larger and more dominant part of her brain that was concerned with finishing her mission. _He wanted to cook humans. It was only fair that he got cooked too. _This part of her brain countered. She put the chef's gruesome end out of her mind as she thought about why she was here. She now knew how she was going to get the White Glove Society to join the Legion, and the first step in her plan was saving Ted Gunderson.

All while she'd been beating up the chef, he'd been shouting for help in the back room. After the chef had started screaming however, Ted's screams had gone silent. She wasn't surprised. Screams like that could scare the scales off a deathclaw.

Getting here had been a lot simpler than Chauncey made it out to be. Marjorie said she only sponsored famous people to become honorary White Gloves, but Layla had that kind of fame after killing Benny. Most people on the strip knew who she was, and Marjorie was happy to invite her to the banquet. Sneaking into the Ultra Luxe's basement had been even easier. This had been the second time she'd done it after all, and she had a good idea of where to go.

She hadn't counted on the chef being present however, and killing him had wasted a lot of time. She had to hurry. It wouldn't be long before somebody came down to check on Philippe, and it would be even sooner if anyone had heard his screams. How could they not? It was likely that even those upstairs had heard screams that loud.

She picked up her combat knife and put it away, then quickly made her way through the door that she'd opened previously, and through the small corridor. She found that the freezer was locked, but as she walked back into the kitchen she saw that a key hung from the chef's neck, attached by a silver chain. She ripped it off his neck, which was bruised after she'd hit it with the frying pan, and ran back to the freezer. The key successfully unlocked the freezer, and she kicked the door open to find herself face to face with Ted Gunderson.

"M...my...d...d...daddy's...go...ing to k...ill all..you...bast...ards." Layla was about to question what the hell was wrong with him, then remembered he'd been locked in a freezer for a while, and saw he was shivering like he'd just been dropped into the arctic butt naked. She dragged him out of the freezer, shutting the door as she did so, and saw him immediately warm up. "My daddy's going to kill all you bastards." He reiterated, no longer shivering.

"Your daddy sent me you dumbass." Layla said, in no mood to associate with this idiot.

"He did?" She nodded in confirmation. "What the hell took you so long? It's only one casino!" Layla felt her temper rising, and tried to suppress it. Usually when people pissed her off as much as this idiot was, she killed them in a blind fury. Doing that now would ruin everything, so she tried to calm down.

"Would you rather I leave you in there to freeze until frostbite makes your dick fall off?" She said angrily. His eyes immediately widened in shock, and briefly drifted towards his trousers.

"N...no." He wasn't shivering when he stuttered this time. Now he was just scared shitless.

"Then follow me. And I swear to god if you so much as sneeze I'll chop your feet off and throw you back in that freezer to either bleed out or freeze to death. Is that understood?" Ted shrunk away from Layla's overpowering stare, now absolutely terrified.

"Y...yes ma'am."

"Good."

*A few minutes later.*

Layla was glad she'd never have to see this idiot again as she walked into the Top Shelf. Heck Gunderson looked up from where he sat at the bar, and an expression of disbelief covered his face as he saw Layla walk in, followed by Ted.

"My boy!" He said joyously as Layla and Ted approached the bar. Ted looked embarrassed at his dad's show of affection, and Layla could only smirk. "Did they hurt you son?"

"I'm fine dad, calm down." Ted said in an annoyed tone, and sat down on a stool next to his dad to order a drink.

"Thank you so much, stranger." Heck said, getting to his feet and shaking Layla's hand as he did so. "Now I hope you didn't hurt whoever took my boy." Ted said this pleasantly, but his voice took on a much more vicious tone as he continued. "I want to skin their hides myself." He looked Layla in the eye intently. "Well? Who took my boy?"

"I don't know." Layla replied simply. "I just found him locked up. I have no idea who took him or why."

"SON OF A BITCH!" Heck roared, grabbing a bottle of booze and throwing it across the casino as he did so. A gambler ducked under the bottle seconds before it hit him in the face. He was about to yell back at Heck, but the sight of the old man's two armed guards made him think otherwise.

"I'll continued to investigate just who took your son, but I don't think I'll find anything." Layla said professionally. Heck nodded.

"I understand. I thank you anyway, stranger. It just makes my blood boil to think that the bastards that took my boy will get away without suffering for those crimes. Regardless, thank you." He handed Layla a bag filled with caps, before turning to Ted. "Come on my boy. We're done here. I'll be staying at that Vault hotel if you find out who took my boy, stranger." With that, Heck walked out of the casino. Ted got to his feet and followed, accompanied by the two bodyguards. _That's step one taken care of._ Layla thought, satisfied that everything was going according to plan. _Time to take care of step two._

Layla left the bar immediately, and went to look for Marjorie. As it turned out, Marjorie found her. The woman caught her in the corridor connecting the casino and the hotel. She stomped towards Layla, a very angry look on her face. The corridor was empty, so no-one was around to overhear as Marjorie spoke.

"The banquet was cancelled." She said in a hoarse voice that suggested she'd been shouting quite a lot in the past few minutes. "Philippe, the Society's head chef, is dead. Somebody burnt his face on the oven's hob, and some of my men found red hair on the kitchen floor." Her eyes were filled with suspicion as they focused on Layla's hair. "You've made a habit of savagely murdering successful people inside crowded casinos. You wouldn't know anything about this, would you?"

"Not a clue." Layla answered sweetly. "But I do know that the meal you were going to eat tonight was a young man." Marjorie's eyes widened in surprise, and she seemed to be trying to assess whether Layla was telling the truth. "What was the boy's name again?" Layla continued. "Oh I remember. His name was Ted Gunderson." A look of shock appeared on Marjorie's face but it was gone in an instant.

"You're lying you classless bitch! I should have you thrown out of this casino!" Marjorie's fury seemed to be growing by the minute, along with the volume of her voice.

"By all means, ban me from your precious casino. Heck Gunderson's staying in the Vault 21 hotel, and I'm sure he'd love to know that Mortimer tried to have his son served as an evening meal." A look of understanding appeared in Marjorie's eyes, but her face seemed just as pissed off as ever.

"He'll never believe you!"

"Oh, he'll never believe the woman who just a few minutes ago returned his kidnapped son to him, after saving the boy from being cooked in your precious casino? I think he'll believe me over you."

"You have no proof!"

"You know as well as I do that Heck Gunderson doesn't need proof. He has a short temper doesn't he? A temper that'll probably result in him tearing this casino to the ground when he hears of the Society's involvement in his son's kidnapping. I'm fairly sure no White Glove will escape his wrath, least of all you." Marjorie's enraged expression melted away, to be replaced by the look of shock and horror that had briefly flashed across her face earlier. "And I'm sure he'll probably go on to bulldoze the entire strip. With House dead, there'll be nobody to stop him."

"You wouldn't dare." Marjorie said meekly. It was an unnecessary statement, as they both knew Layla most definitely would dare. "Alright fine. You're blackmailing me, so you want something in return for your silence. What do you want?" Layla grinned, a grin of satisfaction and sinister intentions.

"Do you remember that offer I presented to you earlier from the Legion?"

"What about it?"

"If you were to say, reconsider that proposal, it may go a long way towards making me forget about what I saw here today. I may even forget about your Society's involvement in Ted Gunderson's unfortunate kidnapping."

"Go to hell." The enraged expression returned to Marjorie's face, and her voice continued to rise. "I'd rather lose my casino than become affiliated with those degenerates."

"Really? And here I thought you wanted to be above normal people? I guess you don't mind rolling around in the dirt with us common folk? That is...if Heck let's you live." The anger that coated Marjorie's features rose, and she looked about ready to punch Layla in the face. Before a blow could be struck however, Marjorie's shoulders sagged, and the anger evaporated, to be replaced by a look of a sheer defeat.

"Fine." She spat out the word. "Tell your precious Caesar that we accept his offer. We'll join his goddamn Legion."

"Splendid." Layla said, clearly pleased with herself, and turned her back to Marjorie before walking away. "I'm sure somebody will be along momentarily to discuss terms." She called back, before returning to the casino floor and walking out the front door.

**_So it seems Caesar has the White Glove Society's support. What kind of help they can give him I'm not really sure, but there you go._**

**_As usual, please review._**


	27. Woman

_**This chapter, as the name may suggest, focuses on the sexist nature of the Legion. Sort of. It also includes a lengthy fight to the death! **_

Woman

Layla sat on the ground outside Caesar's tent, looking over his camp with a moderate amount of boredom. Her legs hung over the cliff that overlooked the camp's arena, and Mr New Vegas' soothing voice spoke to her through her Pip Boy. Nearby Legionaries seemed to frown at her use of a radio, but none of them told her to turn it off, most likely out of fear. Word of the beating she'd delivered to Cursor Lucullus had no doubt spread by now.

Caesar had been very pleased to hear that The White Gloves Society had agreed to join his Legion. Layla still had no idea what a group of arrogant snobs could possibly offer the Legion, but she thought it best not to ask questions. As Caesar had been giving her a new assignment, he had suddenly gone quiet. It seemed his brain had simply blanked out. Layla had been of the opinion that he had serious problem with his brain, and had offered to have a look, to see if her limited medical assistance could help. He had denied her, instead returning to his bed to sleep and asking her to return later.

That had been yesterday, and she had returned, only to be denied entry by the Praetorians, who had explained that Caesar was still sleeping. They'd told her to wait until he awoke. That had been several hours ago. It seemed like years to Layla, but her Pip Boy told her otherwise. She'd found a way to kill time at first by installing the firing mechanism for the howitzer that the Legion had recently acquired. That had been surprisingly easy however, only taking her about 5 minutes. After that she'd tried making conversation with some of the camp's inhabitants, but they looked down on her like a White Glove Society member looked down on a chem addict.

The Legion's sexist mindset was really beginning to piss her off. Since all the Legionaries thought of women as inferior, none of them would even act civil towards her. So on the hill she'd sat, listening to Mr New Vegas and day dreaming. Now however, she couldn't take it anymore. It was almost noon and Caesar still hadn't awakened yet. She had nothing to pass the time, but she couldn't very well leave the camp without getting her next task from Caesar.

The only source of entertainment Layla could think of was fighting in the arena. The camp at Bitter Springs had had an arena, and beating up boys twice her size in said arena had been one of Layla's favourite pastimes. There was also the fact that Legionaries were allowed to battle captured NCR soldiers to the death in the arena. That sounded like a very good way to pass the time. Of course, there was a gender restriction on the arena. Otho, the man in charge of the arena, was a misogynistic prick, and wouldn't let women fight in the arena under any circumstances. Not even if said women was in service to Caesar, or if said woman could kick his ass in a heartbeat. He'd made that perfectly clear the first time she'd arrived at the fort, instead recommending she go tend to the pots and pans.

_That's it, I've had it._ Layla thought angrily as she looked down at the arena. _That jackass is going to let me fight in the arena, even if I have to make him cough up blood before he says yes. _

*A few minutes later.*

"No." Otho said immediately, before Layla could even ask. "You're not fighting in the arena...woman...so go away."

"Haven't I proved myself worthy to fight in that arena yet?" Layla asked, not bothering to hide the anger in her voice.

"You could kill every Legionary in this camp and present me Legate Lanius' head as a trophy, and I still wouldn't deem you worthy." Otho wouldn't budge, not even an inch.

"Who the hell is Legate Lanius?"

"He is the Legion's finest warrior. He wears golden armour, and a helmet depicting the face of Mars, the god of War. He wields a blade bigger than your average man, and is immune to pain. He is a great warrior. Even if you were as skilled as him – which you are most surely not – you would not be allowed into the arena. It is not a matter of skill, it is a matter of role."

"What?" Layla was infuriated now, but if Otho noticed her rage he did not react to it.

"Men are the superior gender. Their role is to battle, to conquer, and to serve the gods. The women are inferior. Their role is to cook, clean and serve the men, as well as to reproduce in order to keep the species alive." Layla couldn't believe what she was hearing, and was almost shaking with rage. "This is the way things have always been, and it will not change."

"You closed-minded son of a whore!" Layla roared at Otho. He didn't react in the slightest.

"This is the last time I'm going to say it. Leave. Now."

"No." Layla stood her ground, and Otho furrowed his brow in annoyance.

"You are disgracing the arena with your very presence woman. Begone."

"Not unless you let me fight."

"You are as stupid as your gender suggests." Layla's fists clenched, and she had to work hard to resist the overpowering urge to punch Otho in the face." "YOU...WILL...NEVER...FIGHT...HERE. Get it through your skull woman." At that instant, Layla had a brainstorm.

"Alright, what about we make a deal?" Otho didn't show any emotion, but his eyebrow raised, seemingly intrigued.

"What sort of deal?"

"We fight. You and me. We fight each other in the arena, using the arena's rules. If I win, you have to let me fight here. If you win, I'll never go within three feet of the arena again."

"Is this some kind of joke?" If it was, Otho didn't sound amused. "Don't waste my time with such foolish talk woman."

"You're afraid." For the first time Otho showed an emotion other than annoyance, looking at Layla as thought she had gone mad.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me." Layla's anger was starting to fade now, and she actually managed to grin. "You're afraid to fight me. You're threatened by the fact that a woman actually wants to fight you and it scares you shitless." To her surprise, Otho burst out laughing. It was loud and boisterous, and went on for almost a minute. When it finished, he looked at her with his normal emotionless expression.

"Preposterous. To think that I, the head of the arena, would be scared of a woman. I spent ten years fighting in that arena. I know more about close combat than almost anyone else in the camp."

"Then why won't you fight me?"

"Because you are unworthy."

"But if what you say is true, then you could just dispatch me in a few seconds and that would be that."

"For you to even step foot in that arena would be to disgrace everything that it stands for."

"I'm not leaving unless you accept my proposal."

"You will leave, because I will make you leave."

"Why don't you make me leave in the arena?"

"Enough of this foolishness!" His voice sounded extremely angry now. "I've had enough of this. Get out of my sight woman, before I convince Caesar to put you on a cross."

"All I'm saying is that if men are superior to women, what's the harm in letting the men prove it by defeating the women in combat?" Otho gritted his teeth in anger.

"So you really want me to prove my superiority against you? Fine. But if you lose, I get to kill you once and for all."

"Are you sure Caesar would like that?"

"You are a woman. You will not be missed." Layla smiled defiantly.

"I accept your terms."

"Good." They locked eyes and glared at each other, both daring the other to enter the arena first. Layla ended the stalemate by turning around and walking into the arena. The second her feet touched the sand however, Layla felt a presence behind her. Before she could react, she felt a hard and painful impact on the back of the head. The shock was paralysing, and all at once she felt her consciousness leave her. She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

*An unknown amount of time later.*

The first thing Layla felt upon waking up was an aching pain in the head. It wasn't a concussion, she remembered what that felt like. It was more like a dull ache from where she'd been hit by...whatever had hit her.

The second thing Layla felt was pure rage. _That backstabbing motherfucker!_ Her brain screamed, and she opened her eyes to see where she was. To her surprise, she saw she was in the arena. The sun was quite low in the sky, suggesting it was late evening, reaching night. _How long have I been out?_ She thought to herself. _And what the hell am I doing here?_ She tried to move but found that such a thing was impossible. She quickly realised that she was tied up. She was kneeling in the middle of the arena with her hands and legs bound by what felt like rope and her back to the hill on which Caesar's tent stood. On further examination she realised she was naked. Well...almost. She was dressed in her small clothes, white shirt and dark blue shorts. Under the shorts and t-shirt was her underwear so she wasn't exactly exposed. She was however, confused.

Her eyes scanned the arena for any sort of clue as to what was going on, and she saw that she was surrounded by Legionaries. None of them were actually in the arena, but they were all there. They either stood outside the arena, looking through the gaps in the metal walls, or sat on the wall itself, looking around as if waiting for something.

At that moment, what they were waiting for arrived. Otho stepped into the arena, shutting the arena door behind him as he did so. His arrival was welcomed by the crowd, as they relentlessly cheered. Otho was wearing what looked like leather armour, but it bared the seal of the Legion. Layla realised that it was gladiator armour. Otho was also holding two machetes, one in each hand. He wielded the weapons confidently, as though he had used them many times before.

"What the hell is going on here?" Layla yelled at him.

"This is the battle you wished for woman." He replied, a sneer covering his face. The cheering died down a little as he spoke, so that she could hear what he was saying.

"I'm tied up you idiot! How the hell am I supposed to fight?"

"You're not." Otho held the two machetes in front of him, showing them to Layla. "You are unworthy to wield a machete, the only weapon gladiators are allowed...so you will not wield one." That explained where the small amount of equipment she'd smuggled into the camp had gone. He'd taken it. He then motioned to the gladiator armour he wore. "You do not deserve to wear the armour of a gladiator...so you will not." That explained where the combat armour she'd been wearing earlier had gone. "And you do not deserve to fight in the arena...so you shall not."

"What?" Layla all but screamed at him.

"You do not deserve to fight, so you have been bound. I shall slay you, as a show of what happens to women who dare to fight their role." The Legionaries cheered on hearing this, and Otho began to play to the crowd. While he was doing this, Layla attempted to wrestle her hands free from the ropes that bound her. It was slow going, and breaking free that way would probably take a while. Unfortunately, she didn't have a while. Otho quickly finished playing to the crowd and began to make his way towards her. He slashed his machetes through the air in anticipation of the kill as he began to close the gap, and Layla knew she was running out of time. Her hands began to struggle faster, and little by little they started to slither free. Otho was getting closer, and she knew she didn't have enough time to get free before he reached her.

Otho smiled in sadistic satisfaction as he reached her before readying his blades. _Almost._ Layla's hands were inching ever closer to freedom. She just needed a few more seconds. _Just a little more._ Otho raised his blades over his head, preparing to strike the killing blow and completely oblivious to just how close Layla was to escaping. _Come on..._ Otho swung his blades downwards in a vertical slash, and Layla's hands still weren't free.

Thinking fast, she leaned to her side. Since she was unable to move her legs, she lost her balanced and toppled over. She fell to the side, and out of the way of Otho's slash. Otho stared at her, seemingly unable to comprehend the fact that she'd survived, and she finally managed to free her hands. While he was still staring at her in stunned bewilderment, she quickly freed her feet before sweep kicking him. Otho was tripped and knocked to the ground, while Layla got to her feet.

Otho growled in annoyance, before getting to his feet and rushing Layla with his twin blades. He unleashed a furious barrage of slashes with his two blades, but Layla swerved side to side to dodge every strike. One of his machetes went for her throat, but she grabbed the blade mid slash. Blood ran down her hand as she blocked the blade of the machete with her palm, but she ignored the pain and kicked Otho in the stomach, knocking him stumbling back. He lost his grip on the machete as he stumbled, while Layla still held onto it. She was holding the machete by the blade, but quickly flipped it so that she was holding it by the handle, and bared the weapon in anticipation.

"It looks like I'll get to fight after all." Otho bared his teeth in anger.

"No you will not! Legionaries, get in here and kill her!" The Legionaries on the wall prepared to drop into the arena, when a single voice spoke up and froze them all in their tracks.

"Stop." The voice was powerful and commanding, more powerful and commanding then any voice Layla had ever heard in her life. She looked to see where the voice was coming from, along with Otho and the Legionary audience. She saw a man standing on the hill in front of Caesar's tent, looking down upon the arena.

The man was a giant, standing nearly 7ft tall, and was clad in immaculate gold armour. A red cape ran down the back of the armour, and large pauldrons covered his shoulders. A huge sword was holstered on his back, even larger and sharper than Layla's own sword, and certainly of more professional make than her blade. He wore an extravagant golden helmet that covered his entire face. The helmet had been forged in the image of a bearded man, which Layla realised was supposed to be Mars, the god of war. She realised that he was the Legate Lanius that Otho had spoken of earlier. His booming voice silenced and froze everybody in and around the arena, including Layla.

"Otho, you bound this woman instead of facing her in honourable combat."

"But Legate, she is a woman!"

"SILENCE." Otho recoiled at the rage in Lanius' voice, and shrank away from the Legate in utter fear.

"You have brought shame and dishonour to yourself. Face her as an honourable warrior, or die like the coward you are." Otho looked like he was about to object, then stopped. Instead he turned to face Layla, gazing at her with a blank, icy stare.

"Fine." He said in an exasperated tone. "It makes no difference woman. You will not defeat me." The Legionaries watched with interest as Layla and Otho circled each other, both sizing up their opponent. The arena was completely silent as they circled each other, nobody in the audience even breathing as they waited for one of the combatants to make the first move.

Otho seized the initiative, and charged Layla, machete at the ready. He let loose a horizontal slash with the machete but Layla ducked under the attack, before aiming a stab at Otho's ribs. He jumped back to dodge her attack however, before charging and attempting to kick the still crouched Layla in the face. She rolled to the side to dodge the kick, before charging at Otho's exposed flank. She tried to stab him in the side, but he quickly parried her blow before letting loose a barrage of savage blows. Layla just managed to block every blow, when Otho suddenly tackled her into the wall of the arena.

He kneed her in the stomach as he pushed her against the wall, but Layla kicked him away before charging in for another slash. Otho sidestepped Layla's slash, before letting loose a slash of his own, aimed at her back. The slash hit its target, and Layla screamed in pain as her back as he cut her back open. She fell to her knees as blood poured down her back and Otho stood over her, blade aimed at her throat.

"Pathetic." He taunted confidently. Is this all you have to offer woman?" Layla answered by getting to her feet and spinning around to face Otho, roundhouse kicking him in the face as she did so. Her kick shattered Otho's nose, and sent him flying across the arena. He landed next to the arena wall, blood pouring down his face. He quickly got to his feet, wiping the blood from his face as he did so, before shouting a battle cry and rushing Layla again.

Their blades collided with a clash of steel, and both warriors began to slash the other, each of them looking for a weakness to exploit. Every stab was blocked, every slash parried. Neither seemed able to get the upper hand. Eventually the sun finally went down, coated the arena in darkness. Layla's eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom, and she stood a few feet from Otho. Her entire body ached and she was coated with sweat. She was panting heavily, completely exhausted from the battle. Otho showed similar exhaustion, but to a lesser extent.

He charged at Layla again, slashing low as he ran and aiming for her kneecaps. Layla struck his machete with her knee, hitting the flat part of the machete and deflecting the attack. The unusual maneuver knocked Otho off balance, and Layla saw her chance. She sliced Otho horizontally across the stomach, leaving a bloody gash. Otho backed away, gritting his teeth and seemingly trying to ignore the pain. Layla rushed her wounded opponent like a wild animal going in for the kill, and began to pressure him with a barrage of powerful strikes. He just barely managed to block every attack, but they pushed him back, and kept pushing him back until he hit the wall of the arena.

She backed away, before charging forward and putting all her weight behind one last stab. Otho darted to the side at the last second however, and Layla stabbed right into the wall of the arena. The blade stabbed into the wall, and Layla tried to pull it out with all her strength. Before she could put much effort into it however, Otho took advantage of her predicament by charging at her exposed back. Not about to let him injure her back again, she spun around and delivered another roundhouse kick to his face. He was ready this time however, and managed to block the blow with his machete. The kick still pushed him back, but didn't injure him as much as the last attack did.

Layla wiped her hair out of eyes, and the sweat from her forehead. She didn't want to lose her vision now. Otho was armed, while she was not, and he was armoured, while she was not. He now had the advantage. He seemed to recognise this, as an expression of pure confidence covered his face as he rushed her for another attack. He leaped into the air and slashed downwards as he fell towards her, but she rolled to the side to avoid being cleaved in two. Otho rolled as he landed, before getting to his feet and rushing Layla again. He aimed a slash at her face, but she leaned her neck back to dodge the slash, and it sailed right over her head. She aimed a kick for Otho's knee, but he hopped backwards to dodge the attack. He closed the distance quickly before trying to stab Layla in the ribs. She darted to the side to evade the attack before grabbing the wrist that held the machete.

She held Otho's wrist in a vice like grip, and he ferociously punched her in the face to get her to release it. The blow felt like being hit by a sledgehammer, and her head snapped back as his fist hit its target, but she didn't release her grip in the slightest. Instead she twisted, and Otho screamed in pain as she broke his wrist. The machete dropped to the floor, and she kneed him in the stomach before throwing him across the arena. He landed next to the wall of the arena, hitting his head on said wall as he did so. Layla reached down and picked up the machete from the floor, but in the time it took her to do so, Otho had managed to regain his feet. He seemed no worse for wear despite his head injury, and he quickly grabbed the machete that Layla had accidentally imbedded in the wall.

Somehow he managed to rip the blade from the wall, and roared in anger before charging Layla again. The moon was the only light now, and it illuminated Otho as he rushed her in a mad fury. Whether it was due to tiredness or his recent head injury Layla didn't know, but Otho's next attack was sloppy. She parried it easily before going right for his leg. She sliced open Otho's calf and he screamed in pain before flopping to the floor, dropping his machete in the process. Layla stood on his throat before picking up his machete. She leaned down to press both blades against Otho's throat, and prepared to scissor his head off.

Some base instinct made her stop however, and instead look up to Lanius, as though seeking approval. He stood there, arms folded, and observed her for a while. Then, he unfolded his arms and clapped, slowly and briefly. The Legionaries followed Lanius' example and began to cheer and clap, celebrating Layla's victory.

"Impressive work." Lanius said in his booming, yet emotionless voice. All the watching Legionaries went silent to hear Lanius speak. "I have heard of your talents Layla, and it seems you have earned your fearsome reputation. Perhaps...perhaps all women are not as weak as we had believed." Taking in mind the Legion's beliefs, this was a huge compliment. Layla considered taking a bow, but decided against it. "However, you may not kill Otho."

"What?" Layla asked in disbelief. "He cheated!"

"But he is a man, and so his life has more value than yours. He is also the head of this arena. He shall be punished for his cowardice, I assure you."

"Yeah, he'll be punished alright. RIGHT NOW!" Before Lanius or anyone else could react, Layla brought her blades away from Otho's throat, and raised them over her head. Otho didn't have any time to plead as she brought the blades down with great force and sliced both his arms off. Otho screamed in pain as she sliced through the gladiator armour easily, and through the bones of his arms, cutting both of them off. Layla got to her feet and dropped the machetes, before kicking both of Otho's severed arms away. He continued to scream in agony as blood spurted from the stubs that used to be his arms, and Layla looked up at Lanius.

He didn't scream at her as she had expected. Instead he simply stood there, looking at her, as though sizing her up. She realised what she must look like right now. Wearing nothing more than a white t-shirt and dark blue shorts, both of which were now drenched with sweat. The t-shirt was almost see through due to the sweat, but Lanius wasn't looking there. He didn't seem to care, which was refreshing. She had a deep cut on her left hand from when she'd caught Otho's blade mid slash, and that hand was currently covered with blood. There also a long, deep gash running down her back, which was especially painful. Lanius didn't focus on one particular part of her, he focused on her entire form as a whole, gaining a full image of her.

"You defied me." He said eventually, without anger. It sounded more like he was puzzled.

"I bet that's new to you isn't it?" Layla replied.

"It is. Why did you defy me?"

"Because I wanted him to suffer, and I don't let anyone or anything get in the way of me getting what I want." There was a long pause after that. Layla half expected him to jump into the arena and slice her in half with his huge sword. He didn't however.

"Admirable." He said eventually. "You shall be useful in the battle of Hoover Dam. If you prove yourself worthy to Caesar that is." With that, Lanius walked down the small slope that connected the hill with the rest of the camp, and disappeared behind the arena wall. Layla turned away from him and focused her attention on Otho, a sadistic gleam in her eyes.

"So, can I fight in the arena now?" She asked Otho, feigning innocence. He had stopped screaming now and didn't reply, so she stood on one of the stumps that had used to be connected to his arm. He screamed in agony again, and Layla grinned. "I'll take that as a yes." With that she walked away, and approached the still closed arena door. "Are any of you going to open this?" She shouted threateningly to the surrounding Legionaries. Several immediately climbed down from the walls on which they sat and ran to the door, before opening it for Layla. "Thank you." She said pleasantly before exiting the arena. The second she did, a Praetorian ran up to her.

"Caesar has awoken. He wishes to see you in his tent." _About time._

"I'll be right there, just let me find where Otho put my clothes and equipment." She felt a throbbing pain in her back. "I should probably see someone about my wounds too."

*A short while later*

"I heard about your little show this evening." Caesar said as Layla entered the camp. She'd found her stuff in a chest next to where Otho usually stood outside the arena, and had quickly put her combat armour back on. She'd then found the Legion equivalent of a doctor, who had given her some strange powder to put on the wound that decorated her back. The powder seemed to be healing the wound quite nicely, and she'd bandaged up her right hand herself. She was getting good at it by now.

"It was a shame you couldn't see it." Layla replied pleasantly.

"You mutilated the head of my arena, and defied an order from Legate Lanius." Caesar did not seem pleased.

"Lanius didn't seem to mind."

"I don't care whether he minded or not, he is my Lanius. You follow his orders to the letter. Understand?"

"Yes Caesar."

"And about your mutilation of Otho? What the hell brought that on?"

"He wouldn't let me fight in the arena." Caesar sighed loudly in an exasperated tone.

"On my orders you stupid bitch. Women do not fight in the arena. Ever. It is the way of my Legion."

"So you'll let me fight for you, but not in your arena?"

"I let you fight for me because you are not a member of my Legion. You are a profligate. This means you are worthy to do my dirty work, but that is all."

"I just wanted to test my skills in the arena."

"I don't care! You are not to set foot in that arena again. If you do, I'll have you put up on a fucking cross along with the other profligate scum that dare to defy me. Is that understood?" Caesar raised his voice significantly as he said the last part. Layla simply nodded her understanding.

"Now what of my next task?"

"Ah yes. I was going to tell you of that yesterday when my...head started acting up. Do you know of the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"Yes, I've had dealings with them in the past. I've been to their bunker."

"You know where it is? Excellent."

"So, what? Am I to go there and ask them to join the Legion?"

"No. You are to go there and eliminate them." Layla was taken aback by this, and felt like she'd just been slapped. Caesar couldn't be serious.

"But wouldn't they make great allies?"

"They would, but their ideals would make them uncontrollable. They are to be eliminated. Every last one of them." Layla went significantly pale, and Caesar's voice seemed to be coming from miles away. She couldn't do that. The Brotherhood was Veronica's family. _I can't kill her family like the NCR killed mine._ "Is there a problem?" Caesar asked seriously, noticing that she'd gone quiet. _I can't._

"No Caesar, there's no problem." _I can't._ "No problem at all."

**_Cliffhanger! I assume many of you saw this little twist coming. It was fairly obvious after all. Will Layla destroy the Brotherhood, robbing Veronica of a family as the NCR did to her? Will she defy Caesar, and find another way to destroy the NCR? Or will she find some other solution to her dilemma? You'll have to wait to find out, as I think this next chapter may take a while. It's a very important chapter and I want it to be perfect, so I'm going to spend a lot of time on it._**


	28. Sundered Union

**_Layla has a choice to make, and in doing so her life will get a lot more complicated. Simple lives aren't exactly interesting are they? Warning, this chapter contains some angst. _**

Sundered Union

"Where've you been?" Veronica asked casually as Layla walked into the recreation room. Veronica had been reading a pre war book, and put it down as her friend entered. Layla had just arrived back at the suite after talking to Caesar, and she still had no idea what she was going to do about his request. More than that, she didn't know how she was going to explain it to Veronica. "How long does it take to talk to Caesar?"

"I had to wait." Layla said, clearly distracted. She sat down on the pool table and quickly took out a bottle of whiskey, before taking a big gulp. The familiar satisfying burning taste filled Layla's throat, and she began to feel a little more confident. Veronica was about to say something else, when she saw the mournful expression on Layla's face. Something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Layla was taken by surprise, but realised that she shouldn't be. After the amount of time they'd spent together, Veronica could read her like her book.

"Caesar asked me to do something." She said slowly and nervously. "And I don't think I'll be able to do it." A look so quizzical it was almost comical covered Veronica's face.

"Seriously?" She asked dubiously. "You? I thought you'd be willing to do anything to see the NCR destroyed."

"There's one thing I don't think I can do, and that's hurt you." Veronica looked even more confused.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Caesar...he asked me to wipe out the Brotherhood." In all the time she'd known her, Layla had never seen Veronica look as shocked and distraught as she did right at that second. She dropped her book to the floor, and stared open mouthed at Layla, clearly not believing what she was hearing.

"He wants you to do what?" She nearly screamed, but just managed to keep her voice below ear shattering volume.

"He wants me to kill them. All of them. I tried to convince him they'd make better allies, but he's more stubborn than the bull on his flag. He won't listen to reason."

"Maybe he'll listen to a punch in the face!" Veronica growled and got to her feet, before storming out of the recreation room and towards the elevator. Layla dropped her whiskey bottle to the ground as she realised what Veronica was talking about. She frantically darted to her feet and grabbed her friend's arm, holding her back.

"Woah woah, wait a minute!" Veronica was a lot stronger than Layla gave her credit for, and she found herself unable to hold her friend back. "We can't kill Caesar! I need him!" Veronica stopped resisting suddenly, and Layla almost fell into her.

"Let me see if I've got this right." Veronica said, angrier than Layla had ever seen her. "You need this mass murdering psychopath to avenge your family, and in order to secure his allegiance, you want to sacrifice my family?"

"It's not like that!"

"He wants you to murder the only family I have in this world. You know what that's like, so you can't honestly believe that it's an acceptable thing to do." Veronica spun around and looked Layla dead in the eyes. The rage Layla saw there was almost paralysing.

"I don't want to do it Veronica, but Caesar's adamant. Either I leave the Legion and try to find another powerful military force willing to battle the NCR..."

"Or you kill my family." Veronica finished. There was a long and uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah." Layla admitted reluctantly.

"And you're actually considering doing as Caesar asks aren't you?" Another uncomfortable silence filled the room. Rex trotted over to Layla and started to rub up against her leg, but she silently shooed him away.

"I am." Another guilty admission. Veronica looked at her with what Layla realised sadly was disgust.

"How could you?" Veronica asked in disbelief. "After all we've been through, after everything we've done together, how could you even CONSIDER doing as that bastard commands?"

"Veronica, my family..."

"SCREW YOUR FUCKING FAMILY!" Veronica shouted. Layla recoiled from her words, as though she'd been shot. "I've had enough of this selfish obsession! It dominates your entire life! You're willing to throw away everything and do anything to destroy the NCR. You don't give a shit about anything that isn't that goal, including me."

"Veronica, please." Layla pleaded. She couldn't remember the last time she'd pleaded to anyone. "I don't have a choice." Veronica laughed harshly.

"You don't have a choice? YOU DON'T HAVE A FUCKING CHOICE? Nobody forced you to kill every NCR soldier you see. Nobody forced you to join the fucking Legion. You've always had a choice Layla, and you've always made the wrong one. Don't make the wrong one again." Layla couldn't believe this was happening.

"I need the Legion Veronica. Without them, I can't defeat the NCR. And I can't do it without you either."

"You can only have one of us, and if you do as Caesar asks, you won't have me." Layla's eyes dropped to the floor, and tears began to form in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I...I have no choice." Layla said sorrowfully. Veronica looked like she'd been slapped.

"Fine." She said, barely holding back tears. "You've made your choice. I hope it was the right one." With that, Veronica spun around and stomped towards the elevator again. Layla didn't stop her this time, and the tears that had been forming throughout the entire conversation began to roll down her cheeks. Rex looked up at her in confusion, clearly having no idea of the significance of what had just happened.

Layla took a whiskey bottle from the fridge in the dining room, then lay on her bed, drinking and thinking. She let her emotions out, allowing the tears to run down her face. When she couldn't cry anymore, and the whiskey bottle went empty, she got to her feet, grabbed her bag, and left the suite.

*Several hours later*

Elder McNamara sat in his office, going through a large pile of paperwork which mostly consisted of scout reports. He was completely unaware that his keycard had been taken from his pocket about five minutes ago by an invisible form. The same invisible form had taken the Head Scribe's keycard too. The invisible form might as well have left an active grenade in his pocket.

These key cards were very dangerous, but only to the Brotherhood. Inside the bunker, in the same area where the virtual reality pods sat, and the same area where the head scribe usually wandered, there were two computers. The first required three cards in order to access it. When accessed, it would provide the password for the second computer. The second computer could destroy the Brotherhood.

All somebody had to do was access the second computer and press a few buttons, and the bunker would self destruct, killing everyone inside. Since these keycards had the power to wipe out the Mojave's Brotherhood of Steel branch easily, the three most important people in the bunker carried them: The Head Scribe, the Head Paladin, and the Elder. The Elder and the Head Scribe had been relieved of their keycards by an unseen foe, and now the same foe was going after the Head Paladin: Hardin.

Hardin was a tough son of a bitch, Layla knew this for a fact. _I'll just have to make sure he doesn't see me. _She thought to herself as she clutched the stealth boy closer to herself and snuck down the corridor to Hardin's quarters, completely invisible. As she silently entered the room, Layla saw Hardin typing away at a terminal, his back to her. There was only one pocket on the set of power armour he wore. The keycard had to be in there.

Layla slowly and carefully snuck across the room, making very sure not to make a single sound. Her feet resounded slightly against the metal floor with each step, but Hardin seemed to be so caught up in his work that he didn't notice. Layla eventually reached him, and her arm snaked into the pocket. She felt around slowly and carefully, being as careful as she could not to touch the sides of the pocket. It reminded her of when she'd left home, and she'd quickly had to learn to pickpocket. She'd been a natural, and she called on that long forgotten skill now. Sweat began to run down her head as she dug further into the pocket. _What if it's not here?_ Her mind began to worry. _What then? I'll never find it! I'll..._ Her fingers wrapped around something small, flat and rectangular. _Bingo._

Before Layla could pull it out however, an elbow struck her in the face. The power armour covered elbow hit with the force of a sledgehammer, and Layla found herself knocked across the room.

"Show yourself coward!" Hardin yelled, getting to his feet as he did so. _Son of a bitch I touched the sides._ Layla thought, annoyed at herself. She was just glad that nobody wandered near Hardin's room. Nobody would hear them unless one of them started shooting. Hardin intended to be that one, and drew his gauss rifle.

"I don't know where you are, but I'm sure I can find you with some assistance." Hardin took aim at the wall, intending to shoot it and alert the other members of the Brotherhood. Layla couldn't take that chance, and she dashed towards Hardin. This time he heard her footsteps resound against the metal floor, and swung his rifle like a bat as she reached him. She ducked under the swing, and grabbed Hardin's rifle. He felt that she was grabbing his rifle, but couldn't loosen her grip because he couldn't see where she was gripping. He lashed out with his fist in various directions, but failed to hit her.

Layla struck out with an invisible leg, sweep kicking Hardin to the floor. He landed head first on the metal floor, and his grip loosened on the rifle for a second. It was all the time Layla needed. She stomped on his throat and ripped the rifle from his grasp, before pointing it at his head. All Hardin saw was his own gauss rifle, floating in mid air and pointing at his head.

Layla's finger tightened on the trigger, and she prepared to blow Hardin's head apart. She hesitated however. It was almost as if Veronica was with her in the room, begging her not to kill one of her family. Layla had never had trouble killing anyone before, and this hesitation was extremely alien to her.

Hardin had no idea why his floating gauss rifle wasn't firing, but he took full advantage. He reached out, trying to find the invisible form, and found her leg. He grabbed it with all his strength and pulled the invisible form to the floor. Layla hit the floor with a thud, dropping the gauss rifle as she landed, and Hardin followed the sound, finding her and climbing on top of her. He wrapped both hands around her invisible throat, and began to choke the life out of her.

"I don't need to see you to be able to kill you!" He growled as his grip tightened on her throat. Layla tried to draw a weapon, but Hardin's knees rested on her arms, pinning them down. He continued to choke, and Layla felt air leave her body. Seconds before her consciousness left, Layla headbutted Hardin in the face.

He had a hard head, and she was almost certain she'd hurt herself more than she'd hurt him, but to Hardin the attack had come out of nowhere, so he hadn't been able to brace himself for the impact. He was knocked off balance, and Layla used the opportunity to push him off her. She rolled to her feet and he did the same. He rushed for the gauss rifle that lay on the floor, and Layla took a throwing knife out of her pocket. A simple throw, and Hardin would be little more than a memory.

_No._ A voice in her head that sounded like Veronica objected. _Don't kill him._ Layla cursed under her breath before putting away the throwing knife and rushing Hardin. He dropped to his knees and picked up the gauss rifle, just in time to be kicked in the face by an invisible foot. The blow caused him to drop the rifle again, and knocked him back. He hit his head against the desk, knocking him unconscious.

Layla pulled out her combat knife and crouched down next to Hardin, intending to slit his throat. Veronica's voice in her head forced her to desist however, and she found that she couldn't disobey it. _You'd better appreciate this Veronica._ Layla thought to herself as she picked up Hardin's keycard and left the room.

*A few minutes later*

The Veronica voice didn't stop as Layla crept to the room with the self destruct terminal. It only increased in intensity as it tried desperately to convince Layla not to destroy the bunker. She was almost certain she was going mad. _There'll be time to worry about that later._ She thought as she reached the terminal. There were three slots, one for each keycard. Layla sat her bag down on the floor and opened it. The cards gleamed at her in the room's artificial light.

_You can't do this._ The Veronica voice pleaded as Layla inserted the Head Scribe's keycard. _You know better than anyone what it's like to lose a family. You can't make your best friend, your only friend, go through the same thing._ Layla didn't want to do this. She wished there was some other way, but there wasn't, and she knew it. Caesar would never let the Brotherhood join him, and the Legion was the only organization with the manpower to oppose the NCR. In order to avenge her family, Layla had no choice but to wipe out the family of the girl she loved like a sister.

_Who are you to decide that? _The voice continued to debate as Layla inserted the Head Paladin's keycard. _You can't kill her family for yours. If you do that, you'll be becoming the very thing you swore to kill._ That thought stopped her cold. She didn't know where this voice was coming from, probably it was just her imagining what Veronica would say if she was present, but the voice had a damn good point. Layla hated the NCR more than anything in existence, so the last thing she wanted was to become her enemy. There was no other way however, and she knew it. _Either I become them and kill them, or don't become them and let them continue to exist._ It was a difficult choice, a maddening choice, but Layla's thirst for vengeance decided for her.

The voice didn't say anything as Layla inserted the Elder's keycard. Apparently it knew that the argument was lost. The second Layla inserted the final card, an oddly ironic password flashed up on the screen.

'From my cold dead hands.' Layla walked over to the second computer and typed in the code. Immediately a warning message popped up, warning her of what would happen if she pressed the button. It warned her that if she pressed this button, the bunker would self destruct, and everyone inside would die. It said that if she was not sure, she should press the cancel button immediately. 'Are you sure you wish to activate the self destruct protocol?' The message asked, and Layla realised she had no idea.

_This isn't right. _She knew that for a fact, but sometimes people had to do things that weren't right. That's why Layla was allied with a group of sociopathic misogynists in order to bring down an organization that arguably brought law and order to the Mojave. When Layla thought about pressing the self destruct button, all she could think about was Veronica's tear stricken face. That made her finger venture towards the cancel button. When she neared that however, all she could think of was the dead faces of her mother and father. _They didn't deserve that._ She thought angrily. _But the Brotherhood don't deserve this._

Before Layla knew it five minutes had passed. Five minutes of her arguing with herself. Two buttons sat in front of her. One would destroy the Brotherhood, and one would save it. She had no idea which she was going to press, but she knew her stealth boy's charge was wearing off. She'd have to choose one soon, or she'd be visible again, and exposed. _Make a choice. Quickly! _Her mind screamed at her, and Layla obeyed. The time for deliberation was over. Without thinking, she reached out and pressed one of the buttons, deciding the fate of not just the Brotherhood, but herself, and her relationship with Veronica.

*Veronica*

At that very moment, Veronica was wandering Freeside in the dead of night. She'd spent the night drinking at the Atomic Wrangler, but after she'd been unable to pay for drinks they'd refused to let her use Layla's room. So now Veronica was heading towards the Follower's Fort, hoping they could provide her with shelter for night.

_I thought I loved her._ She thought bitterly as she made her way through Freeside's moonlit streets. _I was willing to throw my life away to help her avenge her family, but then I find out she's willing to throw my family's lives away!_ She kicked the corpse of a giant rat as she walked, knocking it a few good feet away.

_She doesn't give a shit about anyone but herself._ Veronica was fairly drunk, which was quite a new experience for her, but even in her inebriated state, she was thinking clearly. Not clearly enough to walk straight, but clearly enough to know she'd been wrong about Layla. _I've been such an idiot._ She turned a corner, and finally the Follower's Fort was in sight. _She's probably at the Legion's camp licking Caesar's boots right now._

Veronica's head began to swim and she took a second to steady herself on a nearby lamppost. She didn't see somebody behind her stop moving at exactly the same time. After a few seconds her head stopped spinning and she moved again. The person behind her did likewise. _I thought I loved her._ As Veronica got within a few feet of the Fort's front gates, she realised something. _Dammit...I do love her. _Before Veronica could think further on this, the person behind her closed the distance. If she'd been sober, Veronica would've heard the person coming and spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick to the fucker's face. She wasn't sober however, not even close, so her senses were massively dulled, so much so that she didn't even register surprise when a blunt instrument struck her on the back of the head.

Veronica fell right to the ground, and the combination of alcohol and head injury began to make her consciousness fade. She looked up as she sank into unconsciousness, and just had enough time to notice that the assailant was much more well dressed than the regular bums in Freetown, before the assailant struck again, knocking her lights out.

**_That's it, Veronica's walked out the door, and the fate of the Brotherhood rests in Layla's hands. Looks like things aren't going any better for Veronica though. Who attacked her in the middle of the street, and what do they want? More than that, did Layla blow up the bunker? The next chapter holds all the answers._**

**_Also, did Veronica act a little out of character here? I've never seen her angry so...I don't know. _**

**_Review please._**


	29. Showdown with Elegance

_**I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but I've been very busy lately. Since my time in college is coming to an end, I've been scrambling to finish all my leftover work. This hasn't been helped by the fact that my inspiration well's been drying up a litte recently, and writer's block has reared its ugly head once again. Nonetheless, I finished this chapter, my longest chapter in a while, and I'm very happy with it. Hopefully you will be too.**_

Showdown with Elegance

Layla awoke with a start, her sudden cry the only sound penetrating the silence that hung over the Lucky 38 suite. _Another damn nightmare._ She thought in an annoyed tone. She took a few seconds to allow her mind to wake up, and took the time to lie back in bed and enjoy the feel of the luxurious sheets against her naked body. Then, when her mind had rebooted itself, she reached for the lamp on the bedside table. The master bedroom was immediately filled with light, which Layla's eyes took a few seconds to get used to. She then grabbed her Pip Boy from the same bedside table and checked the clock, only to see that it was the 3:25am.

Knowing for a fact that she wouldn't be getting back to sleep any time soon, Layla sighed in annoyance, then got out of bed. She put on the Pip Boy along with her small clothes and made her way to the suite's kitchen. Normally she'd be sneaking to avoid waking up Veronica, but that wasn't a concern anymore. The only other sleeping form in the suite was Rex, but she knew for a fact that he could sleep through a hurricane.

She rooted through the fridge, but found nothing that looked desirable. Her appetite was at an all time low. The middle of the night didn't seem like the right time to have a bottle of whiskey, so she instead settled for a bottle of purified water. She sat down at the dining table, and remembered the night before.

She remembered stealing the three key cards at the Hidden Valley bunker, she remembered inserting them into the terminal and getting the code, then...It had been a split second decision, and she hadn't thought about it in the slightest. She knew that if she had stopped to think about it, then she never would've made up her damn mind. _Well I guess Veronica would be pleased._ Layla thought as she remembered hitting the cancel button. She'd then spent the next few seconds staring dumbfounded at the computer, trying to make sense of her own decision, before silently slinking her way out of the bunker before the stealth boy wore off.

_Caesar is going to be pissed._ Layla knew she didn't give a shit about that though. The real thing that had been on her mind lately was Veronica. Or more specifically, the lack of Veronica. Without Veronica, the suite felt like a crypt. Layla realised that Veronica brought life to the suite, and that she was the only thing keeping Layla from drowning in her own bitterness.

_And as thanks, I tried to kill her family._ Layla rested her head in her hands, before taking a small swig of the water bottle. She missed everything about Veronica; the way that she had always greeted Layla with a smile and brightened up her day, the way that the whole suite smelt pleasantly of shampoo after she'd had a bath, or the way that she always made breakfast for Layla, then watched her eat it. It felt like there was a hole in Layla's life.

"DAMMIT!" Layla yelled in exasperation, and picked up the water bottle before throwing it into the wall. The glass bottle smashed upon impact, and several litres of pure water spilt all over the carpet. _I threw away the only thing in my life that made me smile._ Layla's eyes began to well up with tears, and she angrily wiped them away. Before she could find another inanimate object to take out her frustration on, the tell tale ping of the elevator doors opening filled the suite, and a lone securitron rolled in.

"Ma'am, there's mail for you." The securitron announced, and she turned to see that the bot was carrying a package, with a letter tied to the side of it. Without waiting for a response, the bot dropped the package onto the floor and made its way back to the elevator. Layla quickly glanced at her Pip Boy, and saw that it was now half three in the morning. _Who the hell is sending me crap at this time of night?_ Layla thought in annoyance, before getting to her feet and walking over to the package.

She decided to read the letter first, and ripped it off the side of the box. The letter was contained in a golden envelope, an envelope that Layla wasted no time in eviscerating. She pulled out the letter and saw that it was written on parchment in extravagant handwriting. The handwriting of whoever had sent this message was the least of her concerns however, as she read the brief letter and her eyes widened in shock.

*Letter*

_Dear Layla_

_I know it is late but this matter cannot wait any longer. We have your ally, the woman called Veronica. If you ever want to see her alive again, make your way to Michael Angelo's workshop tonight. If you are not there by dawn, then she will die. To show that I'm not lying, please find enclosed some of your friend's belongings. Don't keep me waiting._

*Layla*

There was no signature. _Of course there isn't, like these bastards would want me to know who they are._ Layla couldn't believe what she was reading, and she felt the room start to spin. _No. Whoever this fucker is, they're lying._ There was only one way to be sure. Layla immediately picked up the package that the letter had been tied to. Opening it proved challenging, but Layla wasn't about to let a cardboard box stand in her way, and she ripped the box open.

The speed of her beating heart doubled as a power fist dropped out of the box. _It could be anybody's power fist._ Layla's mind insisted, but she ignored it. There was dried blood on the knuckles, and Layla could just make out a little doodle on the palm of the glove, drawn with a pencil. Only Veronica would draw on her weapon. More doubts entered her mind but they were quickly dispelled as Layla continued her excursion into the box and found a small, brown hood. _Veronica's hood._ No more doubts filled Layla's mind now, but the kidnapper had included one more item just to make sure. Right at the bottom of the box, Layla found several locks of small, brown hair, tied together with tape.

Her blood can cold, and she began to fill with dread and concern. That concern was quickly replaced with anger as she dropped the box and kicked it into the wall. _They can fuck with me all they want. But if they touch a hair on her head, I'll skin them alive. And of course, they have touched a hair on her head._

Layla quickly and determinedly dashed back to the master bedroom, before getting dressed in a thick set of combat armour. She loaded all her weapons and equipment into her bag, and threw it over her shoulder. She put her sword in its holster, before attaching the thigh holster to the pant leg of her combat armour. Then she tied her headband around her head, and put on her aviator sunglasses. _There's going to be blood tonight._ She thought as a red mist began to descend over her vision and she entered the elevator.

*A few minutes later*

Layla was never more glad for the distinct lack of neon in the southwest corner of Vegas. It allowed her to go completely unseen by the NCR military police officers at the NC embassy across the road from Michael Angelo's workshop, and allowed Layla to enter unseen. The change in atmosphere was instantaneous as Layla snuck into the workshop. For one thing, there were no windows in the workshop, so no neon from the strip shone in, leaving an imposing darkness. For another thing, Layla couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Drawing her sword as she moved, Layla silently snuck through the reception area, and into the workshop's main floor. The place had clearly been a factory before the war, as Layla was surrounded on all sides by giant, imposing pieces of machinery. All she could see of these machines were shadows however, as the workshop floor was almost pitch black. Layla couldn't see a thing as she reached the middle of the factory floor, and stopped.

Before she could so much as announce her arrival, the workshop was suddenly bathed in light. Even her sunglasses didn't protect Layla from the sudden brightness, and she was left temporarily blinded. When her vision managed to return, Layla saw that she was currently standing in a large circle of light. The rest of the factory floor was in darkness. Before she could wonder what the hell was going on, Layla saw a large spotlight on a balcony above her. At that instant another spotlight sprung into action, and illuminated the area in front of Layla, allowing her to see Veronica.

Veronica was currently on her knees on the other side of the factory floor, bound with rope and gagged with what Layla realised was a tie. She seemed to be unconscious, but then her eyes opened. They were filled with dismay, but when she saw Layla a glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes. Before Layla could move towards her friend, she sensed movement, and saw that several forms were moving around outside of the part of the workshop illuminated by the two spotlights. Layla couldn't see the figures very well because of the light, but she could tell that they were humanoid, and that they had her surrounded.

"Well well, if it isn't the famous Courier herself, in the flesh." Layla's eyes scanned the workshop as the mocking voice disrupted the silence that had thus far filled the factory floor. Layla realised she recognised the voice, and as if on cue, a female figure walked into the light.

The female figure walked out of the darkness and entered the area of the warehouse illuminated by the spotlight, and walked to stand next to Veronica. She wore a pink dress with only one shoulder strap, but wore a dark trenchcoat over the dress that covered most of her body. Layla doubted it was the height of fashion, which was surprising, seeing as the woman who stood before her loved nothing more than to be at the height of fashion and adored elegance in all its forms.

"Marjorie." Layla said, her voice filled with venom. A small but confident smile played on the lips of the White Glove Society's leader as she stood next to the knelt form of Veronica. Layla was annoyed at herself for not figuring this out sooner. The extravagant handwriting and the gold envelope should've made alarm bells ring in her head.

"Hello Layla." Marjorie spat out Layla's name, as though she'd tasted something foul. "Sorry about the meeting place, but it seemed appropriate. Michael Angelo has several outstanding gambling depts in the Ultra Luxe, and I offered to remove those depts in return for the use of his workshop tonight."

"I've got to be honest; I didn't think the White Glove Society would resort to kidnapping. It seems much too **common** for your refined tastes."

"When you're in danger of losing everything that you spent your entire life trying to build, then you're more than willing to take desperate measures." Layla was done with polite conversation, and a threatening look appeared in her eyes.

"Do you remember what I did to Philippe? How I burnt all the skin from his face? Well I'm going to do much worse to you if you don't release Veronica now." Marjorie laughed harshly.

"You're hardly in a position to be threatening me." Marjorie calmly drew a 9mm pistol from her trench coat pocket as she spoke, and pointed it at Veronica's head. "I'm the only one who gets to make threats tonight."

"What the hell do you want Marjorie? You didn't exactly include a list of demands in your letter. Why are you doing this?"

"Because you ruined my life YOU CLASSLESS BITCH!" Marjorie screamed at her with complete and utter hatred. Layla didn't back down in the slightest. "You forced my Society to join the fucking Legion! Of course word got out, and now the whole strip knows! Thanks to you, nobody comes to the Ultra Luxe anymore. The Legion's shadow covers my precious casino, and scares away anyone who would do business there. Nobody wants to go to a casino associated with the NCR's sworn enemy. It won't be long before the NCR shuts us down. You've single handedly destroyed everything I've spent my entire life trying to build."

"My heart bleeds for you." Layla said sarcastically.

"The only way I can get back our business is by severing all ties with the Legion. But of course if I do that, you'll just blackmail me, won't you, you little Legion whore? To that end, we captured your friend in order to lure you here. Even White Gloves must get stained with blood from time to time." To Marjorie's surprise, Layla burst out laughing.

"This is your idea of a trap?" Layla smiled sadistically. "You've just signed your own fucking death warrant." It was Marjorie's turn to laugh. They seemed to be taking turns.

"Do you really think I'd come here alone?"

"No, but I'm not scared of a few snobs wielding dress canes. Especially when I have this." Layla pointed her sword at Marjorie threateningly. Marjorie didn't respond, she simply snapped her fingers. As if on cue, two White Gloves entered the illuminated area and stood on either side of Marjorie. They were armed, but to Layla's surprise, not with dress canes. They were carrying much more formidable weapons.

"Still feeling confident?" Marjorie asked mockingly, as the White Gloves on either side of her took aim with their assault carbines. Layla was surprised by the heavy firepower. They were clearly playing hardball. _Wait a minute...those guns look like NCR issue._ The anger in Layla's eyes intensified as realization dawned on her. "We're not taking any chance with you. A few bullets, and it will all be over."

"What makes you think the idiotic snobs that work for you can aim straight?" As if on cue, one of the Gloves standing next to Marjorie fired his carbine. The bullet flew straight towards Layla, and missed her skull by a few inches, before thudding into the wall behind her.

"We weren't always 'snobs' Layla. Before we met House, we were tribals. We haven't forgotten our primitive skills." Layla's eyes drifted to the unlit area of the workshop, and was just able to make out several humanoid shapes, all around her and on the catwalks above her. All probably wielding assault carbines too. _Shit. This could be tougher than I thought._ "With you gone, we will finally be able to break off from the wretched Legion. Mortimer won't like that, but he's next on my hit list. His little cannibalism fetish is what started all this anyway. With you and that imbecile gone, there'll be nothing tying me to the Legion."

"You think they'll let you get away with that?" Marjorie sighed, as though she were talking to a child.

"What are they going to do, come after us in a city filled with NCR soldiers and securitons? They won't get past the gates." Layla was trying to keep Marjorie talking, so she could find a way to get Veronica, kill the snobbish bitch and escape without getting riddled with holes. She found none. Then she looked up at the spotlights, and an idea began to form.

"Don't I get a last request?" Layla asked sarcastically.

"No." Marjorie replied, simply and coldly. "Remove this mongrel from my sight gentlemen. I want to get the new drapes installed in the casino tonight." The Gloves on either side of Marjorie obediently cocked their assault carbines. At the exact same moment, Layla grabbed That Gun off her thigh holster. Marjorie responded with mocking laughter. "By all means, go down fighting." She taunted, but was surprised when Layla didn't aim the gun at her. Instead, she aimed at the spotlights above.

"It's a little too bright in here for my liking." She said cockily, before quickly firing at the spotlights. Her first bullet destroyed one of the spotlights, causing it to explode into a shower of glass. Before anyone in the workshop could do so much as blink, she had already loaded another bullet and fired again. This bullet destroyed the second spotlight, plunging the area into darkness. There was a brief silence afterwards, then Marjorie reacted.

"KILL HER!" She screamed at the top of her voice, breaking the silence. Several gunshots filled the workshop then, as the Gloves began to fire madly into the darkness. It was hopeless however; none of them could even see their hands in front of their faces. Layla quickly went prone on the factory floor, before popping a pill of Cateye. Immediately, her vision began to take on a blue tint, and she could easier make out objects in the darkness. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU IDIOTS? TURN ON THE DAMN LIGHTS!" Marjorie continued to shriek. For a snob, she had quite a pair of lungs on her. Knowing she wouldn't be hidden for long, Layla sprung into action.

She put her sword back in its holster, and ran towards Veronica. She tossed her friend over her shoulder in a fireman's carry, and continued running without stopping. There was an old billboard lying in the corner of the workshop, and that was her destination. Just as she neared the billboard, one of the White Gloves found the light switch and flicked it on. Still in night vision mode from the Cateye, Layla was blinded as the lights turned back on. She closed her eyes to ignore the blindness however, and continued to run. Just as the first sounds of gunshots began to fill the room, Layla dived behind the billboard, still holding Veronica as she did so.

As Layla had guessed, the billboard was made of steel, so the bullets simply bounced off. She and Veronica landed in a heap on the other side of the billboard, and Layla quickly got into a crouch before removing the tie that was gagging Veronica.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you." Veronica said sternly, though her smile betrayed her true feelings.

"I know." Layla said with a smile. Then her expression turned serious." Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"They smacked me on the back of the head with something hard, probably a cane. Besides the likely head trauma, I'm fine."

"Bastards." Layla's expression turned to one of anger. "I'll kill the lot of them."

"How? We are pinned down here." Layla stopped for a second to think, then looked Veronica in the eyes.

"How well can you shoot?" Veronica looked at her quizzically.

"Seriously?" Layla nodded. "Well...I'm not amazing with a gun, but I've had some training."

"Do you think you could shoot out those lights? I took some Cateye, so my vision isn't so great at the moment." Layla got out her combat knife and sliced the ropes holding Veronica. She then withdrew her knife and handed Veronica That Gun.

"Not a problem." Veronica grinned, before leaning over the billboard slightly and shooting at the nearest light. The bullet missed completely, and Layla shook her head in disbelief. "Hey! My fighting style consists of punching people in the face. You try punching people for most of your life, then picking up a gun and immediately shooting like a sharpshooter." She loaded another round into That Gun, then tried again. The next bullet was dead on, and took out one of the lights. Veronica squealed in excitement, and Layla eyed her curiously. "If you tell anyone I did that, then I will punch you." Veronica took a deep breath, then loaded another round and aimed at the second and final light in the workshop. She closed her eyes, and fired again. She heard a brief pang as the bullet hit the light, and when she opened her eyes, it was pitch black in the workshop.

"Perfect." Layla said with a surprising amount of merriment. Veronica couldn't see anything, but she assumed Layla was smiling. "Stay down. I'll be back in a bit. If you hear males screaming in pain, then you know I'm doing well." With that, Layla took That Gun from Veronica, put it back in her holster, and drew her sword.

All the Gloves had stopped firing after the lights went out, stunned by their sudden blindness. Layla could see perfectly thanks to the Cateye, and she could see that there were four Gloves on the same floor as her. She climbed over the billboard, making no sound whatsoever, before rushing the nearest Glove. He barely had time to scream as she stabbed him through the neck with her sword. As he fell to the floor, blood spurting from his neck, a nearby Glove seemed to sense something was wrong, and took aim in her general direction. Before he could take aim however, she rushed him and sliced off both his hands. He screamed loudly in pain for about a second, before Layla beheaded him. The other Gloves knew something was wrong now, and began firing randomly all over the workshop. Veronica was safe behind the billboard, and Layla went prone on the ground, so none of the bullets hit their intended targets.

Layla stifled a laugh as one of the White Gloves headshotted a fellow snob, and had no idea. As the Gloves continued to spray erratically, they took down more of their fellow snobs than they did enemies. Only five seconds had passed since they'd started shooting, and already the last two Gloves on the ground floor had died. A Glove on the one of the catwalks had also fallen over the balcony railing and down to the hard floor below. A sickening crack emerged from his neck, and it didn't take a doctor to figure out he was dead. Only three Gloves remained on the upper balcony now, and as Layla watched, Marjorie ran up there too, taking the steps two at a time. The Gloves somehow managed to avoid inflicting friendly fire damage on their leader, and Marjorie reached the top of the stairs before running into a small office, which Layla realised must've belonged to the foreman back when this place had been a factory.

The Gloves on the balcony above finally emptied their clips, and stopped to reload. Layla saw her chance, and ran for the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. She bolted up the stairs in record time, and reached the top just as the Gloves finished reloading. She stopped for a second to decide whether to pursue Marjorie or deal with the remaining Gloves. _Marjorie's no threat. I'll kill these snobs first, then I'll go after her._ She mentally decided, before rushing the nearest Glove.

He had just finished reloading, and was looking confident. That confidence vanished as Layla stabbed her sword straight through his stomach. The Glove was obviously trying to scream, but words failed him. Layla assumed blood was coming out of his mouth because it began to dribble down his chin. Eventually the Glove went limp, and she pulled her sword out of him before kicking his still standing corpse. The corpse flew back and over the balcony railing, before falling downwards and hitting the hard floor with a sickening crunch.

As insane as it was, Layla realised that she enjoyed being a silent predator. She loved the intoxicating sense of power she felt as she approached an enemy who couldn't see her, and the fear that radiated off the essentially blind idiots just before she killed them only added to the exhilaration. Of course, all these thoughts were buried at the moment, as Layla silently stalked the remaining two Gloves.

The Glove she was now approaching seemed to be smarter than the others, as he wasn't simply firing blindly. He was looking around thoughtfully (Layla assumed it was thoughtfully, as she couldn't actually see his face due to his mask), and seemingly listening out for even the slightest sound. His enhanced perception didn't help him however as Layla sliced his leg off. He screamed loudly in pain, before losing his balance and toppling over the balcony railing. He screamed in agony all the way down to the floor, before a sickening crunch silenced him.

The last Glove was terrified. He fired madly all over the workshop, shouting for help as he did so. He shouted to all his friends to help him, asked where the hell everyone was, and all the while Layla snuck up behind him. Just as she reached him, Layla's Cateye wore off. At that range however, she didn't need to see. As the Glove continued to shout in front of him shouting for help, Layla stood behind him, and stabbed forwards. She had no idea where she stabbed the Glove, but he immediately stopped firing and stopped shouting. The only sounds he made were a few whimpers of pain, then a few seconds later he went quiet. Layla pulled her sword out, allowing the corpse to topple over the railing like all the others.

Layla stopped for a second to get her breath back, and turned on her Pip Boy light. At the same time, a light turned on in the foreman's office where Marjorie was currently hiding. Layla readied her blade, and made her way to the office. The second she reached the office she kicked the door violently, knocking it clean off its hinges, and walked in. The office was fairly small and mostly empty. There were a few computers scattered about, as well as a window showing the rest of the workshop.

Layla immediately saw Marjorie at the other end of the office, but was surprised to see that she had a White Glove on either side of her. More to the point, these Gloves actually looked formidable. They were both almost seven foot tall and were solid walls of muscle, with biceps to rival most super mutants. They didn't wear the jackets of most Gloves, instead just wearing sleeveless white shirts. Also neither of them were wielding assault carbines like the idiots Layla had just dispatched. Instead, they were both wielding dress canes, the traditional White Glove weapon. Before Layla could ponder this, she sensed a presence behind her, and realised that somebody may have been standing behind the door. Her suspicion was confirmed less than a second later as she was struck painfully on the back of the head with a blunt object.

The blow knocked Layla right to the floor, making her drop her sword and knocking off her sunglasses. She lay on her stomach, then rolled onto her back to see that there had indeed been a Glove behind her. He was just as muscular as the other two, and the ivory handle of the dress cane he held was covered with blood and hair. _My blood and hair. _She realised angrilly.

"Layla, allow me to introduce to you Gregory, Theodore, and Igor." Marjorie said. "These three used to have an unhealthy addiction to buffout. The good news is, the buffout has made them towering walls of muscle. These three will be entertaining you for the rest of this evening." Layla tried to respond, but her head was spinning. _If that idiot gave me a concussion I swear to god I'll slice his balls off. _She thought with a huge amount of rage. Eventually she managed to get her thoughts together.

"When I'm done with you Marjorie, you'll be begging me to kill you." It was an impressive retort seeing as Layla could barely think straight at the moment. Nonetheless, it was met by ridicule from Marjorie.

"I highly doubt that." The arrogance in her voice made Layla's blood boil. "Gentlemen, beat her to death."

"Yes madam." The thug that had struck her responded. On that note, Marjorie strolled out of the office, leaving her three ogres to deal with Layla. The thug that had struck Layla raised his cane over his head. This was a perfect chance for Layla to draw a throwing knife and throw it expertly at his genitals. She missed by mere inches, and the knife instead stabbed into the thug's thigh. He stumbled backwards, but otherwise didn't show any sign of pain. Layla quickly grabbed her sword, just as the other two thugs rushed her. She sweep kicked them both from her position on the floor, knocking them to the floor too, before rolling to her feet.

Layla could barely think straight, but killing didn't require thought. Not anymore. She'd developed a kind of feral instinct as she'd killed people over the years. Now all she had to do was flip a switch in her mind, and instinct took over, allowing rationality and the other sane parts of her brain to take a back seat and watch the carnage.

The Glove with a knife in his thigh angrily rushed Layla, swinging his cane in a wide arc as he did so. Layla ducked under his strike, before slashing his chest with her blade. He backed away as she slashed, so only the tip of her blade made contact, leaving the Glove with a bloody but shallow cut on his chest.

Before Layla could prepare another strike, a strong hand grabbed her from behind by the hair. She gritted her teeth in pain as the Glove wrenched her hair, and smacked her continuously in the back with his cane. Layla elbowed the Glove in the ribs, but he didn't even flinch, and definitely didn't loosen his grip. The Glove with a knife in his thigh prepared to smack her in the face with his cane. Since both of Layla's arms were free, she pulled out her combat knife with the hand that wasn't holding her sword, and stabbed the Glove behind her in the stomach. This time he reacted, as he grunted in surprise and pain, and loosed his grip on her head. Layla stomped violently on his foot, and that did the trick. She was wearing heavy combat boots, he was wearing expensive but mostly soft leather shoes. It was no contest. The Glove howled in pain as Layla broke several of his toes, and she finally managed to break free from his grasp.

The Glove in front of her chose this moment to finally swing his cane. Layla let go of her combat knife, leaving it sticking out of the stomach of the Glove behind her, before ducking under the swing of the Glove in front of her. The cane struck the Glove who had held her by the hair in his masked face, knocking him straight to the floor. Before the Glove with a knife in his thigh could react, Layla kneed him in the balls. He stumbled back slightly, but didn't fall, so she roundhouse kicked him in the face. She was surprised when he grabbed her leg mid kick with one hand, before striking her in the face with the cane he held in the other hand.

Her head snapped back as the strike knocked her across the office. The third glove, the one who hadn't attacked her yet, rushed her. She had just enough time to notice that he had a ponytail before he tackled her to the floor. All air left Layla's lungs and she dropped her sword as she hit the floor with the Glove on top of her. One of his knees rested on each of her arms, leaving them stuck. She was helpless as the glove raised his cane over his head. She tried to look for a way to escape, and noticed that, due to the position she was in, the Glove's crotch was right in front of her. Thinking fast, she headbutted him in the balls.

A high pitched whine left the Glove's mouth as he blow hit its target, and he dropped his cane. He also lost his balance, and toppled off her, before landing next to her. Layla quickly grabbed the Glove's cane before rolling on top of him. He had just enough time to widen his eyes underneath his mask before Layla smacked him in the face. The mask took some of the impact, but the ivory handle still managed to do some damage. The Glove's mask began to stain red as blood from the head wound she'd inflicted poured down his face. She prepared another strike, when rough arms wrapped around her waist.

The owner of the arms lifted her off the floor, before throwing her into the far wall with obscene strength. She hit the wall painfully, and rebounded off it before landing face first on the floor, dropping the cane as she did so. The combat armour had taken some of the impact, but Layla still felt some severe pain in her spine. Ignoring the back pain, she got to her knees to see the Glove with the knife in his thigh. Clearly he was the one who had just thrown her, and he angrily ran forward before kicking her in the face. Layla spat blood from her mouth and felt her nose shatter as the kick knocked her back against the wall. She sat against the wall as the Glove approached her, cane at the ready. As she sat, she saw his friends get up too. The Glove with a combat knife in his belly and several broken toes got unsteadily to his feet, as did the Glove with a ponytail and a bleeding head wound.

Her vision began to go blurry as the Glove with a knife in his thigh raised his cane over his head. _STAY CONCIOUS DAMMIT! _Her mind screamed at her, but her body wouldn't obey. Seconds before her vision faded to black, a loud sound snapped her out stupor. It was a gunshot, and the one who had fired stood in the doorway of the office.

"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU BASTARDS!" Veronica screamed, and the Glove who'd been about to strike Layla fell dead to the floor, as the hole Veronica had just shot through him began to bleed heavily. The other two Gloves looked at each other for a few seconds, then rushed Veronica while she was loading another bullet. That proved to be a mistake however. Veronica ducked under the strike of the Glove with a knife in his stomach before elbowing him in the throat. A surprised gasp emitted from his mouth before she used That Gun to pistol whip him in the chin, knocking his head back, then kicked him in the knee. The precise angle of her kick dislocated the man's knee and he screamed in pain before falling to the floor. His screams vanished as he lost consciousness a few seconds later. The Glove with the ponytail continued to rush Veronica. He was unarmed since Layla had his cane, but didn't let that stop him.

He delivered a powerful but clumsy punch to Veronica's face. She calmly moved her head to the side to dodge the punch, and the Glove punched the hard steel wall. He cried out as the blow broke his hand, before striking Veronica with his other hand. She blocked the attack with one hand, before hitting the man in the face with three quick jabs using the other hand. He stumbled back slightly, and she pistol whipped him in the ribs before slamming both hands against either side of his head. He swayed on his feet, disoriented, and Veronica finished by kneeing him in the face. She had to jump up to do so since the Glove was so damn tall, but her blow knocked him right to the floor. Veronica landed on her feet and calmly dusted herself off before running over to Layla. Layla looked at Veronica in shocked awe, then looked at the crumpled forms of the Gloves.

"What? You're not the only one who can kick ass. Even without my power fist." Veronica said casually with a huge grin as she helped Layla to her feet.

"Thanks." Layla said weakly.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you by the way." Veronica said, still grinning despite herself.

"I know." Layla smiled, then swayed a little as pain ran through her head. Veronica held her steady, and looked at her friend with concern.

"Are you okay?"

"I've been better."

"Your nose is broken."

"I thought as much. I also think I've got a concussion and a spinal injury."

"Can you walk?" Layla answered Veronica's question by taking that Gun, walking over to the unconscious Gloves, and headshotting both of them. She then retrieved her combat knife and the throwing knife she'd used, and picked up her sword. She holstered That Gun before readying her blade.

"Let's go kill that bitch." Veronica nodded her agreement, and they ran out of the office. The second they left the office, a gunshot filled the workshop. Layla pushed Veronica to the side to avoid the incoming bullet. The bullet hit her in the arm, and she fell back against the outside wall of the office as pain filled her.

"THIS ISN'T OVER YOU CLASSLESS WHORE!" Marjorie screeched like a banshee, standing a few feet away from Layla as she did so. "I WILL NOT BE KILLED BY YOU!" She shot Layla again with her 9mm pistol, this time in the kneecap. Layla cried out in pain, falling to the floor as she did so. "I'M BETTER THAN YOU!" The pain was too much, Layla was barely still conscious. Marjorie was slowly walking towards her now. The normally extravagant woman's eyes were now bloodshot, and filled with fury and insanity. She took aim at Layla's head as she reached her, but didn't notice Veronica, lying in the shadow of the doorway.

Before Marjorie could fire again, Veronica sprung to her feet. She leapt towards Marjorie, before delivering a flying kick. The kick hit Marjorie in the ribs, and knocked her back against the railing of the catwalk. The 9mm pistol flew from her grip as she stumbled, and fell of the catwalk. Marjorie glared at Veronica, before grabbing her dress cane from her belt and rushing the scribe. She swung again and again, but her lack of training and combat experience was evident. The swings were wild and amateurish, and it took almost no effort from Veronica to dodge every strike. She batted away Marjorie's last strike, before letting loose a strike of her own. She punched Marjorie in the face with crippling force, channelling all the anger and frustration that had built up over the past few days into the blow. Marjorie was knocked sprawling backwards, and over the railing. She grabbed the railing before falling, but her lack of upper body strength showed that she wouldn't be able to hang on for long. She dropped her cane as she held on, and it fell down to the factory floor below, before smashing into pieces.

"Help me!" She cried out pitifully, as tears began to pour from her eyes and smudge her makeup. "I'm begging you! Help me!" Veronica walked over to Marjorie, and looked at her with uncompromising hatred.

"Are you fucking serious?" Marjorie was taken aback by the rage in Veronica's voice, and flinched as though she'd been struck. "You kidnapped me to lure my best friend into a trap, you sent several idiotic thugs after her, you shot her in the arm and the kneecap, then you tried to beat me to death, and you want me to help you?" Veronica laughed harshly.

"I can't die! I'm a member of the social elite!" Marjorie could barely talk now, as she tried to choke back tears. "I'm...I'm better than you!" Veronica's fist clenched tightly.

"No. You're not." Veronica leant over the balcony and grabbed her hand. Marjorie thought Veronica was saving her, and was about to thank her, when she screamed in pain as Veronica twisted, and snapped her wrist. Unable to hold on, Marjorie fell to the factory floor below. She screamed in pain and anger as she fell, but stopped as she hit the floor, and a sickening crunch filled the workshop.

"Veronica..." Layla said weakly, trying and failing to get to her feet as she did so.

"I'm here." Veronica ran over to Layla and helped her to her feet.

"I...I passed out there for a second." Layla was barely still conscious, exhaustion threatening to make her pass out. "What happened? Did Marjorie..."

"She got what was coming to her."

"Good." Layla smiled wanly. "Does this mean...are you...moving back in?"

"I'll tell you back at the suite." Layla's smiled widened considerably. Veronica said one more thing before Layla passed out.

"Oh and Layla?"

"Yeah?"

"This doesn't mean I forgive you."

"I know." With that, Layla's consciousness faded, and everything went black.

**_Did Marjorie seem out of character? I don't think so. She was a snob who was losing everything and was coming dangerously close to becoming a commoner. Since she values being above regular people more than anything, I thought that would drive her insane._**

**_For those of you who thought this chapter was too action based, I apologise. For those of you who thought there wasn't enough action...what the hell do you want from me? 12 people died in this chapter, most of them painful and violent deaths. That's enough death._**

**_If it seems like Veronica is forgiving Layla too quickly...she hasn't forgiven her yet. She did say that 3 times. This doesn't stop her from fighting for her friend though._**

**_Okay, I need some reviews, because I don't know if this story's going downhill or what. Any and all crticism is most definitely welcome. More than that, it's encouraged, so crticise away. And before anyone asks...I have no idea when the next chapter will be done by. Hopefully it won't take too long._**


	30. The General, the Sniper, and the Merc

_**Remember Chapter 3 and Chapter 20? Remember how they involved important figures within the NCR talking about Layla and recapping her misdeeds, while foreshadowing events for the future? Yeah, this chapter is another one of those. This chapter will focus a lot less on recapping however, and lot more on foreshadowing. It also introduces a brand new OC, the mercenary referenced in the title. Should be fun.**_

The General, the Sniper, and the Mercenary

"I'm not pleased Boone." That much was obvious. Oliver hadn't been pleased since Boone had 'failed' to kill Layla at Bitter Springs. He sat at his desk now, a serious look on his face. Boone stood in front of the desk, emotionless as usual. "Kimball's been on my ass ever since you fucked up that assassination attempt on Layla." Oliver took out an engraved hip flask and opened it, before taking a sip of the, no doubt alcoholic, beverage inside. He'd been drinking a lot more lately, most likely to deal with the stress.

"I'll get her next time sir." Boone responded in his characteristically gravelly voice.

"There isn't going to be a next time you idiot! Kimball's threatening to get us both kicked out of the NCR."

"Sir, I can kill her."

"Well Kimball doesn't believe it. In the few weeks since you screwed up at Bitter Springs, Layla's managed to get both the Boomers and White Glove Society on the Legion's side. Kimball's speech is next week, and Layla's still alive."

"Sir, just give me more time."

"That's exactly what I had to say to Kimball. I had to fucking BEG him to give us another week to kill the bitch. Fortunately, he said yes, but now we need a plan."

"That's where I come in." A man suddenly walked through the door, and Boone drew his hunting rifle in the blink of an eye. The man was of medium height and build, but made up for his unthreatening appearance by being armed to the teeth. He had a unique looking varmint rifle on his back that looked to be made of black stainless steel. The rifle was heavily customised, with an extended magazine, a night vision scope and even a silencer. The man also had several holsters all over his body, most likely for grenades, pistols and SMGs. A ripper also hung from his belt, with was stained with blood. The man wore a bounty hunter duster, with a black shirt underneath and baggy white trousers. He also wore a brown hood over his head, but took it off as he entered. He was completely bald, and had a small amount of stubble on his face, along with piercing blue eyes. He looked to be in his early thirties, and a few wrinkles were starting to form on his otherwise young looking face.

"Hold your fire Boone. He's on our side." Boone clearly wasn't sure. The man wasn't wearing an NCR uniform for one thing. "He's a mercenary I hired to help us kill Layla. Lower your damn weapon." Boone obeyed, and holstered his rifle.

"You hired a mercenary sir? Why?" Boone wasn't pleased about this. He didn't trust anyone who wasn't in the NCR. Oliver knew this, but he didn't give a shit.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures Boone. Our careers are on the line. Times don't get more desperate." Boone nodded his agreement, and walked over to the merc, offering his hand.

"My name is Craig Boone." The merc looked at Boone for a second, then to Boone's surprise, he got out a coin. The coin looked to be quite old, older than the Great War even, and was made of silver. The tales side of the coin was stained red with what Boone realised was blood. Old blood by the look of it, as the blood had long since dried. Why the man hadn't cleaned the coin, Boone had no idea. The situation got even stranger as the man flipped the coin. Boone's eyes followed the coin as it flew into the air, then dropped down. The man caught it, and looked at the result. It was tales. He then put the coin back in his pocket, and stayed silent. He didn't shake Boone's had either, so Boone took his hand back. "Sir?" He asked Oliver, confused as to the man's actions.

"His name is Campbell. He's got a deadly reputation in Freeside, both for being a lethal assassin and mercenary, and for being insane." Campbell responded to this statement by flipping his coin again. This time it came up heads.

"Insane is a strong word." The man finally spoke. He had a charismatic voice, the kind used by a sweet talker or a con man.

"It's an accurate word though."

"Now general, if you thought I was insane, you wouldn't have hired me."

"I do think you're insane, but I hired you anyway because of your record. You're a calculating killing machine, and that's what we need right now."

"I'm touched." Campbell said sarcastically.

"Tell Boone your credentials." Campbell flipped his coin again, to Boone's continued confusion. It came up heads.

"Very well." Campbell turned to face Boone. "Let's see, where to start? I'm an expert with most conventional firearms. Can't use energy weapons, but if it fires a bullet, grenade or missile, I can use it. I prefer to fight from afar using the Ratslayer here." He motioned to the rifle on his back. "If enemies get close though then I give them a taste of this beauty." He motioned to the ripper on his belt. "I have some demolitions experience, meaning I'm good with grenades and mines. My most useful attribute however is my brain." He motioned to his head this time. "Ironic I know, since I'm supposedly insane. Anyway, I'm what you might call, a genius. I'm skilled with most technology apart from energy weapons, I'm an expert hacker, and I have some medical experience. I'm also a master strategist and a skilled negotiator." He smiled as he finished.

"You said you had a plan?" Boone asked emotionlessly. Campbell flipped his coin for the fourth time, to Boone's continued ire, and it came up tales. He stayed silent. Boone was beginning to lose his patience now. It seemed he wasn't the only one.

"Answer him dammit!" Oliver yelled. Campbell smiled, then flipped his coin again. Boone caught the coin this time, his patience at an end.

"Do as the general says." Boon said sternly. Campbell responded by rapidly drawing a 10mm pistol from one of his holsters and pointing it right between Boone's eyes. When he next spoke, all the charismatic charm was gone from his voice, and his expression was blank.

"If you don't give me back my coin in the next three seconds, I'll decorate the walls with your fucking brains." Campbell sounded deadly serious.

"I'd like to see you try." Boone responded in an icy, threatening tone.

"One." Boone didn't make any move to hand over the coin. Campbell's finger tightened on the trigger. "Two."

"Give him his damn coin back Boone, we don't have time for this." Oliver said with authority.

"Sir, he's clearly a psychopath. He's pointing a gun to my head because I took his coin."

"Three."

"DAMMIT BOONE GIVE HIM HIS FUCKING COIN!" Oliver shouted. Boone reluctantly did as he was ordered and handed over the coin. Immediately Campbell put his gun back in its holster and smiled. Then he flipped his coin again. It came up heads.

"In response to your question Boone, yes I do have a plan." It was as though someone had flipped a switch. His voice was charismatic again, and he seemed to have forgotten what had just transpired. "Actually I have two plans. The first I already carried out, but it failed miserably." Oliver looked intrigued.

"What was this first plan?"

"Well, I heard that the White Glove Society wanted revenge against Layla. I thought I could get Majorie and her Society to do our job for us, so I met with her at the casino and convinced her to go after Layla. To help, I suggested she kidnap Layla's sidekick and gave her several assault carbines to give to her men." Oliver's eyes widened considerably.

"How many assault carbines?"

"I believe there were eight."

"The same eight carbines that were recently delivered to Camp McCarran, but were stolen?" The volume of Oliver's voice was rising now.

"Indeed." Oliver slammed his fist on the desk, his face now a mask of rage.

"YOU STOLE WEAPONS FROM THE NCR?" Oliver screamed at Campbell. In response, the merc flipped his coin. It came up heads.

"I did."

"I'M ABOUT TO GET DISHONOURABLY DISCHARGED, AND YOU'RE STEALING WEAPONS FROM US? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?"

"I think you already answered that question when you said I was insane." Oliver's face was bright red, and he looked like he was about to explode. He managed to stop himself however, and took a deep breath before taking a big gulp from his flask.

"We'll discuss that later." Oliver said, sounding much calmer now but with a noticeable edge to his voice. "For now, what is your second plan?" Campbell flipped his coin. It came up tails and, sure enough, he stayed silent. "Goddammit." Oliver's hands clutched at his head, as he barely managed to keep his frustration in check. "If you don't tell us your plan, then you're not getting paid." Campbell's eyes immediately widened.

"You're bluffing." He didn't bother to flip his coin this time.

"I'm not." Campbell reached for his 10mm, and pointed it at Oliver's head.

"We had an agreement. I kill anyone who dishonours an agreement they have with me." Campbell's charismatic voice had gone again, and the cold anger had returned.

"Then kill me." Campbell's eyes locked with Oliver's, then narrowed. He flipped his coin. It came up heads. Campbell gritted his teeth, then returned his pistol to its holster.

"Fine." His voice was angry, but when he next spoke, the unnerving charisma had returned. "I've heard that Layla's sidekick, the one I mentioned in my first plan, is a Brotherhood of Steel scribe." Boone's expression was doubtful, but Oliver's expression was curious.

"Where did you hear that?" Boone asked dubiously.

"From Layla." Boone's eyes and Oliver's widened at exactly the same time. "Relax, I don't know her. She lives in the Lucky 38, and Mr House had her suite bugged. Fortunately, I managed to hack into Mr House's mainframe, and from there I was able to access the cameras and microphones he hid in her suite. From there, I could hear all her juicy gossip. I also know that Layla and her sidekick are going to the Brotherhood of Steel's bunker the day after tomorrow. That's all I could overhear though before all the listening devices and cameras were shut down."

"You know where she lives and you can hack into the Lucky 38's mainframe?" Boone was interested now. "We could simply shut down all the securitrons from the mainframe and attack the suite."

"You can't shut the bots down from the suite." Campbell said casually, twirling his coin in between his fingers as he spoke. "I tried."

"What do you mean you can't shut them down?"

"Simple, you can't. The securitrons don't operate on the mainframe that I accessed. They seem to operate on a different server inside the casino, and I can't gain access to it. That means I can't shut down the bots, and as long as they're operational, you'd need a small army to get into the Lucky 38."

"Which we can't get." Oliver interjected. "The entirety of the NCR's military force is focused on either protecting Kimball during his damn speech next week, or protecting strategic locations against the Legion. Unless you two want to stroll in there and fight off an army of securitrons by yourselves, then attacking the casino isn't an option."

"Like I said though, she won't be there for much longer. She and her sidekick are heading to the Brotherhood bunker the day after tomorrow, and we can follow them there. Once we find the bunker, we can eliminate her, and the Brotherhood, in one fell swoop. We'll kill two birds with one stone."

"So we wait until she's surrounded by a heavily armoured, heavily supplied, and heavily trained group of terrorists, then we rush in?" Boone said sarcastically, a first for him that Oliver was aware. "Excellent plan."

"We don't have to fight them. We just have to stall them."

"Stall them until what?" Oliver asked, eyebrow raised.

"I've done some research on the bunker in question. It was created before the war, and designed to protect VIPs. For some reason I can't understand, they thought the VIPs would be better protected if they put a self destruct button in the base."

"A self destruct button?"

"A terminal. All you have to do is input the command, and the bunker goes off like an oversized mini nuke. There's two terminals, normally you'd need three keycards to get the password from terminal 1, then input the password in terminal 2. Lucky for you, I'm an expert hacker, as I previously stated. I'd be able to hack into terminal two, avoiding all the password protocols, and initiate the self destruct protocol from there. The whole thing would take me about five minutes. Ten at the most."

"And how do you plan to get in there?" Boone asked sceptically.

"Simple. We create a distraction. Send in several NCR soldiers, not the best mind you, just the expendable ones, and have them distract the Brotherhood knights and paladins while I make my way to terminal 2 and hack it."

"We can't get a large enough group of soldiers. The general previously stated that."

"Like I said, we won't be getting the best. Pick some recruits who don't mind dying for the cause. If you can't find any, get some that don't want to die for the cause and lie to them. We send them in, have them distract the Brotherhood, then I sneak in and blow the bunker." Oliver sat back, stroking his chin in contemplation.

"There's a flaw in your plan." He said after a short while." Normal bullets can't even penetrate power armour. We've got some armour piercing rounds, but if we're sending in rookies then it won't make a difference. They'll be slaughtered, and more importantly, they won't distract the Brotherhood for long enough."

"I thought of that." Campbell smiled, and reached into his jacket. A few seconds later, he pulled out a peculiar looking gun. "Allow me to introduce, the pulse gun."

"The what?" Boone asked.

"The pulse gun. When you pull the trigger, the gun fires an electromagnetic pulse that destroys any electronics it comes into contact with. The tech's similar to pulse grenades and pulse mines. The gun used to be stored in Vault 34, but I found out about it a while ago and went to retrieve it."

"And how does this thing help us?" Oliver asked, clearly starting to grow impatient again.

"The electromagnetic pulse that the gun discharges can heavily damage opponents clad in power armour." Oliver looked intrigued, so Campbell continued. "When wearing power armour, the wearer uses complex hydraulics to move around properly. If the pulse comes into contact with those hydraulics, the wearer gets painfully...and most likely fatally...electrocuted."

"Interesting." Oliver said after a brief pause. "But you only have one. We need enough to outfit a small army of rookies."

"This thing is incredibly simple to make, and I've found the blueprints to do so. If I give it to the Gun Runners, they could make us ten copies in a day." Oliver took a brief moment to think, then he leant forward, and looked Campbell in the eyes.

"Alright Campbell, you have my support. I can pull some strings at Camp Golf and get us twenty under achieving rookies. You work on duplicating that pulse gun."

"What about me?" Boone asked. He didn't want to be left out of this assignment, not when it could mean the death of Layla.

"Boone, you'll go with Campbell. During the mission itself, you set up a sniping position outside of the bunker, to kill any Brotherhood scouts who suddenly return, or to wipe out anyone who tries to make a run for it. Are there any questions gentlemen?" Nobody responded. "Good. Campbell, wait outside. I need to speak with Boone." Campbell was about to flip his coin, when he paused. Seemingly remembering Oliver's threat to not pay him, Campbell did as he was told, and walked out of the office. The second he was gone, Boone spoke up.

"Sir, may I speak freely?"

"Go ahead." Oliver answered with a spectacular lack of enthusiasm. He sat back in his seat and drank from his flask as Boone spoke.

"That man is completely insane."

"I don't disagree with you."

"Then why did you hire him sir?

"Because he's also the best."

"But sir...what's wrong with him. That coin..."

"I'm not completely sure." A thoughtful expression covered Oliver's face. "I had him checked out by NCR psychologists and physicians after I hired him. From what they could determine, the man is obsessed with that coin."

"I gathered that much sir."

"You don't understand. The psychologists determined that Campbell cannot function without his coin. If he can't get it back, he mentally and physically shuts down. If the coin isn't returned to him, then he won't eat or sleep until he dies. I considered taking the coin and using it as leverage, but a mercenary is of no use to me if he's comatose."

"Sir, I..."

"There's more." Oliver interrupted. "Campbell can make very few decisions by himself. He relies on that coin to decide anything. The psychologists ran some tests, and they concocted a theory. Whenever faced with a decision of simple difficulty, like what to eat, he can make the decision himself. When placed with a decision of even moderate difficulty however, he has to flip the coin to decide. He mentally cannot resist the urge to flip the coin, except in serious circumstances. The theory also states that when he flips the coin, heads means yes or a positive action, while tails, the blood stained side, means no or a negative action." Boone shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't feel comfortable working with him sir."

"You don't have a choice." Oliver dismissed Boone's worry with authority. "This maniac could be just what we need to bring down Layla. Because of his instability, you'll be following him everywhere. Keep an eye on him, and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid like steal more weapons from the NCR. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

*Campbell*

He heard every word. The door wasn't exactly sound proof, and he could make out every word that left their mouths. The two guards outside hadn't liked his eavesdropping, but a quick coin flip had told him what to do with them. _The coin's always right._ He thought absentmindedly. They thought he was insane? Maybe they were right. Either way it didn't matter to him. He enjoyed letting the coin make his choices, it got rid of the pressure to make choices himself. He'd never made good choices. Well, not according to dad anyway. Dad got out his belt whenever Campbell made a bad choice.

Then they'd come. The bastards had made him choose, Mum, or Dad? He couldn't decide, who would be able to in that situation? As a result of his indecisiveness they chose for him. They chose both. Afterwards, Campbell had made very few choices himself, fearful of the consequences. He let Dad's lucky coin do the work. It was a magnificent coin, though Dad's blood still covered it. He'd never dared to remove the blood, fearful that he'd damage the beauty of the coin. The coin was the only thing in his life that he'd ever been able to trust, and it had never let him trust anyone or anything else.

Campbell moved away from the door as Boone opened it, and greeted him with a smile.

"Shall we?" He asked pleasantly, then walked down the corridor before the sniper could answer, whistling to himself as he did so. Boone didn't follow however, he was too busy looking at the mutilated corpses of the two guards who had, until moments ago, been standing watch outside the office. Boone caught sight of the ripper hanging from Campbell's belt, and saw that it was now coated with fresh blood, and was dripping said blood onto the floor. _What kind of madman am I dealing with here? _He asked himself, before following said madman down the corridor.

**_For those of you who think Campbell is a direct rip off of Two Face from Batman...you're wrong. Sorry but it's the truth. There are similarites true, but some major differences. Two Face is obsessed with duality. Campbell meanwhile NEEDS his coin to make decisions. Plus he doesn't have a split personality. Kind of a major difference there. Campbell's coin obsession stems from childhood trauma, not a mental condition. He does now have a mental condition though, as I'm sure you noticed. So in summary...no. Two Face does not = Campbell. Case closed._**

**_Anyway, enough of my little rant. I hope you liked my insane little OC. He'll give Layla a challenge in the sadism department, that much is certain._**

**_As for the next chapter, I have no timeframe. It will take a while, this much I am certain. I'm dreadfully sorry about that, but I can't rush this. I have to get the emotions right, and the story isn't all there yet. I have the beginning, a faint idea of the middle, but no ending. I'll try to finish it as soon as I can. In the meantime, continue to review. I thank everyone for the overwhelmingly positive reviews. It's so heartwarming to know I'm actually good at something. :)_**


	31. Under Siege

**_Ladies and gentlemen, dear readers, I thank you for your patience. I am proud (And exhausted), to present to you, an absolutely colossal chapter, a goliath of a tale. This is without a doubt that longest fan fiction story I've ever written. Everything you could possibly want is here: action, drama...well that's about it, but there's an obscene amount of both. Now without further ado, read on dear reader, but be warned, it may take a while to read in its entirety._**

Under Siege

"And now the latest news." Mr New Vegas said from Layla's Pip Boy as she climbed over a particularly large rock that had been blocking the way. "Marjorie, the head of the Ultra Luxe in New Vegas, was found dead three days ago in Michael Angelo's workshop in the southwest corner of New Vegas." Layla smiled slightly as she heard this, and Veronica, who was currently walking right next to her, grinned too. "NCR military police investigating the incident have no leads. Reports have stated that high ranking White Glove Society member Mortimer will take over operation of the casino and the society. In other news..." Layla turned off the Pip Boy radio. She didn't feel like listening to any more news.

Layla had spent two days at the New Vegas Medical Clinic recovering after the encounter with Marjorie, but that was all the time she could spare. Caesar would be getting impatient, and she needed to resolve the situation with the Brotherhood before they sent someone to do the job for her. She had to warn them, get them to flee, whatever it took to save them from Caesar's wrath.

Layla had suffered a concussion, a broken nose, several cracked ribs, a minor spinal injury, and two gunshot wounds from the battle, but she'd recovered remarkably quickly. Her back was almost fully healed, along with her nose, and her sown up bullet wounds were barely hurting her now. Her ribs were still a little tender however.

The night was particularly dark, with the moon and Layla's Pip Boy light serving as the only sources of illumination. The night was completely quiet, the breeze and the sound of their footsteps the only sounds.

"Not much further now." Veronica announced as they walked through a narrow canyon. "But I don't see why we're going there. You don't think you'll be able to convince them to join the Legion do you?"

"They won't even leave the bunker, how would they join the Legion?" Layla kicked a small rock across the desert ground as she spoke, not slowing her walk in the slightest. It had been a long journey from New Vegas to the Brotherhood of Steel bunker, and they'd been walking since early that morning. "Besides, even if I did somehow manage to convince them, Caesar would just kill them anyway. He's pretty adamant towards wiping out the Brotherhood."

"Bastard." Veronica muttered under her breath, which reminded her of a topic she'd been meaning to discuss. "By the way...what did you do during the time I was gone?"

"Moped mostly." Layla lied. Veronica could read her like a book.

"You wouldn't have happened to pay a visit to the bunker would you?" Layla's eyes widened as she turned to face Veronica. She just barely managed to keep her expression neutral.

"Now what would make you say that?" She asked with fake innocence.

"Just the fact that I found the three self destruct protocol key cards in your bag." _Shit._ Was Layla's first thought. Her next few thoughts mostly involved trying to think what to say.

"It's not what you think." That was the best she could come up with.

"Obviously, otherwise we wouldn't be going to the bunker. If you wanted to keep its destruction a secret, you wouldn't have suggested heading there." They stopped walking for a second, and Veronica looked Layla in the eyes. "But you were obviously considering it, otherwise you wouldn't have the cards." Layla took a deep breath before responding.

"Look, I admit I went to the bunker after you left. I also admit that I beat up Head Paladin Hardin, stole the three key cards, and used them to obtain the code before entering it into the self destruct terminal. I'll even admit I considered blowing the bunker to hell. But..." Layla couldn't think what to say next. _Damn, I wish I'd brought some whiskey. It always makes these conversations easier. _Layla thought to herself.

"But..." Veronica's voice snapped Layla out of her thoughts.

"But...whenever my finger went near that button, all I could picture was you, and what it would be like for you to lose your family. I realised that I can't wipe out your family to avenge mine. I never should've even considered it, and I know I was being incredibly selfish. What I'm saying is...I'm sorry."

"No shit." Veronica smiled.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Veronica pretended to consider it, eliciting a smile from Layla.

"We'll see." She said finally with a small grin. Shortly after finishing their conversation, Layla and Veronica finally reached the bunker. It looked just as aged, rusty and graffiti stricken as when they'd last been here, and it didn't look like anyone had entered or left since them. Not for the first time, Layla wondered if the Brotherhood knew that Layla and Veronica had killed a few paladins. She certainly hoped not.

They didn't even stop to catch their breath as they reached the bunker, instead walking straight through the metal blast door and down the stairs into what had used to be a warehouse. They walked straight through this area without stopping, before entering the bunker proper. After walking down several stairs they were officially inside the bunker. Layla felt no surprise whatsoever when Paladin Ramos walked out of his office next to the entrance to greet them.

"Veronica." He said emotionlessly.

"Ramos." She replied with an equal lack of emotion, but also unmistakable lack of seriousness.

"You should've told me you were coming."

"I thought I'd surprise you." Veronica's emotions returned now, along with a small, friendly smile.

"Veronica, maybe you should go. Things have been...tense since you last came here."

"You mean everybody's pissed because I actually stopped to take an interest in the direction of the Brotherhood?" Veronica's smile was gone now, replaced by a much more serious look.

"For lack of a better phrase...yes. I don't know what they'll do if they see you, but I doubt it'll be pleasant."

"With all due respect Ramos, I'm not in the mood for this shit. I need to see McNamara." Ramos raised his eyebrow slightly. Layla doubted he'd ever seen Veronica talk with such authority. Hell, she'd never seen Veronica talk with such authority. Regardless, he didn't lose his cool.

"That's the last thing the Brotherhood needs right now Veronica. They're dangerously close to declaring you a heretic."

"Good for them. I don't care. I need to see McNamara. It's important."

"Veronica..." He looked as if he was about to tell her off, as though she was a naughty child, but the look in her eyes silenced him after the first word left his mouth.

"Ramos, please. If I don't talk to McNamara now, every member of the Brotherhood **will **die. I'm not saying that they **may** die, they **will **die. They can hate me for thinking of their safety like they always do, but to be honest I couldn't care less. Let them call me what they want, let them think of me as an ignorant child, let them accuse me of betraying the codex, because I don't give a flying fuck. I want to save them, whether they like it or not, so get out of my way and let me talk to McNamara. Please." Ramos looked at her for about ten seconds in stunned silence, then shook his head in disbelief.

"I never thought I'd see the day that you stand up for yourself. I know I'm going to regret this, but go on ahead." He moved aside, allowing Layla and Veronica to pass.

"Thank you." She smiled at him, before walking on. Layla nodded at him, before following. They received a lot of glares and unpleasant looks from knights and paladins as they walked through the corridors of the bunker, but ignored them all. Eventually they reached Elder McNamara's office, but two paladins stood in front of the doorway, blocking their progress.

"He does not wish you see you Veronica, or your outsider friend." One of the paladins said, a giant of a man who must've been around seven feet tall. "Leave, and take your heretical views with you." Veronica didn't bother to argue, or try to reason with the paladin. She just kicked him in the face. Veronica delivered a powerful spinning roundhouse kick to the paladin's face, knocking the giant of a man flying through the doorway and into McNamara's office. He hit the ground with a painful thud, then slid across the floor before stopping next to a pillar. Despite the fact that he was wearing power armour, it was obvious that the kick had dazed the paladin, as he didn't immediately get up. The other paladin reached for his laser rifle, but Veronica bared her power fist first.

"The people of the Brotherhood are my family, and I would do anything for them. I would die for them, I would serve them until the end of my days. I would also beat the shit out of them if it meant saving their lives, and that's exactly what I'll do to you if you don't back down. Don't test me." The paladin got the message, and stopped reaching for his weapon, before moving to the side and allowing Veronica to enter the room, with Layla following close behind. The second they reached McNamara's desk, the paladin that Veronica had kicked got to his feet, plasma rifle at the ready.

"Stand down." McNamara commanded. The paladin didn't even hesitate, immediately obeying the Elder's order. He moved back to his place by the doorway, leaving Layla, Veronica and McNamara alone to talk. "Veronica, you've done many strange things since I've known you, amongst them questioning me, comparing the codex to excrement and flirting with the few women that inhabit this bunker. But kicking a paladin across my office is by far the strangest thing you've ever done. What the hell is wrong with you?" Layla backed away, leaning against a pillar a few feet from the desk so Veronica and McNamara could talk alone.

"Nolan...the Brotherhood is in danger." There was a fierce determination in her voice and in her stare that demanded McNamara take her seriously. Layla didn't think she'd ever seen Veronica look so determined.

"Let me guess...we're in danger from dying out if we don't communicate with the people of the Mojave and..."

"No, I mean we're in immediate danger." Veronica cut the Elder off mid sentence, much to his obvious and amusing ire. "Caesar's Legion wants to destroy the Brotherhood, and he has the means to do it. If we don't do something, he's going to come here and..." It was McNamara's turn to cut her off.

"Veronica, I don't know who this so called Caesar is, but he is no threat to us. Nothing can breach this bunker, nothing can harm us. We will wait here until..."

"We can't just keep waiting you idiot!" Veronica all but screamed at the Elder, shocking everyone in the room, including Layla, who'd never seen her talk to this man with anything but respect. "They will get in here, and they will kill us, unless we do something." McNamara was about to object, when a particularly flustered looking knight ran into the room, sweating buckets onto the floor.

"Elder, we have intruders!" McNamara seemingly couldn't believe what he was hearing, so, predictably, he dismissed it.

"Impossible." He said calmly.

"No Elder, it is not! The NCR have broken into the bunker, and they've already killed several paladins!" A look of complete shock and disbelief covered McNamara's face.

*Meanwhile.*

It happened so fast that most of the Brotherhood members had no idea what was going on until it was too late. One moment, everything was normal in the halls of the bunker. The next moment, the bunker doors blew open and NCR soldiers burst in, shooting everywhere. Ramos was the first to try and fight them, but was unprepared for the pulse guns they wielded. A skinny runt of a soldier got a hit on Ramos with the pulse gun, electrocuting the powerful paladin painfully and fatally. This was the first death of many.

They swarmed the area surrounding the entrance to the bunker, a group of barely trained adolescents killing soldiers of far superior skill thanks to the overwhelming power that their pulse guns had against power armour. Of course a few NCR soldiers died, as every side loses at least one soldier during a battle, no matter how one sided the battle may be. The paladins and knights were clearly superior in combat to the NCR soldiers that now rushed them, but the pulse guns rendered their superior skill moot.

The paladins hadn't been trained to dodge, as their power armour usually withstood anything that was thrown at it, so they were helpless. The knights had a better chance since they were more nimble and weren't using power armour, but the bunker had very few knights. Only 20% of the bunker's fighting force were knights, and they found themselves hopelessly outnumbered against the attacking NCR force.

The Brotherhood fighting force found themselves being pushed back, until only the security turrets were left to guard the first area of the bunker, and they were equally helpless against the pulses. The knights and paladins retreated to the second area of the bunker, where McNamara's office was located. They tried to seal the doors, but all knew that the soldiers would break through soon, it was only a matter of time.

Through all this, nobody noticed a lone man stroll by. Nobody saw him stroll through the first area of the bunker with a stealth boy while the fighting was going on, and nobody saw him stroll towards the self destruct terminal. Nobody saw him as he walked and twirled a coin between his fingers, and nobody heard the tune he whistled, as he anticipated the death to come.

*Layla*

"No. This...it can't...this can't be happening." McNamara said, his shock and disbelief so strong that he was beginning to stutter.

"Elder, what do we do? They're killing everyone!" Sweat had suddenly begun to run down McNamara's face now. He looked like his heart would give out at any second, so it was surprising when his calm and emotionless answer came.

"Activate the self destruct sequence." Was all he said.

"What?" The knight and Veronica said in unison, though Veronica said it at a much higher volume. By now, several knights and paladins had begun to crowd at the entrance of McNamara's office, and they all gasped in disbelief as they heard McNamara's words. Head Paladin Hardin pushed through the crowd and into the room, a look of disbelief on even his face.

"Nolan, you can't be serious." He said to the Elder. "We can fight the NCR! We can kill them!"

"You saw what happened at Helios Edgar." McNamara said to Hardin. His voice and expression were calm, but tears were leaking from his eyes. "We cannot destroy the Republic, they are too powerful. The only way forward is to destroy ourselves."

"No!" Veronica shouted. "I can't believe this! Nolan, you've been hiding us in this bunker for God knows how long, hiding us from the NCR, and now that they're on our doorstep you're suggesting we destroy ourselves? We can't!"

"We have to Veronica, it's the only way."

"No it's not! It's the wrong way, and it's not the first way you've told us of that's wrong! We have to fight the NCR!"

"We can't."

"YES WE FUCKING CAN!" Then Veronica did something that shocked everyone in the room. She punched Elder Nolan McNamara in the face. Fortunately she didn't punch him with her power fist hand otherwise she would've knocked his head clean off. As it stood, she knocked him flying across the room. He hit the floor a few feet away from her before lying still, blood pouring from his now broken nose. The entire room went silent. An uneasy silence filled McNamara's office for almost a full minute, before the paladins and knights stated screaming at her, calling her every name under the sun and drawing their weapons. Veronica didn't flinch, and turned to face the mob of vengeful Brotherhood members. "SILENCE!" She shouted, and to Layla's amazement, everyone obeyed.

She'd never seen Veronica like this before, so confident, so forceful. There was fierce drive and determination in her voice and her expression, demanding that everyone obey her. What's more, there was a fire in her eyes, an unrelenting, scorching fire that could not be extinguished, and had the power to burn everything in its path, including the NCR. _And she thought she didn't have what it takes to lead the Brotherhood._ Layla thought to herself, smiling as she did so.

"I know you are all angry with me, a feeling I'm sure you're used to feeling towards me, but hear me out!" Veronica shouted to the knights and paladins assembled inside the room and just outside. "I know what I have done. I have assaulted and knocked out Elder McNamara. However, I have done this because it needed to be done. The Brotherhood is under attack by possibly its most powerful enemy, and our Elder suggests we kill ourselves. Is that what our ancestors did? Is that what all the great knights and paladins you look up to did when faced with a powerful enemy? NO! They stood up and fought their foe. The knights and paladins of the Brotherhood are the greatest warriors in the world, and we did not become so powerful by surrendering! Our Elder has kept us trapped in a hole for so long because he was afraid, afraid that the NCR would find us and kill us. Now they have come for us. They have entered our home, and right now they are killing our brothers. We must not let such a thing stand! We will not hide from these bastards! We will fight them, and we will defeat them, because WE ARE THE BROTHERHOOD!" Resounding cheers rose up as Veronica finished her speech, shocking Layla and even Veronica herself.

"Wait." Hardin spoke up, stopping the cheering instantly. "Veronica, you didn't see it. I was there when the intruders broke in. It was only a few minutes ago. Knights and paladins had the NCR soldiers outnumbered ten to one, but each of the soldiers had a strange gun. It emitted a pulse that fatally electrocuted anyone wearing power armour on contact. It was a massacre. Only a few of us made it out. Everyone in here, every knight and paladin in this room and out in corridor leading to this room...we're the only ones left. I don't want to give up. I want to kill the soldiers but...it's just not possible." Hardin's eyes fell to the floor as he finished speaking. He looked so defeated, so crestfallen, that Layla could feel the enthusiasm drain from everyone in the room. Everyone but Veronica.

"We can't give up Hardin, even if it seems hopeless, because if we do, we're no better than them." Hardin looked up as Veronica spoke. "The Brotherhood never surrenders to the enemy. NEVER. We will stand, and we will fight them with everything we have. We'll fight them to our dying breath. And if we go down, then we'll go down fighting. We will not give them the satisfaction of an easy victory!"

"But Veronica, do you even know how to lead us? You don't have nearly enough combat experience to lead all these men."

"That's where I come in." Layla stepped forward, and everyone looked at her as she did so. "I have more than enough combat experience to lead you in this battle."

"An outsider?" Hardin didn't look pleased. "Veronica you can't want an outsider to lead us?"

"This outsider is like a sister to me. Like the rest of you, she would gladly die to destroy the NCR. I trust her with my life, and you all should do the same." Layla was touched by Veronica's words, and it seemed Hardin was appeased.

"Alright Veronica, you win. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but I'm with you. What's the plan?"

*A few minutes later*

The NCR soldiers jumped back as they set off the charges that they'd placed on the doors to the second area of the bunker. A few seconds later the blast door was reduced to small pieces of scorched metal, and the soldiers were granted access into the rest of the bunker. What they hadn't been counting on however, was a large amount of Brotherhood knights and paladins, that were standing right in front of where the door used to be.

The soldiers readied their pulse guns, but were shocked to see that the Brotherhood paladins before them weren't wearing power armour, they were just wearing the recon armour underlay that was usually worn beneath the power armour. Both sides, NCR soldiers and Brotherhood warriors, locked eyes for a few seconds. Then the carnage started.

Bullets, lasers and plasma flew through the air, and combatants dropped on either side faster than the eye could see. A cacophony of gunshots echoed throughout the narrow corridors of the bunker. The NCR soldiers managed to take out a few paladins and knights with their armour piercing ammo, but after about a minute they were forced to fall back. They ran back into the first area of the bunker, and a lone knight ran after them, shouting in triumph.

"We got them!" He yelled. "Run you bastards, run!" No sooner had he crossed into the first area of the bunker however, that his shouts of triumph were replaced by screams of pain and an ear shattering explosion, as one of the NCR soldiers blasted him with a missile launcher. The knight was devastated and mutilated by the explosion. His bloody torso, devoid of arms or legs, flew back into the second area of the bunker, landing at the feet of other knights and paladins.

"They have explosives." Hardin said as he pushed through the knights and paladins to stand at the front of the group, Layla and Veronica right behind him. "In the narrow corridors of the bunker, explosives give them the advantage. We may be more skilled than them, but both sides have even numbers, and despite the fact that we no longer have power armour, they can still kill us easily thanks to those explosives." Layla didn't take long to think of a strategy.

"Half of you, follow me. The rest, stay here and make sure none of them break into the second sector of the bunker. Hardin, you'll come with me. Veronica, stay here with the rest of the men and make sure nobody gets past us." Veronica and Hardin both nodded their agreement, then Layla ran into the first sector of the bunker, with Hardin and a few dozen soldiers behind her.

They turned the corner that the soldiers had run down, and found themselves in a long, empty corridor, seemingly devoid of life. Layla heard a cough however, and realised they weren't alone. _These guys obviously aren't the NCR's best and brightest. _Layla thought to themselves as the soldiers revealed their presence. _So why are they attacking the bunker? Surely black rangers should be attacking a target as important as this. _She pushed these questions out of her mind however, instead focusing on leading Hardin and the dozens of men behind her.

"So what's the plan?" Hardin asked, readying his gauss rifle as he did so.

"I'll go out there and get their attention. When they expose themselves to start firing at me, let them have it." Hardin looked at her as though she was crazy, which she probably was.

"That's suicide." Layla didn't argue, she just drew her sword and ran into the corridor. When she reached the middle of the corridor, several NCR soldiers leaned out of doorways ahead of her, wielding service rifles and missile launchers. Before any of them could fire, Layla slid to the floor and went prone. The paladins and knights behind her immediately opened fire. The soldiers who'd exposed themselves didn't even have time to scream before they were liquefied, turned to dust, or perforated.

Layla got to her feet as the shooting stopped, smiling slightly as she did so. She sensed a presence next to her however, and dived to the side as an NCR solider leaned out of a doorway next to her and tried to blow her head off with a caravan shotgun. She landed on her back on the hard metal floor of the corridor, but quickly got to her feet before rushing the soldier, sword at the ready. Realising just who he was messing with, the soldier fled back into the room that he'd been hiding in, and Layla saw that it was a classroom. He was fast, but she was faster, and she quickly caught up to him before stabbing him in the spine. He cried out as the sword stabbed through his back and out his stomach. He died a few seconds later, and Layla pulled her sword out of him before kicking the still standing corpse to the floor.

She was about to wipe the blood from her sword, when two NCR soldiers leaned out from behind a large desk in front of her, both wielding missile launchers. Before they could attack, Layla saw a grenade on the floor, and realised that it had been hanging on a holster that the soldier she'd just stabbed had been wearing. She must have knocked it loose when she stabbed him. The soldiers were about to fire, when one of them realised who he was messing with.

"You...you're The Red Blade Witch aren't you?" Layla cringed inwardly at the ridiculous nickname, but outside she smiled sadistically, terrifying the two soldiers.

"Yes I am." She answered, before kicking the grenade at her feet towards the two soldiers. They immediately screamed like little girls as the grenade landed at their feet, before diving out from behind the desk and landing on the floor. It took them a full ten seconds to realise that Layla hadn't even armed the grenade.

The one who had spoken got to his feet, then screamed as he saw Layla rushing him. She cut his scream off with a swift beheading, before jumping over the desk that the soldiers had been hiding behind and rushing the second soldier. He readied his missile launcher, seemingly too afraid to realise that at such a range he'd destroy himself too even if he hit her with a missile. Before he could fire, Layla sliced off his hands, then stabbed him straight through the neck before he could even feel the pain that would make him scream.

Layla pulled her sword free, allowing the corpse to fall to the floor, then walked out of the classroom. As she left, she looked at the corpses, and saw that most of them couldn't have been older than 18, much too young to be proper NCR soldiers. _They're just boys. The NCR are sending kids after me now. But why?_ Her thoughts were interrupted as Hardin ran up to her.

"What happened?" Hardin asked. "We saw you run into the room, then..."

"There were three soldiers in there. I killed them. Now let's get going. These soldiers aren't going to clear themselves out of the bunker." With that, Layla ran on ahead. Hardin sighed to himself, then followed, along with the rest of the Brotherhood warriors.

*Veronica.*

Veronica didn't like waiting behind. Last time Layla had told her to do so, she'd ended up being burnt by Cook-Cook. Still, Layla was much tougher now, and she had Hardin with her plus a few dozen knights and paladins. She'd be fine. What was really annoying Veronica is that she wouldn't get to kill any NCR soldiers. Layla had told her to kill any soldiers that got past her, but there was no way any would get past her. Layla was like a bloodhound when hunting NCR soldiers.

Even as Veronica thought this however, she heard footsteps in the corridor that connected the first section of the bunker with the second section. She stopped leaning against the wall and readied her power fist as several NCR soldiers turned the corner. The knights and paladins that had been standing guard with her saw the enemy too, and since their weapons were already drawn they immediately opened fire.

Two NCR soldiers went down, but a third managed to fire his missile launcher. Veronica dived to the side to dodge the explosion as the missile hit the wall, and five knights were knocked flying. A paladin rushed into the corridor, firing a gatling laser madly. The second he stopped to reload, three soldiers leaned out from behind the corner and opened fire with their service rifles. The armour piercing ammo they were using filled the paladin full of countless holes in seconds, and he fell dead to the floor.

Not willing to let any more of her brothers die, Veronica took a deep breath before getting to her feet and rushing the corner that the soldiers were hiding behind. One of them immediately leaned out and fired his service rifle. Veronica slide tackled across the floor the second the soldier fired however, and she slid under his bullets before sliding into his leg. The soldier immediately fell to the floor, and Veronica climbed to her feet. She saw that there were five soldiers hiding behind the corner, and she stomped on the throat of the downed soldier with one foot, before roundhouse kicking a nearby soldier in the face, knocking him flying into his friends and knocking them all down.

A pudgy, black soldier got up first, and readied his service rifle. Veronica quickly kicked it from his grasp however before elbowing him in the jaw. His head snapped back, and she quickly punched him in the stomach with her power fist, snapping most of his ribs. The soldier didn't even gasp as he lost consciousness and fell to the floor.

A second soldier got up, this one a thin, lanky man with long black hair. He was wielding a missile launcher, and swung it at Veronica like a bat. She easily sidestepped the blow, before punching the soldier in the throat with her non power fist hand. He fell to his knees, knocked off guard by the attack, and Veronica promptly kneed him in the face, knocking him to the floor and knocking him unconscious.

The last two soldiers conscious got to their feet, and while one backed away nervously, the other drew a combat knife and charged. The soldier who had charged slashed Veronica madly with his knife as he reached her, but she simply swerved side to side to dodge every clumsy strike. After the fourth strike, she kicked the soldier in the leg, the precise angle of her kick dislocating the limb. The soldier screamed, but stayed on his feet, and tried to slash Veronica again. She caught his hand mid slash however, before twisting the wrist behind his head. The soldier moaned in agony, dropping his knife as he did so, and Veronica snapped his wrist and kneeing him in the balls. That was all the encouragement the soldier needed, and he immediately dropped to the floor, consciousness fading even as his head hit the metal.

The last soldier was still backing away, though now he'd drawn a 9mm pistol. He fired madly and inaccurately at Veronica, and she easily rolled out of the way of the bullet. Before he could fire again, she dashed towards the soldier. He tried to pistol whip her in the face, but she moved her head to the side to the dodge the strike, before punching the soldier in the face with her power fist hand. The blow knocked the soldier's head clean off, and it flew down the corridor before landing on the ground and looking at her with a shocked expression.

Veronica took a few seconds to catch her breath, during which time the knights and paladins that had been waiting in the second section of the bunker joined her, killing the unconscious soldiers as they did so. Veronica led them back into the corridor, where they stood and waited for any other soldiers that happened to slip past Layla. _And you thought you'd be left out of the action. _She thought to herself.

*Layla*

Without their pulse guns providing them with an instant kill button for every paladin they came across, the NCR soldiers had the morale of new born piglets. All they had to do was see Layla and realise who they were dealing with, then they wound up running down the nearest corridor, screaming with fear. Layla was currently chasing a group of five who had done exactly that, not realising that the corridor they'd run down led to a dead end.

The soldiers reached the dead end eventually, and Layla heard one of them swear loudly. They all turned away from the dead end, to see Layla striding confidently towards them. One of them soiled himself, the rest ran into a nearby room. Layla quickly rushed the soldier who had soiled himself, and who was currently paralysed with fear. She sliced his throat with her blade, and walked into the room that the others had fled into as the soldier fell to the floor, bleeding, gurgling and dying.

She found herself in the Brotherhood's training room, where all the firing ranges were located. She barely had enough time to examine the room before a grenade landed at her feet. She quickly dived forwards to avoid being blown to pieces, and landed on one of the firing ranges. She just managed to get to her knees when the four soldiers surrounded her, service rifles at the ready. Before any of them could fire, Layla sweep kicked the two nearest to the floor, before slicing off the legs of the two that were furthest away, taking advantage of her blade's reach. The two soldiers that lost their legs screamed loudly and shrilly as they dropped to the floor, while the two who had been sweep kicked were mostly silent as they impacted with the metal flooring.

Layla quickly rolled to her feet, just in time for one of the sweep kicked soldiers to get to his feet and take aim. There was a desk nearby, where the paladin in charge of the firing ranges usually sat, and Layla had just enough time to dive behind the desk before the soldier opened fire.

She landed in a heap on the other side of the desk, before getting into a crouch, putting away her sword, and drawing a throwing knife. The soldier seemed perfectly content with firing at the desk she was hiding behind, without even bothering to move in closer. The second his clip ran empty, Layla sprung out from behind the desk, sliding over it a she did so, and threw the knife with deadly accuracy. The soldier didn't even have enough time to scream before the knife punctured his throat.

As the soldier dropped dead, the second soldier who'd been sweep kicked got to his feet, and made a run for the exit. Layla slowly and calmly walked over to the soldier with a knife in his throat, and ripped it out, before throwing it after the soldier who was now running. He didn't even make it halfway to the doorway before the knife stabbed into his skull. Not realising it was dead, his body kept running, until it hit the wall and fell to the metal floor. The two soldiers who were missing their legs were still screaming, so Layla drew That Gun before silencing both of them with two headshots. Layla didn't even get a moment to breathe before Veronica came running into the room.

"Shouldn't you be watching the second sector of the bunker in case any soldiers get past me?" She asked as Veronica approached.

"Oh please, have you counted the bodies here? The only way any of them will be getting past you is in pieces. Anyway, we've got bigger problems." There was genuine worry on Veronica's face, which worried Layla too.

"What is it?"

"Have you noticed that all these soldiers aren't even old enough to be soldiers?"

"Actually I have. And they aren't even that well trained either. What's your point?"

"I don't think these amateur soldiers were meant to stop us, I think they were meant as a distraction."

"A distraction?" A serious look appeared on Layla's face. "What are they trying to distract us from?"

"I think...I think their real target was the bunker's self destruct terminal."

"But I have the three key cards. They couldn't..."

"It's a terminal, just like any other, meaning it can be hacked, even without the key cards."

"And you think someone's doing that right now?" Veronica nodded, the worried expression on her face having increased in intensity.

"Alright, stay here and help Hardin clear up the rest of the soldiers in sector one. I'll head to the self destruct terminal and kill anyone I find there." Layla started to ran off, but before she made it to the doorway she heard Veronica's voice behind her, which stopped her in her tracks.

"Layla, be careful. And please, don't let them destroy the bunker." Layla turned and saw that there were small tears starting to form in Veronica's eyes. Layla walked over to her, and wiped the tears away.

"If they want to destroy the bunker, they'll have to go through me first." She offered Veronica a reassuring smile, then ran from the room, heading for the terminal.

*A few minutes later.*

It didn't take Layla long to find the room with the self destruct terminal. After all, she'd been there before. The room was entirely circular, with a raised platform in the middle of the room, and several computers and virtual reality pods lying against the walls all around it. To the right of the doorway was the terminal needed to access the password for the self destruct terminal, and next to that, was the terminal itself. Two new decorations had been added to the room recently, both of them corpses.

The head scribe's corpse lay on the raised platform in the middle of the room, a bullet hole in his head. Melissa Watkins, a Brotherhood initiate that the head scribe usually kept around so that he could eye hump her, also lay dead in the room. Her corpse was slumped over one of the VR pods, which was stained with her blood. Her severed head lay on the floor a few feet away, with a bloody boot print stained across the face, as though someone had stepped in blood, then stomped on the head. The man who Layla assumed had slain them was currently standing at the self destruct terminal, typing furiously.

"Just one more letter..." He said, seemingly to himself, then a few seconds later, a high pitched beep emerged from the computer. "Child's play. It'll take more than a twenty letter password to keep me out." Before he could do anything else, he seemed to sense that someone was behind him, and spun around, rapidly drawing two 10mm pistols and pointing them ahead of him as he did so.

Now that he was facing her, Layla could see that had holsters all over his body, and seemed to be carrying more weapons than all the NCR soldiers in the bunker put together. He also had a unique looking varmint rifle on his back, that seemed to be made of black stainless steel. In addition, the rifle was heavily customised, with an extended magazine, a silencer, and even a nightvision scope. Layla's eyes drifted to a ripper that hung from the man's belt, which was currently stained with blood. Watkins' blood no doubt.

The man was of average height and build, but the fact that he was packing more weapons than most armies made up for this. He was currently wearing a brown bounty hunter duster, with a black shirt underneath, baggy white trousers and thick combat boots that were currently stained with blood. He also wore a brown hood that partially concealed his face, though Layla could just make out the stubble on his chin and his piercing blue eyes.

Upon seeing who he was dealing with, the man withdrew his pistols, returning them to two of the many holsters on his body. Then, to Layla's surprise and confusion, he drew a coin. Then, he flipped it. As the coin flipped into the air, Layla could just make out dried blood on the tales side of the coin. Before she had time to think on this, the coin landed in the man's hand, and he examined the result. Seeing that it was heads, he put the coin back in his pocket before flashing Layla a charismatic smile.

"Evening." He said casually. "My name's Campbell, I'm a mercenary hired by the NCR. You must be the infamous Layla, or The Red Blade Witch as you're more commonly known." Layla was slightly taken aback by the man's casual friendliness, but she responded quickly.

"Nice to meet you. Now, if you don't step away from that terminal in the next five seconds, I'm going to rip your liver out." Campbell laughed in response.

"You're just as insane as they said you were, though I'm not really one to talk. They said I was insane too."

"Your mental faculties don't interest me. All that interests me is your allegiance, and since you're allied with the NCR, I'm going to have to mutilate you now."

"Now now, can't we talk this out like rational beings?"

"See this sword?" Layla drew her blade, and pointed at Campbell threateningly. "Rational beings don't carry swords like this."

"Fair enough." Campbell conceded. "If you want to die that badly, then so be it." Before Layla could respond, he drew his coin and flipped it again.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Flipping my lucky coin, in order to decide my next course of action." _I've heard of being indecisive, but this is just fucking ridiculous._ Layla thought to herself as the coin neared the ceiling, and began its descent downwards.

"So...what? Heads: I live, and tails: I die?"

"No...you're definitely dying. Heads: I take you out nice and quickly with a clean, painless headshot, and tails: I shoot you in the kneecaps and watch you slowly and painfully bleed out." A few seconds later, the coin landed in Campbell's grasp. He grinned as he saw the result. "Tails." He quickly put away his coin before drawing his twin 10mm pistols again. "Looks like luck isn't on your side."

"What else is new?" Layla responded, before tightening her grip on her sword.

"Goodbye Layla." With that, he fired.

Layla was quick to react. She immediately dived towards the raised platform to her left. She leapt over the platform's railing and landed on the platform itself, barely avoiding being heavily perforated. She didn't have much time to recover however, as Campbell quickly withdrew his two pistols, before getting out a grenade launcher. He fired a grenade onto the platform, and Layla had just enough time to vault over the railing before the grenade went off. As she vaulted the railing, some shrapnel from the grenade flew after her. The shrapnel stabbed into her back, and she screamed in pain. The pain caused her to mess up the vault over the railing, and she landed face first on the floor.

Campbell filled the room with mocking laughter, before returning the grenade launcher to its holster and drawing his two 10mm pistols again. At the exact same moment, Layla withdrew her sword and drew That Gun from her thigh holster. The platform was currently the only thing standing between them, so Campbell quickly climbed onto it. The second he did so, Layla ran out into the open, and fired in his direction with That Gun. Campbell dived backwards seconds before having a bullet introduced itself to his skull, and landed on his back on the floor of the platform. He stayed on the floor in a prone position, and fired his two pistols in Layla's direction.

She immediately dived behind a nearby virtual reality pod, narrowly avoiding the bullets. Since Layla was behind cover, Campbell withdrew his 10mm pistols again, instead drawing a frag grenade. He quickly ripped the pin off the grenade with his teeth, before throwing it towards the pod. Layla leaned out from behind the pod to fire That Gun, but instead saw the frag grenade flying towards her and rolled to safety. She'd managed to get a few feet away as the grenade collided with the pod, detonating at the same time.

Not a stranger to loud, deafening explosions, Layla recovered quickly. Campbell recovered just as quickly however, and reached into his jacket for a weapon as Layla charged him. Layla swapped That Gun for her sword and climbed onto the platform, just as Campbell drew a 12.7mm SMG.

The 12.7mm was a hefty SMG gun, and much heavier than 9mm or 10mm SMGs. It was also much more powerful however, and Campbell seemed to know this, grinning as he took aim. Before he could fire however, Layla rushed him with her blade. She aimed a horizontal slash at his face with her sword, but her parried the blow with his SMG, before swinging the gun at Layla's head. She ducked under the swing before sweep kicking Campbell, knocking him down. Campbell grunted in pain as he hit the metal floor of the platform, and his SMG escaped his grasp. He tried to reach for it, but Layla stomped on his wrist. He gritted his teeth in pain as Layla's heavy combat boot impacted with his relatively unprotected wrist, almost breaking the bone in the process. Layla further increased the hopelessness of Campbell's position by kicking his SMG away, knocking it off the platform and to the other side of the room.

"You're good." Campbell said through gritted teeth, as Layla continued to crush his wrist. "Just as good as they said you were."

"Who?" Layla inquired, distractedly raising her boot slightly off his wrist as she did so. "Who said that? Who are you answering to?"

"Why, the NCR of course." Campbell answered mockingly. Layla responded by kicking him in the face. Campbell swore loudly as Layla's boot collided with his jaw, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Damn, you're a sadistic one aren't you? I think you broke a few of my teeth there."

"I'll break your leg if you don't tell me who in the NCR you're working for." Campbell pretended to consider whether to answer or not, then pulled out his coin using the wrist that had been under Layla's boot moments ago. Before she could say anything, he flipped the coin. Seconds later it landed in his grasp. The result was heads.

"Well alright then. His name is Oliver. General Lee Oliver to be precise."

"And where can I find him?" Campbell responded by flipping his godforsaken coin one more time, thoroughly eliminating the small amount of patience that Layla had remaining. The coin landed a few seconds later, with the blood soaked tales side pointing to the heavens. Campbell stayed silent, instead drawing an incendiary grenade from his jacket pocket. Before Layla could react, he bit the pin off the grenade before dropping it in-between Layla and himself.

She quickly dived away from the grenade, and Campbell rolled backwards, under the railing and off the platform. The grenade exploded a few seconds later, releasing a torrent of flame as it did so. Layla quickly got to her feet, before looking around for Campbell. She tightened her grip on her sword as her eyes surveyed the room. From her position on the balcony she could see every corner of the room. Yet she still couldn't see Campbell. Before she could wonder where the mercenary had gone, he vaulted onto the balcony, 12.7mm SMG in hand. Less than a second later, he took aim and opened fire.

The SMG roared like a demented beast as it spat forth a colossal swarm of bullets. Layla was taken by surprise, and had no chance of dodging the barrage of lead. Several bullets rebounded off her combat armour chest piece, while others hit her less protected legs, piercing the trousers and finding vulnerable targets. Layla cried out as a bullet shattered her right kneecap, while three bullets scratched the side of her left leg. Other bullets found her totally unprotected arms, severely grazing both of them. 2 bullets passed straight through her left forearm, leaving bloody holes that poured her life fluid to the floor. Layla was knocked back by the massive barrage of bullets, hitting the railing behind her and toppling over it, off the platform and down to the floor below. For the second time in a few minutes, she landed face first on the metal floor, dropping her sword as she did so.

Layla's vision began to blur, as several gallons of her own blood began to pour out of her. She considered let unconsciousness fill her, and allowing Campbell to finish the job. The merc's mocking laughter snapped her back to reality however, and she got to her feet. At least, she tried. She managed to get part way off the ground, then screamed as her shattered right kneecap sent waves of crippling pain through her body, and she fell back to the floor. Panting heavily, and occasionally having to grit her teeth due to the pain, Layla managed to get into a sitting position, and began to search through her bag. As she did so, Campbell walked to the edge of the platform, and looked down at her.

"It's been fun Layla, but I'm afraid it's time to end this." Campbell pointed his SMG at the injured Layla's head, and prepared to fire. Layla didn't even look up at him, instead she just drew a throwing knife and expertly tossed it in Campbell's direction. Campbell was taken by surprise, and barely managed to dodge the incoming knife. He didn't escape it completely however. The knife cut the left side of his face as he darted to one side, leaving a long and bloody scar that ran from his chin to his left ear.

Before Campbell could even begin to react to that, Layla found what she'd been looking for in her bag. She took out a vial of Med X before injecting it into her left arm, the same arm that had two bullet holes in it. Immediately the pain melted away, replaced by a familiar and easily ignorable dull ache.

Campbell wiped the blood from his face, before taking aim with his SMG again. This time, Layla threw her bag at him. Campbell was taken by surprise by the unpredictable attack, and the bag hit him square in the jaw, knocking him to the floor of the platform as it did so. Thanks to the Med X in her system, Layla was able to get to her feet. She managed to grab her sword and climb onto the platform, just as Campbell got to his feet.

As her feet touched the floor of the platform, Layla looked Campbell in the eyes. There was a cold, angry look in her eyes, while in his eyes there was nothing resembling emotion. He raised his SMG and took aim once again, but while he was doing so, Layla rushed him. Running with her shattered kneecap wasn't easy, in fact it was frustratingly difficult. The lack of pain made it easier however, and the strength of Layla's will made it possible. Campbell's finger tightened on the trigger of his SMG, but before it could tighten enough to make the gun fire, Layla reached Campbell and attacked.

She let loose a diagonal slash aimed at his chest, and he just managed to block it with his SMG. While he was blocking her first attack however, Layla let loose another attack; a punch aimed at the mercenary's face. Campbell's head flew back as Layla's fist smashed into his face, and she took advantage by smashing the handle of her sword into his jaw. His head moved to the side to avoid the attack, and he swung his SMG at her face in response. She grabbed the SMG mid swing however, before kicking Campbell back. The kick knocked him flying over the railing, and his head hit the metal floor surrounding the platform. Still holding his SMG, Layla threw the gun away, before climbing down from the platform.

She landed next to Campbell just as he got to his feet. The mercenary looked at her with an expression close to fear, then changed his expression to one of anger and drew the ripper from his belt. He pressed a switch on the base of the ripper, and immediately the weapon awoke. A furious, mechanical growl filled the room as the ripper's chainsaw-like blade roared to life. Campbell quickly rushed Layla with his volatile weapon.

He swung the blade in a horizontal arc, and Layla had to dart backwards to dodge. He grinned sadistically before rushing her again, swinging the ripper madly as he did so. Layla used her sword to block Campbell's barrage of strikes, before aiming a slash at his face. He ducked low and darted to the side to avoid having the top of his head sliced off, before rushing Layla again. He clearly lacking melee training, but made up for it by using a dangerous and volatile weapon like a ripper, and by attacking furiously, pressuring Layla and pushing her back against the base of the raised platform.

He let loose another barrage of strikes, which Layla just barely managed to dodge. She continued to block his attacks, each block pushing her slightly further back, until she felt her back touch the base of the platform. She wasn't fighting at 100% and she knew it. She was tired from all the fighting she'd done that day, and from the large amount of blood she'd lost, not to mention her shattered kneecap made even simple movements difficult.

Campbell pushed his ripper against Layla's blade, scratching the sword and slowly driving Layla back against the base of the platform. After only a few seconds of this, Layla was right against the base of the platform, and her blade was touching her face, having been pushed there by the force of the ripper. Campbell laughed madly, then drew one of his 10mm pistols using his free hand and pointed it at Layla's head. Still blocking the attack of the ripper, Layla was in no position to dodge, and Campbell knew it.

"Adios Layla." He said with a grin, finger tightening on the trigger as he did so.

"Adios yourself fucker." Layla responded vehemently, before moving her blade away from the ripper. Campbell had been pushing against the blade, and its sudden movement knocked him off balance, causing him to stumble forwards. Layla saw her chance, and drew her combat knife with her free hand. She stabbed Campbell with sword and knife, grinning sadistically as she did so. Knowing he only had time to block one, Campbell chose the bigger blade. He blocked the sword before it could stab him, allowing the knife to stab into his gut. He grunted in pain as the knife broke through his shirt and his skin, causing blood to pour down his stomach. Not allowing the mercenary a moment to rest, Layla headbutted him. Campbell spat blood as the blow knocked him flying back. He landed painfully on the floor, his ripper flying from his grasp and Layla's knife still stuck in his gut.

"Ow." He said in a pained voice, grinning despite the fact that blood was running down his chin and down his stomach.

"I win." Layla said triumphantly as she stood over the injured Campbell, sword at the ready.

"Yeah, you win. Such a shame you won't live to enjoy it." A threatening look appeared on Layla's face in response to his comment.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I hacked the terminal Layla. All I have to do is press a single button and the self destruct protocol will be initiated."

"Which will be difficult, since you're on the opposite end of the room from the terminal and have a knife in your gut."

"True. This hasn't gone exactly according to plan. But do you know what makes a great mercenary Layla?"

"What?"

"The ability to improvise." Before Layla could even comprehend what Campbell had just said, the hand that wasn't clutching his stomach pulled out a stealth boy. He grinned evilly before turning on the stealth boy, and vanishing. Layla's eyes widened in horror as she looked around for him, then seconds later they darted to the ground as her combat knife clattered to the ground. She started to run over to the terminal but it was too late. She could just make out an invisible form standing next to the terminal.

"NO!" Was all Layla had time to say, before the invisible Campbell pressed a button on the terminal; the button that would initiate the self destruct protocol. Immediately a high pitched beeping emerged from the console, and Campbell started to laugh madly. Layla rushed towards the terminal, but when she got there, the shape she'd spotted earlier was gone.

"Adios." Layla heard Campbell's mocking voice say from the doorway, before hearing running footsteps leaving the room. _Shit. _Was her only thought as she looked at the terminal, which mocked her with four words: 'Self Destruct Protocol Initiated'.

*Veronica*

The NCR soldier tried to surrender, but it's quite hard for a man to beg after being kneed in the balls. Veronica walked up to the kneeling figure and delivered a punch to his stomach with her power fist. She felt several ribs smash under the blow, and was sure she ruptured several organs. Sure enough, the soldier stopped trying to beg, and just toppled over, dead. Veronica looked around the room, which looked like a hurricane had just hit it. Dead NCR soldiers filled the room, and the whole room stunk of blood. Before Veronica could get her breath back, Layla burst into the room.

"Impressed?" Veronica asked with a smile, motioning to all the dead soldiers around her. The grave look in Layla's eyes immediately dispelled Veronica's good mood, causing the smile to fade. "What's up?"

"Some mercenary working for the NCR got to the terminal." Veronica would've assumed that Layla killed him, but the look in Layla's eyes told a different story.

"You killed him though right?" Layla didn't reply. "Right?" Layla stayed silent, causing an overwhelming feeling of dread to wash over Veronica like a tsunami. "Layla, please tell me he didn't..." Before Veronica could finish her sentence, a high pitched alarm sounded throughout the bunker.

"Self destruct sequence initiated. The bunker will self destruct in 90 seconds." A robotic female voice announced. Veronica felt like she'd just been slapped.

"Layla?" She asked despondently. Layla had a pained look on her face that showed she wished she didn't have to say what was coming next.

"He...he got past me and..." Layla didn't need to finish her sentence.

"No." Veronica's eyes began to well up with tears, and she fell to her knees. "It...it can't be..." Veronica looked absolutely forlorn, and it broke Layla's heart.

"Veronica..."

"The bunker will self destruct in 60 seconds. All occupants must evacuate the bunker immediately." _You took the words right out of my mouth._ Layla thought to herself.

"Veronica, we have to go." Veronica didn't move, or look up. She didn't show any sign of even having heard Layla. "Veronica please. If we don't get out of here..." Layla couldn't finish the sentence, but knew she didn't have to. Still, Veronica didn't move. Layla wracked her brains, desperate for a way to make Veronica move. Then, it hit her. "Veronica...do you know what my first thought was when my mother died?" Veronica seemed surprised by the question, and looked up as Layla asked it. "**No, there'll be time to mourn later.** That was my first thought. If I'd stayed there, crestfallen after my mother died, I would've been found and killed by the NCR. Veronica, we can't stay here, we have to go." Veronica smiled wanly, getting to her feet and wiping her eyes as she did so.

"You're right." She said, barely choking back tears as she did so. "Let's go." With that they both immediately ran for the exit, as the robotic voice announced that they only had 30 seconds left. Luckily, they were very near the exit. They shot up the stairs as fast as their legs would carry them, and through the warehouse to the exit. As they neared the door, Layla's Med X wore off, and she screamed, then dropped to the floor as all the pain of her shattered knee returned.

"Go!" She screamed at Veronica. "Leave me!" Veronica just laughed.

"You know that never works." Before Layla could respond, Veronica helped her to her feet. "I've never left you behind before, and I'm sure as hell not going to do it now." She supported Layla, and together they made their way through the bunker's blast door.

Outside it was almost pitch black, which wasn't helped by the fact that there was a sandstorm going on. There wasn't a sign of any NCR soldiers, or any other life for that matter. Apart from the sandstorm, the area was eerily silent.

"How long till the bunker explodes?" Veronica asked Layla, who was looking at her Pip Boy clock.

"About 5 seconds." Not wasting any time, they took cover behind the nearest dune. No sooner had they sat down on the sand than the bunker exploded. It was the loudest sound either of them had ever heard, and was utterly deafening. The explosion itself was colossal, and the entire area shook with the impact. When the explosion stopped, Layla and Veronica peeked out from behind the dune that they had used for cover. The area where the bunker had once been was now engulfed by a cloud of fire and smoke, and littered with rubble. The second the bunker became no more, the sandstorm immediately stopped. Layla remembered that the sandstorm was a security device used by the bunker to ward off intruders. As the sand stopped blowing and the air cleared, rain began to pour. Before they knew it, the entire area was thundering with rain, and they were both drenched.

Veronica looked at what had been her home, and as she realised what she'd lost, she burst into tears. Layla looked at her and saw herself, crying the morning after Bitter Springs had been obliterated. She hugged Veronica into a comforting embrace, urging her friend to let all her emotions out. After a few minutes of crying, Veronica stopped, and Layla released the embrace.

"I...I can't believe it." Veronica said, utterly heartbroken. "They're dead. My family's dead. I've lost everything." Fresh tears began to run down her cheeks, and she furiously wiped them away. "My family...my home...it's all gone." An expression of stunned realisation filled her face, and she turned to look into Layla's eyes. "Is this...what it was like for you?"

"It was worse." Layla said gravely. "There was more blood."

"What a pair we are." Veronica said with a hint of bitterness. "Both of us have had our home and our family wiped out." Layla wrapped an arm around Veronica, and tried her hardest to be comforting.

"I'm sorry. If I'd killed that bastard instead of letting him get to the console..."

"It wasn't your fault." Veronica interrupted her, a sad smile on her face. "You beat him with a shattered kneecap. I don't think there's anything else you could've done."

"If I'd just shot him instead of gloating..."

"Don't be mad at yourself." Veronica said sternly. "Save all that anger for those NCR bastards." Layla was slightly surprised by Veronica's words.

"What?"

"They wiped out both of our homes, and both of our families. I see now why you hate those bastards so much. We have to make them suffer." Layla could scarcely believe what she was hearing. "All those times I said you were going too far to eliminate the NCR, I take it all back. Those fuckers need to burn for what they've done for us. For what they've done to everyone." Layla looked Veronica hard in the eyes...and smiled.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear you say that." She hugged Veronica with all her might, and Veronica smiled. They would've stayed like that longer, if not for a gunshot that broke the silence of the desert.

Veronica pushed Layla to the ground, falling with her as a bullet flew past, millimetres from her head. They landed in a heap on the desert ground, before crouching behind the dune.

"Boone." Layla said with a voice filled with hate.

"The guy you fought in Bitter Springs?"

"He's the only sniper I know of that wants me dead."

"Sorry to interrupt this conversation ladies, but it's time to end this." A voice interrupted them, and they both looked around, seeking the source of the voice. That's when Layla noticed a partially invisible form in front of them, a form that that seemed to be pointing a gun at them.

"Campbell." Layla said with almost as much hate as when she'd said Boone's name.

"Who?" Veronica asked, confused.

"The merc that the NCR hired."

"You mean the fucker who blew up the bunker and killed my entire family?" Veronica's fists clenched in anger.

"Guilty as charged." Campbell taunted as the stealth boy wore off, and he appeared in front of them, holding a shotgun that was pointed lazily at their heads. "Oh, and before any of you try and rip me limb from limb, Boone is watching." Campbell waved at a nearby mountain, and Layla followed his wave. At first there appeared to be nothing there, but then she could just make our a prone figure lying on a cliff overlooking the valley where the bunker lay. "Now then, to decide which of you dies first." Campbell pulled out his coin, and Layla sighed in annoyance. "Heads: Layla. Tails: her girlfriend."

"I have a name." Veronica said indignantly. Campbell ignored her, and flipped his coin.

*Boone*

Boone had had it with that idiot and his goddamn coin. He looked through his night vision scope, and saw Campbell flip his coin, then felt like taking the merc out with a clean headshot. The psychopath was just making things more complicated, both in Boone's mission to eliminate Layla, and in the NCR's operations in general. He couldn't be trusted either. One wrong coin flip, and he'd be turning his guns right back at those who'd hired him. The man was a liability, a dangerous liability. Granted he'd destroyed the bunker, but now, flipping his coin in front of Layla, he was just asking for trouble.

And he got it too. As Boone watched, Layla got out her handgun and shot Campbell at point blank range while his coin was in mid flip. It looked like she'd shot him in the heart, but from where Boone was looking it was impossible to tell. Regardless, the bullet did its job. Campbell flew back and landed on the ground, covered with his own blood. The insane merc lay spread-eagled on the desert ground, probably dead. A few seconds later his coin landed on his face. The result had been heads.

_Godammit._ Boone thought to himself, as Layla and her ally made a run for it. _That idiot has really fucked things up. _He took aim through his scope, and focused the sights on Layla's skull. All he needed to do was pull the trigger, and it would all be over.

*Layla*

Layla put That Gun back in her thigh holster as she and Veronica made a break for it as fast as they could, which wasn't very fast since Layla still couldn't walk without help. They kept diving behind dunes as they ran, hopefully obscuring Boone's view and buying them a few seconds. Eventually they neared the edge of the valley. Only a few feet now and Boone wouldn't be able to hit them.

As they neared safety, Layla had a sickening feeling that she was in Boone's sights. She looked up behind her and sure enough, Boone was looking right at her through his scope. All it would take now was a single shot, and that would be that. _So why isn't he firing?_

*Boone*

Boone mentally swore at himself as Layla reached the edges of where he could see. Very soon she would be out of his line of sight, then he'd have no chance of killing her. She was right in his sights, all he had to do was pull the damn trigger. But he couldn't. _She is not your wife! She's not! She's a murderer and a terrorist! Kill her! _Boone wanted to, god knows he wanted to. But he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

_You let her get away once. Don't do it again!_ Boone didn't want to do it again, but he wasn't in control of his fingers. He desperately fought with himself mentally, trying to find the will to kill Layla. He tried to convince himself she wasn't his wife. He knew she wasn't. His wife had never tried to kill him.

_Fire!_ Boon had had it. Without thinking, without letting his emotions tell him to stop, he fired.

*Layla"

They both heard the gunshot, and as it filled their ears they tried to move faster. Layla knew it was hopeless however. They couldn't outrun a bullet, especially not if they were limping. She closed her eyes, and waited for the bullet to hit its target. The bullet hit something, but not its target.

As Layla stared, dumbfounded, the bullet hit a cactus next to her, decorating the foliage with a gaping bullet hole. _That could've been my skull. _She realised with disbelief, but pushed that out of her mind and kept moving. A few seconds later, they limped their way out of the valley, and out of Boone's sight. But Layla couldn't help wondering one thing. _If I'd stayed there...would he have killed me, or spared me?_

*Boone*

_I missed. _He couldn't believe it. This kind of thing was an impossibility. Even an amateur marksman could've made that shot easily, yet he'd missed it like he'd been back in boot camp. _Did you miss accidentally...or purposely? _His mind asked him, and Boone found that he truly didn't know.

**_God. This bastard of a chapter took me FOREVER to finish. My excuse? Apart from writer's block (The universal excuse), I have been unable to get much access to my computer recently. My Mum's been spending a lot of time on it, leaving me with barely any time to provide you with new chapters. And before anyone asks...I have NO IDEA when the next chapter will be completed. This chapter drained me, and I need rest before I can write again._**

**_I thank you all for reading, and for putting up with just how long it takes me to write a chapter lately. I would thank you even more if you review this chapter. Please?_**


	32. Recruitment

_**Layla goes out to recruit some help for the Legion...in her own special way. Expect violence and a new character that's not an OC!**_

Recruitment

"No profligates are allowed to enter Caesar's tent." A praetorian announced to Layla, as she and Veronica sought access to Caesar's quarters. It was three days after the narrow escape from the Brotherhood bunker, and Layla had recently regained her ability to walk. She was still recovering from most of her other injuries, but otherwise was in good condition. Her leg had healed quite a bit, but hadn't fully healed yet, meaning she was walking with a minor limp.

"You let me in." Layla pointed out.

"You have the mark of Caesar, and are a special agent of Caesar. You can enter, but your female companion cannot." He emphasised the word 'female', only annoying Layla further.

"I told you this wouldn't work." Veronica whispered to Layla, pulling her away from the praetorian as she did so. "Just because Caesar let you help him, doesn't mean he'll let me help him."

"But you said you wanted to help me destroy the NCR." Layla replied.

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just that Caesar is a sexist prick. It's a miracle he let you help the Legion."

"He let me help because I'm skilled. Once he sees how skilled you are, he'll let you help too."

"He hates anything without a dick between its legs. I don't think..." Before Veronica could finish her sentence, Vulpes emerged from the tent.

"Layla, there you are." He spoke in his characteristically emotionless voice, but there was an uncharacteristic look of concern on his face that worried Layla.

"I was just trying to get this praetorian to let my friend enter the tent." He said to Vulpes, who looked like he didn't care in the slightest.

"Leave her, we've got bigger problems." Layla would've argued, but Vulpes was the kind of man that it was impossible to argue with. Whether it was his emotionless yet eerily soothing voice, the unshakeable, unreasoning logic behind everything he said, or the fact that he had an unmistakeable and unreadable sense of power around him, Vulpes was rarely ignored when he gave commands.

"Veronica, go wait on the barge." Layla said, eliciting an annoyed sigh from Veronica.

"Fine, but if any of these sexist Legion assholes try to mount me, I'll show them what women are capable of when they're pissed." With that, Veronica began the long walk back to the fort's dock, while Layla entered Caesar's tent.

"So what's the problem?" Layla asked as she followed Vulpes through the flap and into the tent.

"Caesar's affliction has only gotten worse during your absence."

"Affliction?"

"You've noticed his headaches and sudden memory lapses? They are symptoms of a much more serious affliction, but we cannot figure out what it is. We know little of medical science." As Vulpes said this, they walked through the tent's middle area, and approached Caesar's throne. There was nobody on the throne, and Vulpes walked past it, instead heading for the tent behind it. Caesar's personal quarters. Layla had never been in there before, and was nervous as to whether she should do so now. Vulpes urged her onwards however, and she obeyed, entering the tent.

"Greetings Layla." A man said as she entered. He wore the armour of the praetorians, but had an air of authority around him that suggested he wasn't a simple grunt.

"Have we met?" Layla asked as he approached.

"Not really. I'm usually sat inside this tent, creating battle strategies. My name is Lucius, and I am the leader of the praetorians. I am Caesar's second most important soldier, after Legate Lanius. I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things I hope."

"Very good things." He smiled briefly, then a more serious look appeared on his face. "Vulpes, you may leave us." Vulpes nodded, then left the tent, taking his usual position of standing next to Caesar's throne. As soon as Vulpes was gone, Lucius began to speak again. "Caesar's mysterious affliction has only gotten worse since you left. While you were on your mission to destroy the Brotherhood of Steel, Caesar went catatonic. It's been several days and he hasn't woken up."

"What can I do to help?" Layla asked seriously. She hated Caesar as much as the next woman, but he was very useful in her crusade to wipe out the NCR, and she couldn't let him die until his usefulness came to an end.

"We would have a better idea of how to stop this if we knew what the affliction was. You seem to have some medical experience, could you diagnose him?" Layla's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly protested.

"What? No, I'm not a doctor!"

"But you have suffered several serious injuries yourself and lived to tell about them. It is highly likely that your medical knowledge is much greater than the knowledge of anyone else in this fort."

"Still, I don't think it'll be enough to diagnose Caesar's 'affliction', and even if I can diagnose it, I doubt I can treat it. I'm a killer, not a brain surgeon."

"Then I suggest you find someone who is a brain surgeon. Otherwise, I fear Caesar will not survive another week." Layla nodded, then walked out of the tent. She walked all the way down to the fort's dock, trying to think of anyone she knew who would be able to treat Caesar's ailment. By the time she reached the dock, she realised she didn't know anyone who fit the bill.

"Hi." Veronica said as Layla sat in the barge.

"Hey." Layla replied half heartedly. Cursor Lucullus began to row them back to Cottonwood Cove as they spoke.

"So what did they need to see you about?"

"Caesar. There's something wrong with his head. It's causing him headaches short term memory lapses, so they wanted me to cure him." Veronica laughed.

"You? You're better at getting injuries than curing them."

"That's what I said. Well...sort of. I told them I wouldn't be able to diagnose Caesar's affliction, so they sent me to find someone who can. Do we know anyone who can perform brain surgery?" Veronica took a second to think, then shook her head.

"I don't think so. Wait, what about Doctor Henry? You know, the guy who gave Rex his brain transplant? He seems to know a lot about brains."

"I think he's only an expert in canine brains. And even if he did know about human brains, he won't want to leave Jacobstown. He's helping the Nightkin with their schizophrenia, and I doubt he'd stop doing that to help treat Caesar's brain injury." Veronica nodded her agreement, then leant back in the boat, nearly knocking Lucullus out of the boat as she did so.

"Well, I don't think anyone knows more about medical stuff than the Followers of the Apocalypse, and as far as I know you haven't killed any of their members yet."

"I killed one. There was a Follower at Helios One who took exception to me using the Archimedes defence system to murder all the NCR soldiers there. He won't be taking exception to anything anymore, I'll tell you that." Veronica sighed in annoyance, shaking her head as she did so.

"Well the Followers don't hate you yet, so that's a start. You could go to the fort in Freetown and see if you can find anyone who knows about brain surgery." Layla's hand stroked her chin as she considered this.

"That's not a bad idea. But if I find someone who knows what they're doing, how will I convince them to come with me?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way. I doubt the Followers will like you afterwards, but you'll find a way.

*A day later*

Layla arrived at the Old Mormon Fort the next day. She'd been to the fort twice before, the first time she'd been conducting an investigation for the King, and the second time she'd been seeking aid for Rex's ailing brain, so she knew the basic layout.

She stepped into the courtyard, the only area of the fort she was allowed access to, and cast her eyes around. The fort was packed and busy, and smelt almost entirely of medicine. There was a sandbag directly in front of the entrance, behind which a Followers guard sat, assault rifle at the ready. The courtyard was filled to the brim with tents, and Layla knew that inside each of them was somebody waiting to be treated by a medically trained Follower.

The sheer amount of doctors in the fort made finding one who knew about brain surgery especially difficult. Fortunately, Layla knew just who to ask. She walked past several tents to the other side of the fort, where a female follower stood talking to several of her colleagues. Her name was Julie Farkas. She was the leader of all the Followers in the fort, and was noticeable simply because of the fact that she sported a large Mohawk. She smiled as Layla approached, and walked over to greet her.

"Hi Layla, I haven't seen you around here in a while." She smiled warmly, obviously remembering the help Layla had given to the Followers in the past. She'd help to get several chem addicts to quit their addiction, and she'd planted a bug in Mr House's mainframe when the Followers had asked. Julie's smile changed to a look of concern as she saw Layla's injuries. That was the thing about doctors: they always noticed and were concerned about your wounds, even if said wounds had already been treated. "Looks like you've seen better days."

"Yeah, I got jumped by a deathclaw out in the wastes." Layla lied. "Tore me up pretty good before I managed to put a bullet between its eyes."

"Why didn't you come here? We would've gladly treated you."

"I usually go to the New Vegas medical clinic these days. I'm sort of a regular there, seeing how often I get injured and end up there."

"The New Vegas medical clinic? Oh right, the clinic run by Doctor Usanagi. How is she?"

"She's fine." Layla was getting a little tired of engaging in small talk, and quickly changed the subject. "By the way Julie, a friend of mine's fallen ill, and I was wondering if someone here can treat him."

"What are his symptoms?" Julie asked professionally.

"Well he occasionally has painful headaches, and sudden memory lapses. He's also been sleeping a lot more regularly, and a few days ago he went comatose. He hasn't woken up since then." Julie wrote down the symptoms on a notepad in her hand as Layla spoke, then took a few seconds to think it over.

"I'm sorry Layla, but I'm not an expert on afflictions like this. I recommend talking to Arcade Gannon."

"Who?"

"Arcade Gannon. He's one of the most skilled doctors we have here, and is an expert on just about every facet of medicinal treatment. He should be able to help you." She ripped the page out of her notepad that the symptoms had been written on, and handed it to Layla.

"Where can I find him?"

"He spends most of his time in that tent over there." Julie pointed to a nearby tent, and Layla thanked her before walking towards it. She entered the tent and saw a man sitting at a desk, who she assumed was Arcade.

The man wasn't very noticeable. He was quite meek looking in appearance, and was currently looking over some notes. He had short blond hair and simple glasses, and like the other Followers he wore a lab coat with the Follower's logo on it, in addition to simple slacks and a grey collared shirt. A ripper hung from his belt, showing that he wasn't some weak, defenceless doctor.

"Arcade Gannon?" Layla asked after she entered the tent. The man looked at her in response, before getting to his feet. It was then that Layla noticed that he was strikingly tall, towering above her easily.

"I'm Arcade." He said in a friendly voice. "Can I help you?"

"Julie Farkas said you were the man to see about a brain affliction."

"Did she now? I'm afraid she may have misspoken. I don't treat patients, I mostly sit back here, conducting medical research."

"But Julie mentioned you by name. She said you were highly knowledgeable."

"Sorry, but I'm highly busy conducting research of questionable importance, based around the healing properties of your average fungi. She's exaggerating anyway. There are several people in this fort smarter than me.

"Then why did she send me to you?" Arcade didn't answer. "Please, help me."

"I'm not good with people, that's why I don't usually treat people."

"I'm not asking you to treat anything, I just want you to diagnose an illness based on these symptoms." She handed him the page Julie had ripped off her notepad, and Arcade sighed briefly before taking it off her.

"Alright fine, but I'll have to be quick. My improbable research can't take care of itself." Layla ignored Arcade's lack of enthusiasm concerning his research, instead waiting patiently as he looked over the symptoms that Julie had written down. Less than ten seconds later, he handed the page back to her. "It's a brain tumour." He said calmly.

"What?" Layla exclaimed, less calmly.

"The headaches and the memory loss are common symptoms of a cancerous brain tumour. I'm afraid it's lethal." _Damn. _Layla thought to herself.

"Can you treat it?"

"I know how, if that's what you're asking, but I can't leave the fort. Though the chances of my research being a success are less likely than snow in the Mojave, it's still very important."

"Oh...I understand." Layla tried her best to look as mortified as possible. "It's just...my father."

"Your father?" Layla nodded, managing to make her eyes form fake tears as she did so.

"He's the one with the tumour. I've already lost my mother and I...I..." She burst into tears in the performance of the century. Arcade was visibly moved.

"No...don't cry." He sighed once again. "Alright, I'll treat him. I guess nobody will mind if I leave the fort for a few days." Layla wiped the crocodile tears from her eyes, and smiled.

"Thank you." She said with fake gratitude. "Can you leave now?"

"Sure. I'll just need to tell Julie that I'm going." With that he walked out of the tent and headed towards Julie with Layla in tow. She quickly wiped all trace of tears from her face, lest Julie see them and become suspicious.

"Hi Julie." Arcade said as he reached her. "I've got to leave the fort for a few days. This lady's father as a brain tumour and I'm going to go treat it for her.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that Layla." Julie replied. As soon as she said Layla's name, Arcade turned to look at her, a surprised expression on his face, which quickly changed to one of realization. "Well you couldn't have gotten anyone better to treat your father. Arcade will have him healthy again in no time."

"We've just got to head back to my tent to get a few medical supplies, then I'll be gone." Arcade said, then all but dragged Layla back to his tent, earning a quizzical look from Julie Farkas. He pushed Layla to the back of the tent as they entered, before turning around and zipping up the tent's entrance. When that was done he turned to face her, a look of anger on his face.

"You're the Courier." He said accusingly. "Or The Red Blade Witch as NCR soldiers call you." Layla just managed to keep her expression neutral, and quickly thought of a response.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She replied unconvincingly.

"I should've seen it before. The blood red hair, the combat armour, the intimidating gaze, the fact that you're heavily armed. It was so obvious." There was no point in denying it now. He'd found her out.

"Alright, you got me. My name is Layla, and at the moment NCR soldiers tell scary stories about me. Is that a problem for you?"

"Yes, but that's not my main problem. My main problem is your allegiance with Caesar."

"I'm not allied with..."

"Don't lie to me." He cut her off mid sentence. "I've heard the stories, everyone has. It's well known your associated with that psychopath and his Legion." _He hates Caesar. Great, just great._ "I bet you lied about me needing to treat your father didn't you?" Layla bit her lip, then responded.

"My father died three years ago in Bitter Springs." She said solemnly.

"I'm sorry." The sincerity in his voice surprised Layla, but she shrugged it off. "I know what it's like to lose a father."

"Do you know what it's like to lose a father, a mother, a home, and everyone you've ever known, all in the same night? I doubt it. That's why I'm helping Caesar, so I can make the NCR pay. Don't you dare fucking judge me."

"I'm not judging you; I simply want nothing to do with the Legion."

"Well the Legion needs your help. Caesar's dying, and you're the only one who can help him." Arcade responded to this with a torrent of harsh laughter.

"You're joking right? I'd sooner disembowel myself than help that maniac."

"If you don't help, I may be tempted to do the disembowelling myself."

"By all means go ahead. I'm not scared of your threats, and nothing you can say will make me help you." Since threats obviously weren't going to work, Layla tried a different approach.

"Please. This isn't the Legion asking, this is me asking. I'm begging you to help Caesar."

"Why do you care so much?"

"Because I need him." Arcade looked at her as though she was insane.

"You're infatuated with him. My god, that's insane. Do you realise what his world view is on women? He thinks less of you than Brahmin shit."

"I'm not in love with him you idiot, far from it. I despise him, but I need the Legion's help to destroy the NCR, and I can't get that if Caesar dies." Arcade shook his head in disbelief.

"You're out of your damn mind. You're trying to destroy a whole governmental organization just because of what a few men did three years ago. It's madness, and I'm not going to be a part of it." Layla's patience had been wearing thin for a while, but that last sentence caused it to snap like a twig.

"I've had enough of this. You're coming back to the Legion's fort to help Caesar, even if I have to drag you there with two broken legs."

"I told you that threats won't work on me." He said with absolutely no fear in his voice.

"Let's see if you show a similar lack of fear when I act on my threat." Layla started to walk towards Arcade, slowly and aggressively. He immediately reached for the ripper on his belt. Layla reached for her sword too, but a single thought stopped her. _Caesar needs him alive._ Her hand moved away from her sword, while Arcade's hand continued to move towards his ripper. She lunged at him as she neared him but he quickly drew his ripper. He slashed her mid lunge, stopping her assault, and knocking her back slightly. The blow recoiled off her combat armour, leaving her mostly unharmed, but she was knocked off balance. Arcade took advantage of this by turning around and attempting to unzip the door of the tent. Layla wouldn't allow it however, and she quickly rushed Arcade before grabbing him around the waist from behind. She lifted the doctor off the floor before throwing him across the tent and away from the door.

Arcade landed in a heap on the floor, but quickly recovered before getting to his feet and rushing Layla. He aimed a slash at her head but she ducked low before punching him in the stomach. He backed away slightly, momentarily stunned by the blow, and Layla quickly rushed him, taking full advantage. He recovered quicker than she had anticipated however, and shoulder barged her as she approached, knocking her sprawling into a nearby operating table.

Because of Arcade's height, his shoulder had hit her in the face, leaving her dazed and disoriented as she hit the side of the operating table. Arcade quickly closed the distance between them, before trying to gut her with the ripper. She recovered from her daze just as he struck, and grabbed his wrist mid attack, stopping his blade centimetres from her stomach. Arcade pushed her back against the table, using a surprising amount of upper body strength to push the blade down towards her stomach. Her own surprising strength pushed the blade back however, leaving them in a stalemate.

Arcade ended the stalemate by pushing her onto the operating table. He stood over her while she lay on the table, and raised his ripper over his head, preparing to stab downwards. Thinking fast, Layla grabbed a nearby bone saw off the table just as Arcade's ripper came crashing down. She parried the blow using the bone saw, before kicking Arcade in the stomach.

The sudden, painful blow sent him reeling backwards, and Layla used the opportunity to get off the operating table. While she was doing this, Arcade recovered and ran for his desk at the front of the tent. He opened a draw in his desk and pulled out a plasma pistol. Layla dived to the side as he fired, avoiding the slow flying plasma bolt with relative ease. Before Arcade could fire again, Layla pushed a nearby gurney in his direction. He managed to get off one last shot before the gurney smacked into him, knocking all the breath from his lungs and pushing him against the wall of the tent. He dropped his plasma pistol as the sudden impact staggered him.

Layla quickly dashed towards him while he was disoriented, and slid over the gurney before grabbing Arcade by the throat with both hands. Before he could even make a sound, Layla summoned all her strength and smashed his head into the nearby desk, face first. That did the trick, and Arcade immediately left the land of the conscious, his body going limp.

Layla immediately let go of Arcade's throat, allowing his unconscious body to fall to the floor of the tent, before taking a second to recover. She cast her gaze over Arcade as she stopped to think, and she saw that he definitely wouldn't be getting up for a while. There was a large bump on his forehead from where she'd slammed his face into the desk, plus a small trickle of blood had escaped from his nose, and was currently making a journey down his face. His glasses were cracked, but not broken, which was good. A blind doctor was about as useful as an armless deathclaw.

_Good news: he's coming with me. _Layla thought to herself. _Bad news: I'm still in the middle of the Followers' main base of operations. How the hell am I going to get him out of here? _Before Layla could think of a solution, she heard a knock on the outside of the tent.

"Arcade?" A voice came from outside the tent, a voice Layla recognised as belonging to Julie Farkas. "Is everything alright?" _Shit._ Was Layla's first thought. Most of her thoughts after that were too frenzied to make sense of. She frantically looked around for a way to escape the tent without Julie noticing, but there was none. The flap was the only way out, and Julie was standing right outside. _If there's no way out, then I'll have to make one._ Layla thought to herself as she pulled her sword off her back. She quickly slashed the wall of the tent with her oversized blade, cutting straight through it. She slashed a few more times, until she'd essentially cut a door in the wall of the tent.

Acting quickly, Layla returned her sword to its holster then grabbed Arcade. She threw the doctor's limp, unconscious body over her shoulder, then ran out of the door she'd made in the side of the tent. She crept her way to the fort's entrance, taking cover behind the tents every so often to avoid being spotted. Eventually she reached the entrance to the fort, only to see a guard standing watch.

He was sat behind the sandbag barricade right in front of the gate, reading a magazine. There had once been a ghoul who sat behind that barricade too, but a while ago Layla had convinced said ghoul to enter prostitution. She hadn't been proud of it at the time, but it had earned her some caps and now it meant her escape would be easier. She just had to deal with one guard.

Still carrying Arcade over her shoulder, she rushed the guard. He didn't hear her footsteps until she was right behind him, and turned around just in time to receive a boot to the face. Layla's thick combat boots were built to be tough and sturdy, and a kick from said boots was enough to knock most men out instantly. Sure enough, the kick knocked the guard against the sandbags. He was unconscious even as he slumped to the ground.

Layla now had a clean run to the fort's exit. Before she could so much as move however, she heard the unmistakeable sound of two assault rifles being cocked behind her. She spun around and saw that, sure enough, there were two Follower's guards aiming assault rifles at her. They were too far away for her to melee attack them, but close enough so that they could perforate Layla in a heartbeat. Stood between the two guards was Julie Farkas.

"Layla...what are you doing?" She asked with a mix of confusion and accusation in her voice. Layla tried to think of a lie, but none came to mind. It made no difference anyway, Julie quickly saw the injuries on Arcade's face, and realised she was witnessing a kidnapping.

"Julie I'm sorry, but I need his help."

"So you assaulted him and now you're kidnapping him?"

"It's more complicated than that...but yes, that's the long and short of it."

"I can't let you do this Layla. Guards." The guards took aim, and prepared to fire.

"Julie please. I have no quarrel with the Followers. Don't make me fight you." A sympathetic look appeared on Julie's face in a second, but she wiped it away quickly and replaced it with a serious expression.

"I'm sorry Layla. You've aided us in the past, but no amount of aid justifies you kidnapping one of our own. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to drop Arcade, or else..." Julie didn't need to finish her sentence. The guards at her sides made her intent obvious.

"No, I'm sorry Julie, because I'm afraid I can't do as you ask." A sad look appeared on Julie's face for a second, then was quickly replaced by a stern look as she nodded to her guards. Before they could act however, Layla struck.

A shocked expression appeared on the face of one of the guards, as Layla threw Arcade at him. The guard had no chance of dodging, and was knocking flying backwards as the tall doctor collided with him, sending them both to the ground in a tangled heap. The other guard watched this in amazement, distracting him while Layla rushed him. She drew her sword as she neared, and he only noticed her as the glare of the sun reflected off her blade and into his eyes. He raised his assault rifle, but Layla slashed off the front of the gun without hesitation. Left with only half a gun, the guard was defenceless as Layla struck. The lethal blow he was expecting never came however. In its place was a simple strike to the head with the hilt of her sword. This simple blow was enough to knock out her foe, and he quickly fell to the ground, a large bruise on his forehead.

Layla quickly approached the other guard, the one who had the unconscious Arcade Gannon lying on top of him. She flung Arcade over her shoulder, before stomping on the guard's face with her thick boots. The guard's nose was broken, but besides that the blow was non lethal, as it only succeeded in knocking the guard unconscious.

"I haven't killed any of your men Julie." Layla said as she adjusted Arcade's weight on her back. "I'm not looking to start a feud here."

"Then why are you kidnapping one of my doctors?" Julie asked angrily.

"I'm not kidnapping him, I'm...borrowing him." Julie looked at Layla dubiously. "I'll bring him back." Julie sighed to the heavens, then looked away from Layla. "I can't believe I'm going to allow this, but with all you've done for us, the least I can do is trust you. Fine, take Arcade. But if he hasn't returned in exactly one week, the NCR will find out." Layla nodded her understanding.

"Thank you Julie."

"Just get the hell out of here." Layla didn't need to be told twice, and she quickly made her way to the fort's front gate, with Arcade Gannon's unconscious form still flung over her shoulder.

**_So Layla's found her medical expert, but will he cooperate? I thank those who are still reading this, and deeply apologise for the growing infrequency of my updates. Unfortunately, inspiration is a fickle bitch, and she prefers to frolic in the meadows than help me write. Don't fear though. I still have plenty of ideas left, and I intend to follow Layla's tale to its conclusion, I promise._**

**_In other news, I will reward anyone who reviews...with positive karma and gratitude. Sadly, I possess little that could serve as a suitable physical reward._**


	33. The Fate of Caesar

_**God almighty, this chapter was a bastard and a half to write. After having nothing resembling inspiration for several weeks, I finally cracked and forced myself to start writing last night (11/08/2011). I started around 7 or 8pm, and didn't stop until 1:20 in the morning. That was an exerting writing session I won't forget anytime soon. My apologies that it's not massively long, but most of it's dialogue. That's right, this is a very talkie chapter.**_

The Fate of Caesar

"Wake up!" An angry male voice cried, and seconds later Arcade Gannon awoke with a start as someone delivered a crushing kick to his ribs. The pain was unreal, but he tried his best to ignore it and looked around. It was hard to see much of his surroundings from his position on the floor, but it was safe to assume he was in a tent. A Legion banner hung on a nearby wall, giving him a much better idea of where he was.

Given his surroundings, it was surprising to learn that he wasn't restrained in any way. He was completely free, and he took advantage of this by getting to his feet. At least he tried to. The combined pain in his stomach and dizziness in his head prevented him from standing, enabling him only to get to his knees. Now partially upright, Arcade could see more of the tent around him, and saw a rather large and savage looking man standing near him. Judging by the armour he wore, which was obviously inspired by ancient roman armour (Obvious to Arcade, not as obvious to others), it was safe to say that the man was a member of Caesar's Legion. Arcade had woken up in better situations, that much was certain.

"Try anything, and I'll rip out your throat you profligate dog." Profligate, a favourite insult of the Legion. Arcade was not amused. He would've considered trying to escape, if not for the pain that so far had not allowed him to stand, the fact that the guard was larger and more muscular than him, and the fact that said guard wore a ballistic fist. A more dangerous unarmed weapon you wouldn't find. A single punch from such a weapon could blow a hole through even a power armour wearing target.

"I'd listen to him if I were you." A female voice said from behind him. _Female? There's no women in the Legion. _Arcade thought to himself. At first he was confused, then he remembered what had happened before he'd been knocked unconscious. He turned around and, sure enough, Layla stood before him. "Lucius doesn't like outsiders very much, which is part of the reason why he kicked you." Arcade's eyes automatically drifted to Lucius' feet. They were thick slabs of meat, covered with even thicker boots. If one of those feet had indeed kicked Arcade, then he thought it likely that several of his ribs were broken.

"I still don't understand why you didn't let me tie him up." Lucius said to Layla, disapproval in his voice.

"What use is a doctor if he's tied up?" Layla responded. It was at this point that Arcade remembered her request from earlier. At the same time, he looked at the back of the tent and saw a large double bed. In that bed, lay a man that Arcade knew was Caesar himself. Arcade turned to Layla and stared into her eyes with a look of fierce determination.

"I'm not doing it." He said to her, his voice filled with resolution.

"You didn't even let me ask you." She said with a mocking smile.

"You want me to treat Caesar. I won't." Before Arcade could say anything else, he cried out as something large hit him in the back. The familiar feel of the object told Arcade that it was Lucius' foot. The kick from Lucius knocked Arcade off his knees, and face first to the floor. He found himself struggling to breathe, and he felt like his spine had been snapped in half. Before he could even consider getting up, a familiar heavy object pressed against his skull. He didn't need to look up to figure out that Lucius was standing on his head, which was good because he couldn't look up; the supreme weight of Lucius' foot saw to that.

"You think you're the first man who's refused to do what he was brought in to do?" A gruff male voice said. Arcade assumed it belonged to Lucius. "I've met a lot of people who've said no; slaves and legionaries both. I know how to get people to do their jobs. They just need an...incentive." As he said the last word, Lucius put more weight on his foot, crushing Arcade's head against the floor of the tent. Arcade was sure that if the brute kept this up, he'd reduce Arcade's head to little more than a pile of brains and squished flesh. Of course, Arcade would prefer that than to comply with the brute's wishes.

"I won't do as you ask, so you might as well kill me now you damn Legion ogre." Arcade said defiantly. Lucius seemed to follow Arcade's suggestion, stomping down on Arcade's head even harder. He could almost feel his brain being compressed against his skull.

"Stop." Layla said seriously. "We need him alive. Caesar's life depends on it." Lucius didn't lessen the pressure on Arcade's skull in the slightest.

"He won't help, he's made that obvious." Lucius replied, making it sound like this was the simplest thing in the world.

"Then make him help. You said you were good at that."

"Pain won't work on him, I can tell. He'd rather die than help us." There was a pause, during which Lucius continued to stomp on Arcade's head.

"If he won't help us to save himself, then maybe he'll help us to save others."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You'll see. Take your foot off his head." There was a brief silence as Lucius seemed to ponder whether or not to do as Layla asked. Eventually, he decided to obey, and Arcade felt great relief as the brute lifted his boot off the doctor's cranium. Now that his head wasn't in danger of being flattened, Arcade managed to sit up, massaging the area of his head that had met Lucius' boot as he did so. After a few seconds he looked up at Layla, eyes no less defiant. He felt a small amount of nervousness however as he saw the confidence in Layla's expression.

"So Arcade...you obviously don't care about dying do you?" Arcade didn't respond, he just continued to stare at her with determination in his eyes. "While death doesn't faze you, do think the other Followers of the Apocalypse share your courage?"

"What are you talking about?" Arcade asked, but felt he knew the answer.

"It's quite simple. Threatening to kill you won't make you help us, so I'm threatening to kill everyone in the Follower's fort. If you refuse to help us, then the Legion will kill every last Follower in the fort, as well as all their patients, and anyone else seeking refuge there." Arcade's eyes widened considerably, but his gaze didn't falter.

"You wouldn't."

"Whether I would or not doesn't matter Arcade. The Legion most definitely would. I bet they'd enjoy it too." Arcade went silent, and a victorious smile appeared on Layla's face. She felt she'd won, that much was obvious. Arcade ignored her, and tried to come to a decision. Caesar was a tyrant, of that there was no doubt. Arcade would gladly give up his own life if it meant the end of that monster. But he couldn't very well give up the lives of everyone in the Old Mormon Fort. _Maybe they're bluffing. _His mind suggested. Maybe they were, but he couldn't risk that chance. Besides, just about everyone in the Legion was a complete and utter psychopath. They wouldn't hesitate to attack the fort, even though it was in the heart of Freeside. They'd do unspeakable things to the fort's inhabitants, and probably burn it to the ground. "What's it going to be Arcade? Either you bring Caesar back from the brink of death, or tomorrow the fort will be filled with corpses and crosses. The choice is yours." And what a choice to make. As much as Arcade would like to rid the Mojave of probably it's greatest evil, he couldn't sacrifice the lives of so many to do it.

"Fine." He said eventually, defeated. "I'll treat Caesar, as long as you swear that the Legion will leave the fort alone."

"They will, as long as you fulfil your end of the bargain. Then when you're done I'll return you to the fort, and we'll never see each other again. Deal?" Their eyes locked, a look of confidence in hers, and a mixture of defeat and utter hatred in his. With a deep, seething anger building in the pit of his stomach, Arcade said the words that would seal his fate.

"Deal."

*Layla*

"You were bluffing." Lucius said bluntly. He and Layla were standing far enough away from Caesar's quarters that no-one inside the tent could hear them, but close enough to keep an eye on it.

"What?" Layla replied, obviously caught off guard by the surprise statement.

"I've learned to tell when my men are lying to me. When they're lying, I can see it in their eyes. And in yours it was as plain as day." Layla considered denying it, but what would be the point? She didn't give a shit about what Lucius thought of her anyway.

"So what if I was? It got the job done. Arcade will treat Caesar, and then we can get back to eliminating the NCR."

"Perhaps..." Lucius said mysteriously. Before Layla could ask what he meant, he elaborated. "I don't trust this doctor of yours. He hates the Legion with a blind passion, a passion that is easy to see. I doubt he will stay in that tent and do as he has been told."

"He wants to keep the people of the fort alive, so he'll cooperate. Now if you'll excuse me." With that, Layla walked away, heading for the entrance of Caesar's tent.

"You will guard him, in order to make sure he does what has been asked of him." Lucius called after Layla, stopping her mid stride. She quickly spun around to face him, and walked back towards him with a look of annoyance on her face.

"Why should I guard him? You've already assigned a praetorian to keep an eye on him. He's a doctor, I doubt he can overpower a highly trained warrior like a praetorian. Besides, I have things that I need to do. I'm leaving." The tone in Layla's voice was forceful, as if she was daring Lucius to disagree with her.

"Very well." He said calmly, turning away from her as he did so. "Guard him or leave, it matters not to me. Remember though it if your doctor fails to cure Caesar, or if some unforeseen circumstance result in Caesar's death, you will be held responsible." With that, Lucius walked away, leaving Layla to consider what he had said. She couldn't care less what Lucius thought of her, but the last thing she wanted was to piss of a high ranking member of the Legion, especially when she needed them to wipe out the NCR.

"Goddammit." She cursed angrily before stomping back towards Caesar's quarters.

*Several hours later*

Layla had no idea how long she'd been standing there, but she was getting pretty damn sick of it. She was standing outside of the tent that served as Caesar's quarters, leaning against the wall and feeling immense boredom. There was no point standing guard inside since there was a praetorian in there, so she stood outside, listening for any sounds out of the ordinary and making sure Arcade didn't make a run for it. It was bullshit of course. She'd seen the look of defeat in his eyes. The doctor wasn't going anywhere. And neither, it seemed, was she.

Night had descended quite a few hours ago, and most of the praetorians in the tent had left for their own quarters. There were only two praetorians left, not counting the one guarding Arcade, and they were both asleep. A Legion mongrel was also standing guard, though the mutt's attention seemed to be wandering. Layla wished more than anything that she was back in the suite right now.

_This is ridiculous! _She thought angrily. _I should be back home, chatting with Veronica and eating some good food, not standing here like a fucking jackass._ Layla dropped her bag to the floor in front of her, then reached inside it. A few seconds later she pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and ripped the lid off before consuming the foul smelling yet addictive liquid. She drank it more than water these days, and it was a miracle her liver was still in one piece. Before Layla knew it she'd drained the entire bottle, and put the empty bottle in the bag. _I might as well see how it's going. After all, I've got nothing else to do._ With that thought, Layla stepped into the tent. What she saw there knocked her for six.

Arcade held a scalpel, and there was an emotionless look on his face, but he wasn't treating Caesar. Instead he was driving the blade of the scalpel into the praetorian's neck. The praetorian tried to fight back, but there didn't look to be any strength at all in his body. Layla saw an empty syringe on the floor nearby, and realised that Arcade must've drugged his guard. The guard tried to punch Arcade with his ballistic fist, but seemed to be struggling to even lift his arms. Arcade gritted his teeth as he drove the blade further into the guard's neck, spraying his blood everywhere. The guard gurgled for a few seconds, then went silent, and Arcade allowed his body to fall to the floor. As the corpse dropped, he saw Layla for the first time, and immediately turned to Caesar, bloody scalpel at the ready.

Realising what he planned to do, Layla reached for That Gun. She knew she'd have no chance of reaching him before he slew Caesar, since her leg was still not 100% after being shot by Campbell. That left ranged combat as the only option. She drew That Gun from its holster in a flash, and took only a fraction of a second to aim and fire. Arcade let out a high pitched cry as Layla's bullet hit its target. The bullet only grazed the arm holding the scalpel (He'd need his arms if he was going to treat Caesar after all), but it was enough, as it caused him to drop the bladed instrument as pain suddenly overwhelmed him.

"Turn around." She said sternly, with threatening undertones. "Now."

"Make me." The defiant tone was back in Arcade's voice, but Layla didn't back down. Instead she fired That Gun again, and this time the bullet flew a few inches past Arcade's head, before imbedding itself in the wall in front of him.

"Now!" Layla repeated, though louder than last time. Arcade reluctantly obeyed, and turned to face her. There was an aggressive look in his eyes, like he'd gut her if she gave him a chance. Fortunately she intended to do no such thing. She continued to point That Gun at Arcade, holding him still while she moved closer. Once she'd closed the distance, she returned That Gun to its holster before grabbing Arcade by the throat with both hands. "What is your damn problem?" She yelled at him as she began to choke him with both hands.

"Let...go..." Arcade managed to say, the act of speaking proving incredibly difficult when strong hands were wrapped around your throat. Reluctantly, Layla released her vicelike grip, allowing Arcade to stumble backwards and attempt to return some breath to his lungs.

"You said you'd treat Caesar, and in return the fort wouldn't be harmed, plus you'd be released in one piece." Layla growled. "We had a deal!"

"I...I coul...couldn't..." Still trying to return air to his lungs, Arcade paused for a second. Eventually he managed to gain his breath back, and continued. "I couldn't do it. I don't want the people in the fort to die...but I can't help this bastard." He motioned to Caesar, and spat towards the bed. His spit missed Caesar, landing on his pillow instead. "He could mean the death of order and stability in the Mojave, he..." Layla interrupted him with a painful slap to the face. Arcade fell onto a nearby chair, taken completely by surprise.

"Shut the fuck up." Layla said with such ferocity, that Arcade couldn't bring himself to retaliate. "Your feelings on this matter don't mean shit to me. The only reasons I haven't let the Legion kill you yet are that I need Caesar alive, and I promised Julie I'd return you in one piece. Shut the hell up, and do your damn job, or I'll be tempted to break that promise."

"You wouldn't." Arcade retaliated confidently. "You need me alive, or this tyrant will die. You know it."

"I need you to be able to treat him. There's a lot of injuries I could inflict on you that, while painful, would still leave you in good condition to work on him. I'm fairly sure you can treat Caesar with only one ear." Arcade looked at her as though she was insane, then his expression turned confident once more, though she could see his confidence waning.

"You've already discovered that threats won't work on me. I'll gladly die if it means killing Caesar, and nothing you can do will make me change my mind." Arcade looked surprised when a sadistic smile appeared on Layla's face.

"What if I don't want to change your mind Arcade?" Layla began to walk close to Arcade as she spoke, causing him to sit further back in the chair. As she neared, she drew her combat knife, and pointed it at him threateningly. "What if I just want to hurt you for...my own enjoyment?" A shocked expression began to form on Arcade's face, and it only grew as she reached him. She was so close that they could smell each other's breath, and her sadistic grin grew larger as she moved her combat knife towards Arcade's left ear. "You're annoying me Arcade, and I may just feel like...making you scream." She emphasised the last word as her knife reached Arcade's ear. Blood began to trickle down Arcade's ear as the jagged blade of her knife rubbed against the skin, and for the first time since she'd known the doctor, a look of genuine terror appeared in his eyes.

"You...you're completely insane!" He said, fear causing him to stutter slightly.

"You're only giving me more of an incentive to mutilate you Arcade." She said with a casualness in her voice that was downright terrifying, as if slicing a man's ear off was perfectly normal.

"Thi...think about this." He managed to stutter, as Layla's knife moved towards the bone that attached the ear to the side of his head. "This is ridiculous! You...you're threatening to c...cut my ear off...in order to save a man who thinks less of you than brahmin shit. You're...doing all of this...just to get revenge for something that happened three years ago. It's...complete and utter lunacy!" Layla responded to this outburst by moving her combat knife away from Arcade's ear, instead pointing it directly at his eye. The jagged blade was only a few inches away from his glasses, and they both knew that the glass wouldn't stop that blade.

"Listen to me you little shit. I lost everything three years ago. My parents, my home, and everyone and everything I'd ever known. If you ever, EVER, say trying to avenge them is lunacy again, I'll cut your fucking eyes out. Do you understand me?" The venom in her voice was almost paralysing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." He paused, as if unsure as to what to say next. Then he changed the subject. "But I still don't understand why you're helping Caesar. You obviously hate him as much as I do, but you're willing to do all this, just to keep him alive so he can achieve a means to an end." Layla moved her knife away from his eyes, and backed away slightly before returning the blade to its holster, much to Arcade's relief.

"I need him alive you idiot. Caesar's Legion won't help me if Caesar is dead."

"Why not?" Arcade's question surprised Layla. "There's a chain of command isn't there? If Caesar dies, someone else will take over. You'll still get your mad war with the NCR." A look of complete and utter amazement appeared on Layla's face. Ever since this whole business with Caesar's tumour had started she'd never once thought that someone could take Caesar's place as leader of the Legion. Did that mean...

"Bullshit!" She replied. "Do you really think the Legion would carry on without Caesar?"

"Well it wouldn't be as powerful. Despite his insanity, Caesar's a skilled tactician. The Legion would probably last until the upcoming battle at Hoover Dam, but after that, it would start to fall apart. Without Caesar, the man who started it all, the Legion would start to devolve after a while. The countless tribes that Caesar brought together would return to being individuals, no longer united by Caesar's leadership. They'd leave the Legion to be independent tribes once more, and the Legion would slowly dissolve, until nothing remains." An uneasy silence followed, as Layla pondered what Arcade had said. Before she could come to a conclusion, she heard movement behind her, and spun around to see the two praetorians from outside burst into the tent, the Legion mongrel at their side. _Fucking took them long enough._

"What happened in here?" The tallest of the praetorians asked Layla, eyes widening as he saw the dead praetorian lying in the middle of the tent. Layla's eyes drifted away from the praetorian to look at Arcade. She looked into his eyes briefly, then punched him in the stomach. He gasped in shock before falling off the chair, hands moving to his already injured ribs.

"The 'guest', tried to escape." She responded emotionlessly, before standing on Arcade's head in much the same way Lucius had done. "He's been dealt with."

"Would you like us to punish him?" Layla was still finding it strange how the legionaries and praetorians of the Legion had started treating her with respect after defeating Otho. Sure, a few of them were still stubbornly sexist, including Otho himself, but most now treated her with respect, and served her like they would serve a high ranking member of the Legion like Lucius or even Legate Lanius himself.

"No, leave him. I have punished him already. Deal with the body of the praetorian."

"Yes ma'am." As the praetorians moved towards the corpse, a question formed in Layla's mind.

"Before you leave, tell me something." She said to the two, authority filling her voice. They stopped their duties and looked at her, clearly willing to serve. "If Caesar were to die, who would take his place?" There was a long pause, as the duo of praetorians seemed to be deciding whether or not to answer.

"Legate Lanius is Caesar's second in command, so he would take over." The shorter praetorian answered eventually. The tone of his voice suggested that the question was rather awkward. Layla thanked the two men, then dismissed them. They eagerly obeyed, carrying the corpse out of the tent as quickly as they could. The mongrel immediately followed them, leaving Layla and Arcade alone.

*A short while later*

The Colorado River looked absolutely beautiful at night, as the lights of the moon and the stars reflected off the water, illuminating it in an a surreal, heavenly light. Layla sat on the edge of the cliff that bordered the fort, looking down at the sea as she mused. She'd needed somewhere to think, and this was the quietest and most serene location in the entire fort to her knowledge. She'd left Arcade in the tent and come here to think, though not before tying Arcade to the chair using some surgical tubing to make sure he didn't try to kill Caesar again. She sat looking at the lake, trying to decide Caesar's fate.

She was conflicted. _What else is fucking new? _She reflected bitterly. On the one hand, she'd love nothing more than to allow Caesar to die. He was an arrogant, sexist prick, who'd been treating her like dirt the entire time she'd been helping him, just because she was a woman. She'd be lying if she said his death would sadden her.

It wasn't that simple however. Sure, Arcade said that the Legion would probably carry on without Caesar, but there'd almost certainly be a massive loss of morale. She'd be better off with an army that still has their leader alive to inspire them, instead of an army that's disheartened because of their leader's death.

Of course, she'd met Legate Lanius, Caesar's successor, in person. He was obviously much more worthy of respect than Caesar, and didn't seem to be nearly as arrogant or sexist either. He seemed like a man of honour, and was known to be an amazing warrior. Maybe he could be a good leader too. Hell if anyone but Caesar could inspire these men, it'd be Lanius.

On the other hand, Caesar would still be a better leader. His tactical expertise was well known, and he'd inspire the men a lot more than even Lanius. With him leading and inspiring the men, victory at Hoover Damn was almost assured. The chances of victory could only decrease if Caesar died. Why risk the chances of victory just to kill one man? This was about the bigger picture.

_I'm sick of these fucking difficult decisions! _She thought angrily, remembering the decisions she'd had to make recently regarding her relationship with Veronica and whether or not to kill Veronica's family. She sat there for a few more hours before finally coming to a decision. Still unsure whether she was making the right decision, Layla got to her feet and returned to Caesar's tent, leaving the serenity of the river behind her.

*The next morning*

Layla stood over Caesar, looking down at the great dictator's face as the sun's first rays of light began to shine through the tent. Arcade was asleep in the chair nearby. He'd finished his duties at around 4AM, and was now resting. _God knows he's earned it._ Layla thought as she looked down at Caesar. _He's done a hell of a job._

After coming to a decision regarding Caesar the night before, Layla had briefly returned to the tent to speak to Arcade, then returned to standing guard outside. She'd quickly fallen asleep just outside the tent, then awoken around 3AM and ventured inside to watch Arcade work. She'd been awake since then, unable to return to the land of slumber. God knows she was exhausted, and she couldn't wait to return to the suite and get some sleep.

At that instant, Lucius entered the tent, a serious expression on his face. Arcade awoke with a start as he entered. The head praetorian regarded the doctor with a lack of interest, before walking over to Layla. He looked down at Caesar for a while before speaking to her.

"I assume that the doctor's work is complete?" He asked her, his voice as serious as his face looked.

"It is." Layla replied simply and emotionlessly.

"How is Caesar? Was the operation a success?" There was a short pause before Layla answered.

"No."

"What?"

"Something went wrong during the surgery. Caesar didn't survive." A shocked look appeared on Lucius' face.

"This...this cannot be."

"I watched the whole thing last night Lucius. Midway through the operation, something went wrong. The doctor tried to remedy it but it was no use. Caesar...died." Lucius looked away from her, his eyes focusing instead on Arcade.

"YOU!" He strode towards Arcade threateningly, ballistic fist at the ready and vengeful fire in his eyes. "YOU KILLED CAESAR! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Before he could strike a blow, Layla pulled him back.

"This was not Arcade's fault. He will not be harmed." Layla said calmly. Lucius was less calm.

"Let go of me!"

"Arcade tried to help. You WILL NOT harm him." Layla pushed Lucius away from Arcade, sending him stumbling across the tent. He stopped at the tent's entrance, and quickly turned to face Layla. He looked into Layla's eyes, then into Arcade's, and his angry expression slowly began to turn neutral again.

"Forgive me." He said calmly. Layla was surprised. She'd never heard Lucius apologise before. She didn't think it was possible for anyone in the Legion to apologise without spontaneously combusting from the humility such an act required. "I will make the arrangements for Caesar's funeral. Do what you wish with the doctor." With that, Lucius walked out of the tent, leaving Layla and Arcade alone once more.

"It worked." Arcade said with a smile once he was sure Lucius was out of earshot.

"It did." Layla responded with an equal smile, before her expression turned serious once again. "Are you sure nobody will be able to tell that you killed him deliberately?"

"Nope. The way I killed him, it'll look an accident even to a highly trained surgeon. Anyone in the Legion will be easily fooled."

"Good work."

"So..." Arcade asked nervously. "The brute said you could do what you wanted with me. What...do you want to do with me?" Layla smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'm sorry for all of this Arcade. You helped me get out from under that bastard's thumb, and for that I thank you. I'll be taking you back to Julie's like I promised."

"Thanks. Oh, and Layla?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't ever ask me to treat someone in the Legion again." They both smiled at that. While they were talking, neither of them noticed a man listening intently to their conversation from outside the tent. A man with a fox's head.

_**Women of the world rejoice, Caesar is dead! However, it would seem a certain someone knows about Layla's little secret. **_

_**Hopefully the next chapter will be easier to write than this one, but I can't promise anything. Writer's block had been covering my inspirtation with dark clouds for weeks before last night, so I don't know if it'll come back again while I'm producing the next chapter. I apologise for any delays.**_

_**As usual, please review. And I apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes (Hopefully there'll be none since I proof read each chapter before uploading them) and for the quality of my author's notes. I was very tired when writing everything you see here.**_


	34. The Khan Alliance

_**Because I'm frighteningly enthusiastic about writing action, this chapter took far less time to write than the last one. Lucky you.**_

The Khan Alliance

The early morning sun gave Red Rock Canyon an almost extravagant beauty. The red glare of the early sun combined with the red rocks had a surprising splendour that even Layla noticed, as she walked up to the camp's longhouse. The sounds of Khans training in the arena below filled the canyon as Layla neared the longhouse. A raven had perched on the roof of the longhouse, and squawked at Layla as she approached, before flying away as fast as it was able.

Layla was wearing the cuirass of her combat armour, but wore the shorts from her Great Khan outfit in addition to the Great Khan jacket that Regis had given her. Since she hadn't officially gone through the Great Khan initiation the jacket wasn't hers. Yet.

Caesar's funeral wouldn't be occurring for a few days, so Layla had some time to herself. She'd suggested to Veronica that they go back to Jacobstown, but the scribe had said she'd needed to 'run some errands', so Layla had decided to go visit the Great Khans instead. It was now midday, as the journey had taken her a few hours. She would've arrived sooner, but a group of Cazadors had jumped her near Bonnie springs. It seemed that since the Vipers who usually occupied the small town were dead, a family of Cazadors had made the area home. Layla had managed to slay the beasts, but not without being stung a few times. She counted her lucky stars that she'd brought some anti-venom with her or she'd currently be dying out in the desert sands.

The sounds of merriment greeted Layla as she entered the Longhouse, as the Khans seemed intent on getting as drunk as was humanly possible, though it was only noon. _Say what you want about Great Khans, they sure as hell know how to have fun._ Layla smiled as she remembered similar drinking traditions back in Bitter Springs. Once when she'd been 16, her dad had let her have some of his beer. She'd been knocked out from the second bottle. How things changed.

Layla looked around the longhouse and saw Regis sitting at the large table in the front of the room, though Papa Khan and Karl, the legion emissary, where nowhere to be seen.

"Hi Regis." Layla said in greeting as she approached the desk.

"Layla. It's been a while." He said in his normal emotionless voice. Layla agreed. Though it had in reality only been a few weeks since Layla had come to Red Rock, asking if Samuel Cooke and his Powder Gangers could join the Khans, it seemed like a lifetime ago. With all the shit that had been happening recently, it very well could've been.

"I would've come sooner, but I've been a little busy." Layla grabbed a chair from a nearby table and pulled it up to the same table as Regis, before sitting down opposite from him.

"I've heard." Regis finished eating his brahmin steak and looked her in the eyes. "You've been giving the NCR a lot of trouble from what I've heard. Is it true you slit their ambassador's throat?" Layla had to hand it to Regis, he had some good sources. They were in the middle of nowhere and he still knew what was going on in New Vegas.

"Yeah, it's true." Layla grinned as she answered. "He actually pissed himself when he died."

"I also heard you wiped out some important figures on the Strip." It took Layla a few seconds to figure out what he meant.

"Oh, you mean Mr House and Marjorie." Regis nodded in response. "To be fair they both had it coming. And they were both trying to kill me." Regis shook his head in dismay.

"You're still short tempered and lacking foresight I see."

"Still?"

"I remember when you were 13, and came to me regarding a girl who had stolen a comic from you. Your choice of action was to punch her in the face. I had to convince you to take more subtle action." He smiled slightly as he remembered.

"You told me to steal it from her while she slept." They both went into a short torrent of laughter. It was strange. Layla had never heard Regis laugh before.

"My point Layla, is that you can't just go around killing people. You'll no doubt be drawing attention from the NCR. My guess is that it's only a matter of time before they send someone to kill you."

"Oh they have." Layla said in a distant voice as she remembered her encounters with Boone.

"Well, despite my opinions on the matter, I know Papa Khan is very pleased with the way you've, and I quote, 'been sticking it to those NCR bastards'. You and he really are alike. The only difference is that he's crazier than you. He's allowed the urge for vengeance to completely and totally consume his very being, while you still have some chance to give it up." Layla sighed in annoyance as she remembered what Regis had said when she'd last left Red Rock Canyon.

"Regis, we've been over this. I have to avenge my parents and everyone that died at Bitter Springs."

"Even if you have to join forces with Caesar's Legion to do it?" He said accusingly.

"What's that about the Legion?" A deep voice said from behind Layla. Regis narrowed his eyes at the visitor, and Layla turned around to see that Karl had entered the longhouse.

"Nothing." He said to the Legion emissary. Karl's skin was the colour of ebony, and he was tall and powerful, no doubt a result of the tribal heritage and combat training that all members of the Legion had. He wore a simple merc adventurer outfit, a red long-sleeved sweater under a black leather jacket and simple black trousers, along with thick, black combat boots. He had a hard, stern gaze that hid most of his emotions.

"Very well." He said in a friendly tone as he approached the table. "So this is Layla. I am Karl." He looked like he was going to shake her hand, then apparently decided not to. Layla wondered why, then remembered the stigma involved with being a woman in the Legion's eyes. It would seem that just because she was respected by most Legionaries in the fort, didn't mean that respect was felt mutually by all members of the Legion across the Mojave.

"I understand you're an emissary for the Legion?" Layla said in a conversational tone.

"I am indeed." He said with pride. "It is my duty to venture into whatever lands the Legion seeks to conquer, and find worthy allies to aid the Legion in its cause. But enough about me, I've heard a lot about you as well. They call you The Red Blade Witch, and you've been striking fear into the heart of the New California Republic. The stories about your exploits are indeed impressive." He went silent for a moment, as if thinking, before speaking again. "Layla, do you mind if I speak with you privately in my quarters?" Both Regis and Layla gave him strange looks, but Layla felt confident she could cut him down if he tried anything.

"Alright, but make it quick." Karl nodded, and led the way. His room was right next to Papa Khan's, and he shut the door as soon as she entered. The room was sparsely furnished, but that seemed natural. She doubted members of the Legion had many belongings. She leant against the wall as Karl looked at her. She still didn't know what his intentions were, so kept her right hand close to her blade, just in case.

"You are friends with Regis, correct?" He said eventually. It was an unusual question, but Layla saw no reason not to answer it.

"I wouldn't say Regis has friends exactly but yes, I'm friendly with him." A serious look appeared on Karl's face as she answered.

"Good. I trust you know that the Great Khans are forming an alliance with Caesar's Legion?" Strangely, Karl pronounced Caesar's name with a C, instead of with a K like all other members of the Legion. Regardless, she answered his question.

"I've heard some things, but I don't know the details." Layla said truthfully. Despite knowing that the Khans had a Legion emissary living with them, Layla knew next to nothing about the Khans' alliance with the Legion.

"The terms of the alliance are quite simple. Before his death, Caesar believed that the Khans were skilled and proud warriors, which is why he sent me to live with them. The agreement was that the Khans aid the Legion in the coming battle at Hoover Dam, and in return they get all lands east of the Colorado River once the Legion takes over. Papa Khan has expressed great interest in allying with the Legion, so that he could wipe out the NCR." Once again, the resemblance between Layla and Papa Khan was uncanny. "Half of the Khans support Papa Khan since he is their leader, and is possibly the best leader they've ever had."

"And the other half?"

"They support Regis." He said Regis' name with an unmistakable amount of venom. "Regis doesn't feel the same way as Papa Khan, and has been trying to convince him that joining the Legion is not a good idea. Regis is known for his wisdom, and the other half of the Great Khan's organization supports him. Unless this conflict is resolved, the Great Khans will not be able to join forces with the Legion."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

"That's quite simple. You are close to Regis, he'll listen to you. Convince him that joining the Legion is beneficial to the Great Khans."

"Are you asking me...or telling me?"

"Merely asking. You know firsthand the benefits that come with joining the Legion, and I know you care about the Great Khans. You know that the only way they can get vengeance on the NCR is by joining the Legion. Convince Regis that joining the Legion is the right thing to do, and the Khans will finally be able to regain their lost honour. The choice is yours." With that, Karl walked past her and left the room, leaving Layla alone in his quarters.

She was once again conflicted. While joining Caesar's Legion had been good for her (Apart from the sexism), she didn't know if it would be as good for the Great Khans. Layla had spoken to a few members of the Legion, and gathered that most of them had once belonged to their own tribe, with its own traditions and values. Now those tribes were gone however, and its members were now faceless legionaries. Layla didn't want that to happen to the Khans.

Then again, she understood Papa Khan's urge for vengeance, having been feeling that exact same overpowering urge herself for three years. Papa Khan clearly knew the risks involved, but it looked like he didn't care if the Khans were assimilated by the Legion, leaving all trace of their organization behind. Was it worth sacrificing everything that the Khans were, if it meant destroying the NCR once and for all?

It was a difficult question, and Layla lay back on Karl's bed as she thought about it. As she thought, Layla's eyes scanned the room. While idly casting her gaze around the room, Layla saw something that grabbed her attention. From the exact position she was lying in, Layla could see behind a nearby cabinet. Behind said cabinet, Layla saw a book. Why would Karl wedge a book behind a piece of furniture? _Unless he doesn't want anyone else to see it._ Her curiosity piqued, Layla climbed off the bed and walked towards the cabinet. Reaching behind the cabinet, she grabbed the book and pulled it out. Not wanting anyone to see her reading it, she shut the door of Karl's room, before lying down on the bed and reading the book. She didn't like what she read.

*Regis*

Regis could tell something was wrong as soon as he saw Layla walking towards him, fire burning fiercely in her eyes. He'd been standing outside the longhouse, looking over the cliff that overlooked the camp, but turned as soon as he heard Layla's stomping footsteps.

"Where's Karl?" She asked with a rage the likes of which he'd never heard before.

"I have no idea." He replied calmly. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not too fond of the man, so his comings and goings aren't of interest to me."

"Maybe this will be of interest." She pushed a small item into Regis' hand as he spoke, and was surprised to see that it was a book.

"What is this?" He asked, still lacking emotion but raising an eyebrow in confusion as he did.

"Karl's journal."

"Where did you find..."

"That's not important." She interrupted him, speaking in a serious tone. "Read it." Normally Regis would've told her to calm down, but he hadn't trusted Karl since the day the emissary had arrived in Red Rock. If his journal had some insight into his behaviour, then Regis knew he had to read it. And read it he did. Like Layla, he didn't like what he read.

As he had guessed, the journal was a description of every day Karl had spent thus far in Red Rock Canyon. Also included in the book were several notes regarding different members of the Khans, the gang's strengths and weaknesses, as well as a few personal notes. It was these notes that most interested Regis, because they showed Karl's true feelings about the Great Khans. Throughout these notes, he expressed his distaste for the Khans and everything they stood for. At several points he called them ignorant savages, and expressed contempt at just about every tradition they had. All in all, it seemed Karl didn't like the Khans nearly as much as he'd been letting on. In fact, it seemed that he thought higher of the dirt on the sole of his boots than of the Khans. His distaste for the Khans wasn't the most disturbing part of the journal however. The most recent of Karl's personal notes suggested that the Great Khans weren't worthy to be assimilated by the Legion. There was a lot of philosophical crap there about the Legion's perfection, but it boiled down to one simple truth. Karl had suggested to Caesar that the Khans should be allowed to fight in the battle at Hoover Damn, then every single one of them should be killed. Men and women, young and old, every Khan in Red Rock Canyon would be executed if they allied themselves with Caesar.

"This is...troubling." Regis said as he finished reading, with a calmness that surprised even himself.

"Troubling?" Layla yelled in disbelief and anger. "It's more than troubling! That bastard wants to kill the fucking Khans! We need to find him and rip his fucking head off!"

"Calm down!" Regis hissed sternly, and turned away from her, silently thinking to himself. "This is serious." He said after a brief pause. "We have to do something about this, but we can't just run after Karl. He could leave Red Rock, and the Khans can't really follow him. Or worse, killing him could piss of the Legion. The last thing we want is an army of heavily armed, well armoured psychopaths charging into the canyon, killing anything that moves.

"So what do you recommend?"

"We have to tell Papa Khan. Once he knows about this, we can simply deny the Legion's offer. They won't be suspicious, Karl will leave, and there won't be a bloodbath." A disappointed look briefly passed across Layla's voice, as though she was sad that she wouldn't get to slay Karl. It passed in an instant however, replaced with a serious look.

"I didn't see Papa Khan in the longhouse. Where is he?"

"Gone for the day. He and a small group of Khans went to ambush an NCR caravan."

"So how're you planning to tell him about Karl's plan if he's not here?"

"He'll be back later tonight, I'll tell him then." As he spoke, he put Karl's journal into one of the interior pockets of his jacket. "In the meantime, we should just pretend that everything is normal. Go do some delivery work for Jack and Diane, something that won't attract any attention. I'll hang on to the book." Layla nodded her agreement, before walking away. Regis turned back to the edge of the cliff, and sighed. Nothing was ever simple anymore.

*Several hours later – Layla*

The red light of the sun had been replaced by the empty, white gaze of the full moon as Layla returned to Red Rock Canyon. Her delivery for Jack and Diane had been fairly easy, which was surprising since she had been delivering chems to a group of Viper gang members. As she'd approached the Vipers' camp, she'd been expecting to be shot on sight. The large parcel she'd been carrying had saved her life however, as the Viper lookout had immediately recognised it as one of Jack and Diane's packages. Layla had been paid a striking amount of chems, and she didn't have to dirty her sword.

As she neared Jack and Diane's trailer, Layla began to get a feeling that something was wrong. The main reason for this was that there was no sign of Jack or Diane. The entire area surrounding the drug lab was completely devoid of life. Before Layla could try to ascertain the reason for this, she saw something that took her full attention. Regis was knelt on the desert ground just outside the trailer, arms tied behind his back by thick ropes. Stood behind him, wielding a very well made machete, was Karl.

"It's about time you got back." Karl called over to Layla as she neared. "We were getting so impatient waiting for you." She gritted her teeth in an enraged expression as her hand moved towards her sword..

"What the hell do you think you're doing Karl?" She yelled at him. He simply smiled.

"I could ask you the same thing Layla. I had no idea that you're a spy for the NCR." Karl's response knocked her for six. _A spy for the NCR? What the hell is he talking about?_ Layla thought franticly as Karl's eyes drifted towards Regis' kneeling form.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked, voicing her thoughts.

"There's no point in denying it Layla. We all know." As he said the last sentence, Layla sensed movement all around her. Turning around, she saw a small army of Great Khans approaching her, betrayed looks on their faces and weapons drawn. Looking up, she saw even more Khans perched on the canyon walls around her, wielding scoped hunting rifles and other long range weapons. "I must admit it was an ingenious cover. Saying you were in Bitter Springs during the massacre made sure nobody would ever accuse you of not being loyal to the Khans, and having Regis vouch for you only made your lie more convincing." _Lie? _"Nobody would ever suspect that Papa Khan's advisor would also be an NCR spy. You both played us for fools, but now we know the truth."

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Despite the defiance in her voice, Layla knew exactly what he was talking about. He must've overheard her and Regis' conversation earlier regarding the journal, and fabricated a lie about the two of them being spies to protect himself. Now he'd turned every Khan in the camp against her.

"Oh give your pathetic charade a rest Layla. We all know the truth." As he spoke, Karl raised his journal so that all the Khans around Layla could see it, and increased the volume of his voice so that they could all hear him. "You exposed yourself when you stole my journal. In this book, all my knowledge about the Khans is contained, as well as a lot of important information regarding the Legion. You wanted to give this book to your NCR masters, so that they could learn more about the enemy they're facing." He raised the volume of his voice even more as he went on, until he was speaking in an echoing roar. His gaze drifted over the surrounding Khans as he spoke. "KHANS, DO YOU SEE THIS? THE NCR ARE COWARDS! THEY ARE TOO SCARED TO BATTLE YOUR MIGHT THEMSELVES, SO THEY SEND SPIES AND USE DECEPTION TO BATTLE A VASTLY SUPERIOR FOE! WITH THE MIGHT OF THE LEGION AT THEIR SIDE, THE KHANS SHALL EVISCERATE THE NEW CALIFNORNIA REPUBLIC, AND REGAIN THEIR HONOUR!" Deafening cheers filled the canyon as Karl finished his speech, as all the Khans surrounding Layla were roused to action. Layla's heart skipped a beat as she realised Karl had the Khans completely wrapped around his finger. He was playing them like a musical instrument, but they were hanging on to his every word.

"You're lying!" Layla shouted at him defiantly, but he simply laughed.

"**I'm** lying? Really? Then explain why you and Regis stole my journal." Layla was about to respond, when she realised the futility of it. Nobody would believe Karl's true intentions unless they saw the journal for themselves, and the emissary currently held that in his hands. Instead she began to look around for an escape route, but to no avail. The drug lab was the perfect ambush point. It was a dead end, surrounded on all sides by towering canyon walls, the only way in or out a narrow passage which was easy to block. The only cover was the five trailers that made up the drug lab, one of which belonged to Jack and Diane. They were on the other side of the area however, and Layla knew she'd be filled full of holes before she made it halfway to one of the trailers, and by the very people she thought of as family no less.

"Where are Jack and Diane? Are they 'traitors' too?" Layla asked, buying time as she slowly made her way closer to the trailers. Her movements were so slight that Karl didn't even notice.

"Hardly. Once I caught Regis with my journal, I convinced Jack and Diane to clear out of here for a while, allowing us to set up the perfect ambush once you returned from your little delivery."

"So what happens now? Are you just going to kill us and be done with it?"

"You, yes. You're nothing more than a lying whore, and so you'll be dealt with like one. Regis however, will not be." Karl looked at the kneeling form of Regis in front of him as he spoke. "His betrayal is far greater than yours. For many years he has served as Papa Khan's loyal advisor, and almost every Khan around you looked up to him. But it was all a facade. He was really a spy for the NCR for the entire time. He lied to everyone here, and played them for fools."_Much like you're doing now. _Layla thought as he continued to flap his gums. "As such, I will allow the Khans to deal with him, using their own traditions. His death will be much more grand, and a hell of a lot more satisfying than yours." _Keep talking you fucking windbag._ Layla thought, as she finally reached a decent distance from the trailers. _Keep talking, and give me all the time I need._ "But enough talk. Khans! Deal with her!" _Shit._

The second Karl finished talking, she ran for the nearest trailer. As she ran, she imagined the Khans around her readying their weapons and taking aim, a thought that encouraged her to run faster. As she neared the trailer, the Khans finally opened fire. Bullets rained down around Layla as she continued to run full pelt towards the cover that the trailer provided. Knowing that getting through the door would take too long, and she'd be killed long before she made it inside, she instead leapt towards the trailer's closed window. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Layla flew through the air towards the window, countless bullets of every different type impacting the ground and the trailer around her. Finally she smashed through the window, seconds before being perforated by countless Great Khan gunners.

She landed in a heap inside the trailer, broken glass surrounding her as she hit the floor. Ignoring the pain of several small cuts all over her body, the result of jumping through the window, she got to her knees and crawled under a nearby table.

The trailer itself was small. The table she was crawling under was at the back of the trailer. Just in front of the table, on her right hand side, was a kitchen counter with various pots and pans, most of which looked home to a family of bacteria. Besides the table and the counter the trailer was empty. At the other side of the trailer, on the left hand wall, was the trailer's door, which Layla had had no time to get through previously.

As she took cover under the table, she began to take stock of the situation. She was inside a trailer that stood in the middle of a circular clearing, surrounded on all sides by towering canyon walls on which a large number of vengeful Great Khans stood. In addition, a small army of Great Khans, equally as vengeful as the Khans on the walls, were heading towards the trailer right now. This wasn't exactly the best situation she'd ever been in.

It became increasingly apparent that trailer wasn't exactly bulletproof, as many bullets flew through the walls of the trailer, though none hit flesh since Layla had found cover beneath the table. The worst part of this situation was that Layla didn't want to hurt the Khans. Thought they thought she was an NCR spy and wanted to tear her limb from limb, she saw the Great Khans as family, and she knew she couldn't kill them. That made this even more difficult. As if fighting off a small army of Great Khans wasn't bad enough, she had to do it non-lethally. Ignoring the bullets impacting overhead, she looked through her bag to find any weapons that were nonlethal. That search proved fruitless. Now to add to the fact that she had to fight off a small army of Great Khans non-lethally, it seemed that she had to do it with her bare hands.

At that exact moment, the bullets stopped flying overhead. Layla guessed that the small army of Great Khans had finally reached the trailer. Her suspicion was proved correct less than a second later as a burly Great Khan kicked the trailer's door off his hinges. Layla took a deep breath, then rolled out from beneath the table and got to her feet. Almost immediately, the Khan that had kicked down the door rushed her. The Khan was male, bald, and covered with tattoos. He also wielded a sledgehammer.

Layla sidestepped his first swing, as she tried to think how she could incapacitate him without killing him, not used to fighting non-lethally. The Khan interrupted her thoughts by taking another swing at her. She ducked under that swing easily, before unleashing an uppercut on the Khan's face. The blow made him stumble back, until he collided with the nearby kitchen counter. Layla immediately rushed him before he could recover, and delivered a crushing punch to his face. She then let loose two quick jabs aimed at his stomach, before grabbing the sides of his head. He was too stunned by her previous blows to do anything, as she pulled his head towards her knee. That last blow knocked the consciousness out of him, and he slumped to the floor.

Layla immediately picked up his hammer as a female Khan entered. She had an aggressive look on her face, a Mohawk on her head and combat knives in either hand. The Khan quickly fired off two stabs at Layla, but she parried both blows with her recently acquired sledgehammer. She was about to smack the Khan in the face with the hammer, and then remembered that she didn't want to kill her foe. Instead, she slammed the hammer down on the Khan's foot. She screamed in pain as the hammer broke her foot, then was silenced as Layla elbowed her in the face.

The knife wielding Khan went down quickly, and another Khan quickly entered. Like the last Khan, she was female. Unlike the last Khan, she had a gun. A hunting revolver to be exact. Layla quickly rolled to the side as the Khan fired, just managing to avoid having a bullet put between her eyes. She quickly dropped the sledgehammer, since it was weighing her down, before picking up one of the combat knives from the Khan she'd just downed. Before the Khan with the revolver could fire again, Layla threw the combat knife. The throw was professionally accurate, as it managed to knock the revolver from the Khan's hand without cutting open her wrist. Layla thanked the several hours of practice it had taken to get her knife throwing so accurate. Before the now unarmed Khan could react, Layla rushed her and knocked her to the floor with a running knee to the face.

Before Layla could even begin to get her breath back, a tall, male Khan with an axe rushed through the trailer's doorway, and quickly brought his axe crashing down towards Layla's head. Thinking fast, she grabbed the door which had been recently knocked off its hinges, and moved it in front of her. Her makeshift shield worked quite well, as the axe's blade smashed straight through the door, but didn't come out again. While the Khan tried to pull his axe out of the door, Layla pushed the door towards him. The sudden push knocked the door, and the Khan who's axe was stuck in the door, out of the trailer. He landed in a heap on his back, before giving up on trying to pull his axe free and rushing her unarmed. This proved to be a mistake, as a quick roundhouse kick from Layla knocked him out of the trailer again, this time unconscious.

Layla had about two seconds to catch her breath before another Khan stormed through the doorway. This one obviously knew what he was dong however, as he grabbed Layla by the throat before she could react, before throwing her across the trailer. She landed painfully on the table that she'd been hiding under about a minute ago, as the Khan stomped towards her. This Khan looked especially formidable, as he was nearly seven feet tall, and extremely muscular. As if to emphasize this, he took off his Great Khan jacket and threw it to the floor, before flexing his massive, vein covered muscles. He was also bald, and had milky white eyes. He snarled at Layla before rushing her.

She just had time to get off the table and onto her feet before the first punch came. She darted to the side, before letting loose her own punch aimed at his head. The sudden blow made him stumble back, but he quickly recovered, laughing tauntingly before rushing her again. Layla let loose a roundhouse kick at his stomach, but he darted to the side with surprising speed before punching her in the face. The blow felt like being hit by a sledgehammer, and Layla found herself slumping over the kitchen counter. Before she could react, The Khan pulled her to her feet by her long hair and pushed her against the table, before raising both hands over his head and bringing them down in an axe handle blow. Layla rolled to the side seconds before having her skull flattened, before getting to her feet and punching the Khan in the side of the head. He recovered quickly, and let loose a combination of powerful punches. Layla swore to herself as she realised that the closed confines of a trailer wasn't the best place to dodge punches. She weaved side to side, barely dodging the Khan's punches as he pressured her back against the wall. As she rolled to the middle of the trailer to dodge yet another punch, another Khan ran into the trailer, followed by two more.

She swore to herself yet again before grabbing a frying pan off the kitchen counter. She dispatched the first Khan with a quick smack from the frying pan (She knew firsthand after her fight with Philippe that such a blow wasn't lethal), before kicking him into the second Khan, knocking them both to the floor. The third Khan had a hunting rifle, and Layla quickly kicked him in the balls, making him drop the gun as agony filled his body. Before he could do so much as whimper, she struck him in the face with the frying pan, knocking him out. The second Khan, the Khan who'd had his unconscious friend kicked into him, got to his feet and drew a combat knife. He delivered a quick slash that Layla effortlessly dodged, but she was surprised when he rapidly attacked her again, this time cutting the wrist that held the frying pan. She gritted her teeth, barely ignoring the pain. as she dropped the pan, and he tried to stab her again. She grabbed his hand mid stab however, before twisting his wrist. He cried out in pain, dropping his knife as he did so, and she quickly shut him up by headbutting him in the face. The blow knocked him against the wall with the broken window, and he immediately began to slump to the floor.

In all the excitement she'd forgotten the towering, muscular Khan from earlier. He reminded her of his presence by rushing into her, pushing her against the far wall of the trailer, right next to the doorway. He then kneed her in the stomach, making her spit blood, before throwing her across the trailer again. This time she landed next to the kitchen counter and he walked towards her slowly, grinning and cracking his knuckles as he did so. He prepared to stomp on her face, but before he could do so she saw a cabinet on the side of the counter. Thinking fast, she swung open the cabinet door, and it collided with the Khan's knee. He was knocked off balance by the attack, and she promptly got to her feet before punching him in the nose, breaking it instantly. Enraged, he tried to headbutt her. She darted to the side however, before copying a move she'd saw Veronica do and elbowing him in the throat. Just like when Veronica had used it, the move proved to be devastatingly powerful, as it seemed to daze the Khan, knocking him back against the far wall as it did so. As he began to recover, she picked up the rifle that a previous Khan had dropped. He rushed her, pure rage in his eyes, and she rewarded him for his efforts by swinging the rifle like a golf club, smacking him in the face with the blunt end of the weapon. That last blow did the trick, as it knocked the Khan right to the floor. He didn't get up, and Layla breathed a sigh of relief.

"STOP!" A booming voice Layla recognised as Karl's shouted. Immediately, the Khan's that were going to enter the trailer backed away. Layla looked out of the now broken window that she'd dived through, and saw Karl standing outside, a throwing spear in his hand. Before Layla could so much as blink, he threw the spear at her with deadly accuracy. The spear flew at a ridiculous speed, and Layla had only begun to dodge before the spear struck. Fortunately, since she'd been halfway through dodging, the spear didn't pierce her heart as Karl had intended. Instead it stabbed straight through her right arm. Layla screamed in pain as the momentum of the spear pushed her back, before stabbing into the wall behind her. Layla tried to break free, but the spear had her nailed there. She tried to rip the spear out using her left arm, but it proved fruitless. Whether it was the exhaustion of beating up six Great Khans without a break, or simply a result of blood loss, Layla was beginning to feel very dizzy. Her head was swimming, and she was barely staying conscious. The pain in her arm felt like it was coming from a mile away. As her consciousness began to swim, Layla was aware of a small object flying through the broken window, and landing on the table next to her. She had just enough time to register that it was a grenade, before everything went white.

*Later*

Layla was roused to consciousness by strong hands on her arms. She'd just managed to open her eyes, when a fist to her jaw knocked her right back out again.

She had no idea how much time passed before she awoke again. As her eyes slowly opened, she looked around. Her vision was annoyingly blurry, so she couldn't see much, but she could tell that two men were holding her. One had a grip on each of her arms, and they seemed to be dragging her somewhere. Before she could ponder this, drowsiness sent her back under again.

When she woke up a third time, she was aware that they weren't moving anymore, and that the men had released their grip on her. She tried to open her eyes again, but they refused. Slowly, she managed to convince her stubborn eyes to open, and when she did, she saw that she was lying on the edge of a large cliff. Though still not thinking clearly, her brain was working well enough for her to realise that she was on one of the canyon walls.

"Let's throw this traitorous bitch over the edge and get it over with already." A gruff voice said from nearby, and Layla managed to turn her head far enough to see two men standing to her right, chatting. They were both wearing leather jackets, and after a few seconds, her dazed brain realized that they were Great Khans.

"How do you think they're going to kill Regis?" The other Khan asked.

"I hope it's painful. That fucker lied to us for years. NCR loving son of a..." Before the Khan could finish his sentence, an object suddenly stabbed through his skull. At first Layla was confused, then as her vision slowly cleared, she saw that a large, pointy stick was stabbed through the Khan's face. A few seconds later, she recognised it as a throwing spear, but by this time the other Khan had drawn a gun and started shooting. It looked like an SMG, but Layla's thoughts were too blurry to figure out what kind. She managed to turn around, and saw that something was taking cover behind a nearby rock as the Khan shot at it.

"Shit!" He suddenly yelled, and stopped shooting. She turned back to him, as he dropped his gun and ran away from whatever was crouched behind the rock. He only made it a few feet however, before realising he was on the edge of a cliff. Layla turned back to whatever had been taking cover, and saw a shadow running towards the Khan. The Khan drew a knife and tried to stab the shadow, but the shadow dodged. He didn't even get a chance to breathe before the shadow drew what looked like a bigger knife and stabbed him. The Khan gurgled for a few seconds, before being kicked off the canyon.

Layla's vision began to swim again, and she knew she was falling unconscious once more. She tried to resist it, but it was no use. As she faded, the last thing she saw was the shadow approaching her.

_**Who's the mysterious shadow that saved Layla? What will be the fate of Regis? Will Karl meet Layla's blade? What happened to the sub plot regarding Vulpes' knowledge about Caesar's murder? All these questions will be answered in the next chapter.**_

_**For anyone who cares, I'll be going off to university soon. I don't know how frequently I'll be able to update there, so I'll try and write as many chapters as I can before then.**_

_**I still have a sinking feeling that this story is going downhill a bit, so if any readers could find the time to review, that would be splendid. Many thanks.**_


	35. Showdown in Red Rock Canyon

_**Now, the conclusion of Layla's troubles in Red Rock Canyon. Enjoy dear reader, enjoy.**_

_**P.S: I thought I should add something just in case I get sued. I know it's been 34 chapters, but better late than never: I don't own Fallout or anything to do with Fallout. I do however, own Layla, and will not take kindly to anyone using her without my permission.**_

Showdown in Red Rock Canyon

The first thing Layla was aware of when she regained consciousness was pain. Pain in her joints, pain in her jaw, pain in just about every part of her body. Though most of it was a dull, easily ignorable pain now, it was still quite noticeable. She felt like she'd been caught in an explosion. As her head cleared, and her mind started to wake up, she realised that she **had** been caught in an explosion.

Her memory was fuzzy, but she could just recall a frag grenade landing next to her a second before she'd fallen unconscious. Recollection of that incident caused her to remember further back, to when Karl had thrown a spear at her. On instinct, she looked at her right arm, the arm that the spear had skewered, and found that it had been bandaged.

That observation brought her fully back to reality, and caused her to look at her surroundings. She was lying on a filthy, but still fairly comfortable mattress, in what looked to be a tent. The tent was exceptionally dark, so she couldn't see too much of it. What she could see however, told her two things. 1) this tent hadn't been used in a while. It was extremely untidy, and dust covered everything that she could see. 2) This tent belonged to the Great Khans. She could just make out the dust covered wall to her left, and saw familiar Great Khan graffiti.

As her eyes started to adjust to the gloom, she started to get to her feet, and saw a figure on the other side of the tent. The side of the tent that the figure stood on was the darkest, and looking at it was like looking into a black void, through which no light could be seen. She started to walk towards the figure, the shadow, and seemed to attract its attention. The shadow turned its head, seemingly looking at her, and immediately bolted for the tent's entrance flap.

She ran after it, eager to know the identity of her saviour. Still slightly lightheaded, she didn't notice the oil lamp on the floor of the tent until it was too late. She tripped over it, and landed face first in a heap on the tent's floor just as the shadow exited the tent. Swearing mentally at herself, Layla climbed to her feet and ran after the shadow. She burst from the tent a few seconds later, to find that it was night time. She looked around, but saw no sign of the enigmatic shadow.

As she swore under her breath, she saw that the tent was on the outskirts of Red Rock Canyon, lying almost a mile away from the actual camp. It must've been abandoned quite some time ago, which explained its current state. Knowing she had no chance of following the mysterious shadow, Layla went back inside the tent to collect her thoughts.

Fortunately it seemed she hadn't knocked the oil lamp over when she tripped on it, so the tent hadn't been set ablaze yet. On closer inspection, she saw that the lamp was very well made, possibly an antique, as it was made of gold and quite heavily engraved. It definitely hadn't been here when the shadow had arrived. Where her saviour could've got it from she had no idea. Since the lamp only illuminated the side of the tent where Layla had woken up, she turned on her Pip Boy light to bring brightness to the other half of the tent. Once the tent was fully illuminated, she began to take stock of the situation.

She saw that she was in her small clothes, and her bag was gone. She found said bag in the corner of the room, next to a writing desk that the shadow had been standing near. All her supplies were still in the bag, so nothing had been stolen, though her sword was nowhere to be found. Her combat armour lay next to the bag, but it had seen better days. The armour was cracked and wrecked, plus it was covered with burn marks, no doubt due to the explosion she'd been caught in earlier. It would seem that her combat armour had saved her life, at the cost of its own life. Her Great Khan jacket and shorts lay next to the armour, and were surprisingly still in one piece. The shorts were fine, but the jacket was quite badly scorched, though still wearable.

Wondering just what had happened after the shadow had saved her, Layla sat on the bed, before beginning to think. On impulse, Layla looked at her Pip Boy and saw that it was the day after the day she'd arrived in Red Rock. She'd been unconscious for around 24 hours. As she realised this, Layla saw a piece of paper on the writing desk next to her bag, and went over to examine it. The letter was written on an average piece of paper, but in fairly neat handwriting. She realised the shadow must've written it, and eagerly began to read.

*Letter*

_If you're reading this, then you awoke in time to save your friend Regis. Tonight he is being executed for 'betraying' the Great Khans. The execution will be taking place in Red Rock Canyon's arena, and Karl will be watching from the longhouse, along with a few bodyguards from the Legion. Word of your 'escape' has not gone unnoticed._

_I do not know how Regis will be executed, but I know it will be happening at midnight. After rescuing you last night I treated all your wounds, so you will be able to fight. Despite this, you must not try to rescue Regis. To do so would mean your death. You are skilled, but even you cannot fight off a small army of Great Khans; especially if you don't want to hurt them._

_A better way would be to go after Karl. If you can retrieve his journal, you can convince the Khans of his lies. This will be the only way to save Regis and clear both of your names. You must do this before midnight, or Regis will perish. I have left two tools to help you. They're in a bag under the bed. Good luck._

_P.S: Karl has taken your sword as a trophy. One of the tools I have left you should serve as a suitable replacement._

*Layla*

The shadow had left no signature, further confusing Layla as to its identity. It seemed she had bigger things to worry about though; namely saving Regis. A look at Layla's Pip Boy clock told her that it was 11:43. _Shit! _She thought anxiously. _Less than 20 minutes to save Regis._ Remembering the shadow's advice, Layla made her way over to the bed and looked under it. Sure enough, an unremarkable duffel bag lay under the bed. She quickly opened it, and found the shadow's two gifts: a throwing spear and a machete, both very finely made. She could vaguely remember the shadow using both weapons to slay her Khan captors, proving their killing potential. Taking both gifts, Layla made her way over to her bag and began to equip herself for the mission ahead.

*Regis*

Regis had to admit, he'd definitely been in better situations. He currently knelt in the middle of Red Rock Canyon's arena, arms tied behind his back and surrounded by screaming Great Khans. They stood all around the arena, and sat on the spikes that made up the arena's walls, shouting insults and crying out for blood. Several torches had been placed around the arena, illuminating the entire area. His jacket was gone, taken by the Khans, leaving him in only a simple cloth shirt and ripped jeans.

Despite this, Regis was not worried. He knew what the Great Khans did to traitors; they made them fight a chosen warrior from the gang, a loyal member of the Khans, to the death. Regis knew everyone in Red Rock Canyon, and knew he was more than capable of defeating any of them. He'd been fighting since before most of them had been born, and knew no Khan in the canyon could defeat him in single combat.

Still, he worried about Layla. Last night the trailer she'd been hiding in had been blown to kingdom come by a frag grenade, though somehow Layla had survived. Karl had ordered her to be thrown off the canyon's highest wall, and dispatched two Khans to carry out the task. Once again, Layla had somehow managed to cheat death however, as word had gotten out that she'd escaped. Regis knew of her brash nature, and feared she'd storm the arena, trying to save him. He knew that such an act would mean the end of her, and silently prayed that she wouldn't do it, that just once she'd come up with a plan instead of rushing in, guns blazing.

Now was not the time to be thinking of that however. He knew that it was almost midnight, meaning his battle would be coming soon. He mentally prepared himself, getting in the proper mindset for combat and readying himself for the fight ahead.

*Karl*

This was a great day. Not only had Karl managed to retrieve his journal and prevent the Khans learning of the Legion's true intentions, but he had convinced the Khans to exterminate the biggest threat to his plans. Now they were perfectly loyal to him, and an alliance with Caesar's Legion was practically ensured.

In addition, he'd finally shown that bitch Layla her place. He'd heard of her reputation, and the fact that a woman could be so respected by Legion men made him sick. He'd been waiting for a chance to knock her down a few pegs, and she'd handed him such an opportunity by stealing his journal. That idiotic action had cost the bitch her life. At least, it would have if those imbecilic Khans hadn't fucked up and allowed her to escape.

The fact that she still lived angered him, but he knew she was no threat. It was obvious that she'd try to save Regis, but she stood no chance of succeeding. The arena was surrounded by a small army of Great Khans, an army she didn't even want to kill. Trying to storm the arena would be suicide. If she decided to go after him, then she'd have similar success. Not only was he clad in full Legion armour and armed to the teeth, he was also being guarded by 6 legionaries, who were spread out by the paths to the longhouse to make sure that the bitch stood no chance of reaching him.

Now he stood directly in front of the longhouse, flanked on both sides by a Legion warrior. From his position he had a perfect view of the arena, and of Regis' demise. Though he despised most of the Great Khans' savage traditions, he had to admit that this execution tradition was one of the better ones. He was looking forward to the upcoming battle. Regis' death would be his ultimate victory, and Layla's sword, which he wore on his back thanks to a makeshift holster, was the ultimate trophy. As Karl savoured his supposed victory, he didn't see a legionary near the arena fall dead.

*Layla*

Very few knew of Layla's stealth capabilities. Since she constantly rushed in and fought without subtlety, most thought of her as a mindless brute, completely incapable of formulating a plan. None of them knew that Layla could be very stealthy when she wanted to, a skill she'd learnt from her mother back at Bitter Springs. Elisa had been a stealth expert, and passed all her skills onto her daughter. Layla had used these very same skills to silently murder the first Legion soldier with a machete to the spine. The Legion wouldn't like her killing their men, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them as far as she was concerned.

The soldier had been standing guard close to the arena, right next to the path leading up to the longhouse. Using her binoculars and a quick dose of Cateye, Layla had seen that there were four legionaries standing guard on the path leading to the longhouse, three now since Layla had 'dealt with' the first. That coward Karl wasn't taking any chances. Layla had considered sniping him using a scoped hunting rifle she'd recently acquired, but knew that if she did that she'd never be able to get close enough to get the journal without being spotted. It seemed she'd have to kill Karl up close and personal, which was just fine with her.

Layla was clad in her shorts and scorched Great Khan jacket, a light outfit that provided perfect freedom of movement and was almost entirely black. She also wore a headband on her head. The machete left by the shadow was tied to her belt (Though currently it was stabbed into a Legion soldier's back), and she wore her thigh holster on her leg with That Gun in it. In addition, she had her combat knife and two throwing knives tied to her belt, and the shadow's throwing spear in the makeshift holster on her back that was usually occupied by her sword.

The soldier fell silently to the ground a few seconds after Layla stabbed him, and she quickly pulled out her machete before making her way up the path leading to the longhouse. Just a few feet up the path she saw a legionnaire, standing guard on a small hill. The path continued behind him, leading further up the side of the cliff towards the longhouse.

Though most Legion soldiers were deadly focused almost 100% of the time, this soldier clearly wasn't one of them. He was obviously bored, as he constantly paced back and forth, whistling to himself as he did so. Staying low, Layla crept up the path, staying in the darkness as much as she could. When the guard's back was turned, she crept onto the hill and approached him. His whistling was abruptly cut short as Layla drove the machete into the back of his neck, spraying blood everywhere. He tried to scream, but Layla covered his mouth with her hand, silencing him. A few seconds later, his muffled screams went silent, and Layla let the corpse drop to the dirt before continuing upwards.

As she made her way further up the path, Layla cast a glance at her Pip Boy clock, and saw to her horror that it was 11:59. The clock had a timer showing the seconds passing by, revealing to her that it would be midnight in mere seconds. Layla panicked for a few seconds, then she remembered the Great Khan's tradition concerning the execution of traitors. Instantly her mind was put at ease, as she remembered back to Bitter Springs.

One day the father of one of Layla's friends had been discovered to be a traitor. She'd been 15 at the time, and had been allowed to watch the execution. The traitor, a middle aged man by the name of Hank, had been made to fight one of the camp's warriors to the death. Layla's father had immediately volunteered. Though Elisa had feared for his safety, Layla hadn't been worried. She'd seen her father in action, and knew that very few could take him in a fight. Sure enough, her father had beaten Hank to death with his bare hands. Thought most of the camp's females had found the fight disturbing, Layla had greatly enjoyed it.

Layla knew for a fact that Regis was just as skilled as her father in close combat, if not more so. There wouldn't be a single Khan in the entire camp that could defeat him. She was certain he could hold his own until she retrieved the journal. Her mind now at ease, she continued up the path.

*Regis*

Regis knew that midnight had arrived when all the Khans around him went quiet. They all looked overhead, waiting for Karl to speak. Regis followed their gaze, and saw the emissary standing in front of the longhouse. He was wearing a full set of Legion armour, and a legion soldier stood on either side of him. _Legion bastard._ Regis thought angrily, spitting into the dirt as Karl spoke.

"My friends, the time has come!" Karl shouted to the assembled mob of Great Khans, his voice filled with fake enthusiasm, and enrapturing the Khans as he spoke. "At last, you shall have justice! Your greatest warrior, the mightiest Khan, will fight Regis to the death! He shall be slain for his betrayal!" Resounding cheers filled the canyon as Karl finished his speech, and Regis knew that the battle was imminent. A single Khan quickly entered the arena and untied Regis, allowing him to fight, before hurriedly leaving the arena. Before Regis wondered who he would be facing, a familiar voice shouted loud enough to be heard throughout the entire canyon.

"REGIS!" The assembled Khans made way to allow a familiar warrior to walk towards the arena. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL MAKE YOU FUCKING PAY!"

"No..." Regis thought out loud, his voice a whisper of dread and disbelief. "It can't be. Not him."

"I'LL HAVE YOUR FUCKING HEAD REGIS!" Papa Khan bellowed as he entered the arena, earning cheers from all the assembled Khans. Regis could just see Karl smiling out of the corner of his eye. The bastard. Papa Khan stood almost 7ft tall and was a solid wall of muscle. Add to that his great bloodlust and ferocious temper, and you had a highly dangerous combatant. Regis doubted his chances.

"My friends, Papa Khan has returned to bring death to the traitor! Your leader was away on a raid, but once he heard of Regis' betrayal he came back here, eager to enact justice!" The Khans cheered even louder, and Regis backed away from Papa, fear showing on his face for the first time since being thrown in the arena.

"Papa, you have to listen to me." Regis said urgently to Papa Khan, but the giant ignored him.

"Listen to you? Why would I listen to a goddamn traitor?" He said, his voice and facial features filled with unimaginable rage.

"I'm not a traitor. Karl is lying to you. He's lying to everyone."

"BULLSHIT!" Papa Khan roared. "You've hated Karl ever since he arrived, and now I know why. BECAUSE YOU'RE A FUCKING NCR DOG!" He began to stomp closer to Regis, his giant feet creating booming footsteps that echoed with every step.

"Papa, just listen..."

"NO!" Papa Khan interrupted Regis midsentence, clearly tired of talking. "How could you do this? You were my friend, my advisor. I've known you for years. I...trusted you." The hatred in Papa Khan's eyes grew, until they looked like the eyes of a bloodthirsty beast. He clearly had only one thing on his mind now: ripping Regis limb from limb. "THIS IS HOW YOU FUCKING REPAY MY TRUST? I'LL MAKE YOU PAY YOU LYING BASTARD!" With that, Papa Khan stopped stomping towards Regis and took off his jacket, leaving him completely shirtless. He threw his jacket to a Khan outside the arena, before flexing his huge muscles. As Regis readied himself, Papa Khan rushed his former friend with murder in his eyes.

*Layla*

_Is that Papa Khan?_ Layla wondered to herself as she saw a huge man enter the arena. From where she was standing, she had a fairly unobstructed view of the arena, allowing her to examine Regis' foe from afar. There was no doubt; that was definitely Papa Khan. Papa's appearance caused Layla's previous panic to resurface. Papa Khan was known to be a powerful fighter, probably the most skilled fighter in the entirety of the Great Khans. She remembered her father saying that not even he would be able to beat Papa Khan in a one on one fight. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Regis wouldn't last long against Papa, which added a short time limit to her mission.

_I have to get that journal. _She thought to herself as she looked at the path ahead of her. She had almost reached the cliff on which the longhouse stood, the only thing in her way was a pair of legionaries that stood guard right at the end of path. All she had to do was get past them, and the longhouse would be in reach. The only problem was that these two looked far more focused then the last two Layla had dispatched.

She considered using a throwing knife, but the Legion armour made knives almost useless. Knowing she'd need something bigger to penetrate the armour, Layla reached for the throwing spear that the shadow had left behind. The taller of the two legionaries was gazing out towards the arena, which meant he didn't see the spear flying towards his head. The spear easily impaled his skull, and before the other Legion soldier could react, Layla rushed him. He tried to draw his weapon, but before he could do so Layla sliced off his hand. She placed her free hand to his mouth to silence his screams, then stabbed him in the neck with the machete in her other hand. His death was almost instantaneous, and Layla kicked his corpse to the ground before picking up her spear. She returned both machete and spear to their holsters before continuing to follow the path.

Less than a minute later she finally arrived on the cliff on which the longhouse stood. Karl was in sight, still flanked by two legionaries and completely focused on the battle in the arena. Layla crept behind a nearby tent to avoid being spotted, before drawing her throwing spear. She slowly left the cover of the tent, confident that nobody would spot her, before carefully taking aim. As she saw her sword holstered on Karl's back, Layla's rage grew, and her grip tightened on the spear. Layla stepped forwards to get a better aim, and was surprised when she stepped on glass. It seemed a drunken Khan had left a beer bottle on the ground outside his tent, and Layla had just stepped on it. The thick combat boots she was wearing smashed the bottle easily, causing Karl and his legionaries to immediately turn towards the sound.

"Shit." Layla muttered as she was spotted.

"Bring me her head." Karl said to his two men, and they immediately charged. Layla threw her spear at the closest Legion soldier, but he rolled to the side to dodge. The second legionary wore a power fist, and quickly closed the distance between Layla and himself so that he could make good use of his weapon. Layla drew her machete as the soldier approached and attempted to slash him. He darted back to avoid the slash however, before aiming a punch at Layla's face with his power fist hand. Layla ducked under the blow before trying to slash the legionary in the gut. He rolled to the side to dodge the attack, before sweep kicking Layla. She was taken by surprise and knocked to the floor. The legionary immediately took full advantage, kicking Layla's machete away before climbing on her and attempting to punch her in the face. He readied his fist, but before he could strike Layla managed to grab a shard of glass from the bottle she'd stepped on a few seconds ago. She immediately stabbed the legionary in the eye. He cried out in pain, and Layla used the opportunity to grab his neck. Before he could so much as squeal, she twisted, snapping his neck easily.

The legionary that had dodged Layla's spear didn't pause to consider his companion's death, instead leaping towards Layla and slashing downwards with his machete. Layla rolled to the side to avoid being beheaded, before picking up her machete. The legionary quickly got to his feet before rushing Layla's crouched form and slashing with his blade. Layla parried the blow with her machete seconds before it hit her, and got to her feet before kicking the soldier back. Though she was now armed, he didn't hesitate in the slightest, instead going for her throat. Layla managed to deflect his blow, before aiming her own slash at his chest. He jumped back slightly to dodge, but while he was doing so Layla rolled towards him. He was surprised by this action, and was unable to counter as Layla rolled into a crouch and stabbed him in the gut. He managed to ignore the pain, and viciously kicked her crouched form. Layla grabbed his leg mid kick with her free hand however, before stabbing him in the thigh with her machete. This time he reacted to the pain, crying out before falling to the ground. Layla put him out of his misery by slitting his throat.

With Karl's only protection gone, Layla got to her feet and turned to face the emissary, a look of hatred in her eyes.

"If you want my head Karl, then you're going to have to come and get it yourself." Karl smiled confidently in response, before drawing Layla's blade.

"I must say Layla, I'm impressed. Those two were veteran legionaries. They're the best of the best. Not bad for a woman." Layla ignored his taunt, instead rushing him with her machete. She was unused to fighting her own sword however, and struggled to dodge as Karl slashed with her blade. She barely managed to block the attack, and while she was doing so Karl rushed her, closing the distance between the two. Layla's blade gave Karl a superior reach, and she had to back away as he slashed at her again and again. Eventually she found herself at the cliff's edge, and Karl readied her sword with a look of anticipation in his eyes. "Members of the Legion are taught to be proficient with any weapon Layla, even an oversized blade like this one. I'm better with your sword than even you are." With that last taunt, Karl suddenly slashed with the sword. Layla barely managed to parry, but the impact knocked her machete flying from her grasp, sending it tumbling off the cliff and down to the ground far below.

Karl smiled sadistically before letting loose one final slash. Layla was ready for this however, as she'd noticed one critical detail. Though Karl was skilled with her sword, he lacked her upper body strength. Thus, he attacked very slowly. Layla used this to her advantage by ducking under Karl's slow slash. Before he could attack again, she rushed him.

He tried to slash her, but he was far too slow, and she was far too fast. She unleashed a roundhouse kick that knocked her sword from Karl's grasp. He frantically reached for the machete on his belt, but while he was doing so Layla launched a second roundhouse kick, this one aimed at Karl's face. The blow hit its target, knocking Karl flying. He landed painfully on his back, but quickly got to his feet. He briefly looked towards Layla, and upon seeing her pick up her sword, he ran for the longhouse. _You're not getting away that easily you bastard. _Layla thought angrily as she gave chase.

*Regis*

Regis damn near fainted when Papa Khan's fist went to his face. Papa's strength was almost inhuman, and Regis found himself being knocked flying by the blow. He landed on his back, blood dribbling from his mouth, and slowly got to his feet. Papa wasn't going to give him a moment to recover however, and quickly rushed him. The second Regis got to his feet, Papa punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The giant then grabbed Regis by the throat with both hands, and lifted him off the ground. The cheers of the crowd reached a deafening crescendo as Papa threw Regis across the arena.

He landed face first in the dirt right next to the arena wall. The wall wasn't exactly difficult to get over, but the huge amount of Khans outside made such an action pointless. Desperately trying to recover from the previous blows, Regis got to his feet again. Papa began to stride towards him, a confident look on his face. Only just managing to keep standing, Regis got into a fighting pose as Papa neared.

Instinctively, Regis looked up to the longhouse, to see if Karl was enjoying the show. He was surprised to see that Karl wasn't there. In his place was Layla, and she was running towards the longhouse. _Clever girl._ Regis thought proudly as he realised Layla had used her head for once, going after the journal instead of trying to save him. He had to hold on just little longer, until Layla could get the journal and bring it here.

He turned to Papa Khan again, a purposeful expression on his face. On seeing Regis' determined look, Papa stopped stomping towards him and picked up the pace, running towards Regis with fire in his eyes. He let loose another crushing punch, this one aimed at Regis' face. This time however, Regis was ready. He batted Papa's fist away mid strike with his forearm, before punching Papa in the throat. The giant stumbled back, momentarily dazed from sustaining an attack to such a vulnerable area. While he was stunned, Regis darted behind him and kicked at his leg. The blow made Papa lose his balance slightly, but he managed to stay on his feet and tried to elbow Regis in the face. His former friend ducked low to avoid the attack however, before aiming a jab at Papa's face. The giant saw this coming however, and grabbed Regis' fist mid punch. A sadistic gleam appeared in his eye as he began to crush Regis' hand in his vicelike grip.

The pain was unreal, and Regis struggled to break free. He tried to pry Papa's fingers loose, but such an act proved impossible. Papa rewarded him for his efforts by striking his former friend with the back of his free hand. The blow made stars appear before Regis' eyes, but he was brought back to reality as the pain in his hand intensified. He knew that if he didn't break free soon, Papa would break his hand. Knowing that there was no point fighting fair in a battle for his life, Regis reached down and scooped up some sand using his free hand. Papa was grinning now, as Regis' hand got close to breaking. Barely managing to keep the pain in check, Regis gripped the sand in his hand firmly, before throwing it into Papa's eyes.

The technique was called the Khan Trick, and was taught to all Khans during their training. Because it was deemed cowardly, all Khans were taught to only use the Trick if there was no other choice. This situation definitely qualified. Papa swore profusely as the dirt blinded him, and in his haste to wipe his eyes clean he forgot that he had been holding Regis' hand. Regis took full advantage of Papa's confusion. He leapt into the air before punching Papa in the face. Regis put most of his strength behind the blow, and it proved sufficient to knock Papa to the floor of the arena. The cheering of the crowd suddenly went silent as Papa was floored. Before any doubts could even begin to form in their minds however, Papa began to get to his feet.

His recovery was much quicker than Regis had hoped, and his only lasting injury was a split lip. Quickly taking a second to wipe the blood from his mouth, Papa cast a gaze on Regis that could scare the dead back to life. The sheer hatred in his eyes was almost paralysing. Papa roared loudly like some kind of feral beast, before rushing his former friend again. Taking a deep breath, Regis steeled himself as Papa charged him with the force of a freight train.

*Layla*

Layla tightened her grip on her sword as she kicked open the door to the longhouse. The interior of the longhouse was almost pitch black, the moonlight shining through the shutters acting as the only illumination. Layla cautiously stepped into the building, turning on her Pip Boy as she did so to light her way. The Pip Boy's light didn't extend to the entirety of the longhouse, so there were several areas that Layla couldn't see. She knew that Karl was undoubtedly hiding in one such area.

"It really is unbelievable." Karl's voice said from the shadows. "To think that Caesar would enlist the help of a woman to help defeat the NCR. Truly ridiculous." Due to the size of the longhouse's main room, it was impossible to tell where Karl's voice was coming from.

"I've had enough sexism to last me a lifetime Karl, so let's just skip to the part where I kill you." Layla said impatiently.

"Why are you even here Layla? Why are you risking your life to save a bunch of ignorant savages? The Great Khans are scum and you know it. They deserve to be eradicated." Layla felt her blood boil, and she barely resisted the urge to charge into the darkness, an urge that would probably earn her a machete in the back. Karl was just trying to goad her. She struggled to remain calm, as she cast her eyes over the dark interior of the longhouse, trying to find some clue as to Karl's location.

"They're my family Karl. I'm not about to let you destroy my family." A torrent of mocking laughter responded to her statement.

"Your family? Please. They're a gang. Nothing more, nothing less." Layla gritted her teeth in exasperation, barely managing to keep her anger under control.

"You're wrong!" Her anger was evident in her voice. Karl's response was in a blatantly mocking tone.

"Am I?" Before Layla could think of a response, she heard a quiet sound, like small object had landed at her feet. Layla just had enough time to see the incendiary grenade that had landed at her feet, before her survival instincts took over and she dived towards the shutters that the moon was shining through. Seconds later, the grenade exploded, and a torrent of flame burst into existence. Immediately some of the dining tables set ablaze, providing a small amount of light for Layla to see. With this added illumination, Layla was able to spot Karl on the other side of the longhouse, though by this point he was already running towards her. Karl slid under a dining table, before rolling to his feet in front of Layla. The second he was on his feet, Karl used a Legion unarmed technique. Layla had seen Lucius practicing it with the praetorians, and had heard it called the Legion Assault.

Karl ran towards Layla, before leaping into the air. While still in mid air, he thrust his right palm out towards Layla. She darted quickly to the side to avoid the attack, and Karl found his palm connecting with the hard wall. He managed to recover quickly however, as he rolled to the side to dodge Layla's next strike, a horizontal slash that cut into the wall as it missed its target. Karl quickly went on the offensive again, rushing Layla with his machete held in a reverse grip.

His first slash was quick and powerful, but Layla managed to parry it. Karl's unusual style of machete fighting caught her off guard however, and she was unable to block the next slash. Karl caught her with a horizontal slash aimed at her stomach. The machete sliced through Layla's Khan jacket easily, but the cut itself was shallow, leaving Layla with a bloody, but mostly harmless cut. Karl wasn't finished however. His next slash was aimed at her leg. Layla blocked the attack with her blade, before fanning the giant weapon around her, forcing Karl to back off and giving her some room to breathe.

Now finally off the defensive, Layla aimed a stab at Karl's face with her giant blade. Knowing he couldn't parry a blow from such an oversized weapon, Karl ducked low to avoid the blade. He circled around Layla, until her back was facing him. Not wanting to be struck from behind, Layla quickly spun around, holding her blade out to her side in a horizontal slashing motion as she did so. Karl saw what she was doing just in time, and backed off seconds before the slash took his head off. Instead, all he got was a shallow cut on his neck from the blade's tip.

At this point the fire from Karl's incendiary grenade had spread, consuming most of the dining tables that covered the middle area of the longhouse. Several of these dining tables were behind Karl, and Layla began to slash at him viciously, attempting to push him back. After a few seconds of dodging backwards, Karl found himself dangerously close to the flaming dining table. Seeking to get out of his desperate situation, he saw a nearby chair which was also ablaze and kicked it in Layla's direction. Layla sprang backwards to avoid the flaming projectile, but the chair managed to brush past her left knee, scorching the skin. Layla hissed as the pain hit her, but ignored it as Karl rushed towards her again, going back on the offensive.

Now tiring somewhat, Karl's strikes got a lot more vicious, as he sought to end the battle quickly. He let loose a brutal kick at Layla's burnt knee, making her cry out and causing her to lose her balance slightly. Seeing his chance, Karl attempted to stab her in the throat. Unable to bring up her blade in time to defend against the blow, Layla leant her head back as the blade neared, causing it to miss its intended target and instead sail over her head. Before Layla had a chance to breathe however, Karl punched her in the ribs. He then struck her with the back of his hand, before grabbing her by the hair and pushing her towards the flaming dining tables. Layla landed on her back on the floor mere inches away from the burning furniture, and as she slowly got to her feet Karl rushed her.

Her anger having reached its zenith, Layla felt a red mist descend over her as Karl drew close. Easily raising her oversized blade, Layla effortlessly deflected Karl's first strike. Before he could deliver another blow, Layla punched him in the side of the head. Karl stumbled backwards as the blow dizzied him, but quickly snapped out of it before unleashing a barrage of slashes. Layla blocked every blow before unleashing her own, a sudden attack that sent Karl's machete spinning from his grasp. A look of amazement covered Karl's face, and Layla quickly capitalised on this by aiming a diagonal slash at his chest. Layla put all her strength behind the strike, and Karl could only look on in horror as the powerful blow sliced straight through the chest piece of his armour, and he cried out as the blade cut his chest. Layla quickly sliced the straps of the legion armour's chest piece, causing it to fall to the floor.

Karl glared at Layla, clearly enraged, and recklessly rushed her. He aimed a strong punch at her face, but Layla ducked under the attack before elbowing Karl in his now unprotected ribs. The blow knocked the wind out of him, and he was unable to react as Layla struck him in the face with her sword's hilt, breaking his nose and knocking him to the floor. A smug look appeared on Layla's face as she stomped on the emissary's throat, preparing to bring her blade crashing down on his face.

"Still think women are inferior?" She said cockily, a sadistic gleam in her eyes.

"This battle isn't over yet...you whore." Karl replied defiantly, though clearly with some difficulty.

"I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there." Layla countered, before raising her blade high over her head.

"You would, having the inferior mind of a woman." Karl snarled vehemently before kicking Layla in her bruised knee again. The sneak attack took her completely by surprise, and Karl took full advantage. He shot to his feet before punching Layla in the face, aiming at the same area where he'd struck her with the back of his hand earlier. The blow knocked Layla to the floor, leaving her dangerously close to the spreading fire and making her drop her blade. Karl immediately picked up her blade, before climbing onto her lying form and bringing the blade stabbing down. Layla grabbed the side of the sword seconds before it perforated her neck, and desperately tried to push it back. With her superior strength, she managed to keep the blade away from her, but as she did so, the fire began to spread. She knew that if she didn't get Karl off her soon, the fire would touch her hair, which was spread around her head like a bloody halo. However, though she could keep the blade from skewering her, she couldn't push it away from her completely, and as she found herself locked in a stalemate, the fire began to spread over the wooden floor of the longhouse, getting ever closer.

"You've failed Layla. You will die for your interference, and the Khans will join you in the afterlife once the battle for Hoover Dam has finished. It's over."

"I won't let you." Layla growled in response, but Karl just laughed.

"How? How will you stop me woman? You stand no chance. Your insolent existence ends now." As Karl spoke, Layla noticed that a burning chair near her had come apart, and a scorching chair leg was within her reach. "I'll be doing the Legion a favour by ending your pathetic existence!" He said confidently as the flames neared Layla's hair.

"Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you." Layla taunted, before taking a hand off her sword and grabbing the scorching chair leg. Ignoring the pain of the burning wood, Layla grabbed the leg firmly before swiping it at Karl's face. The effect was instantaneous. Karl immediately got to his feet and screamed in pain as the chair leg singed his face. Layla took action immediately, getting to her feet before pressing the end of the burning chair leg against Karl's cheek. His screaming only intensified as the leg continued to burn his skin, and his cries of agony echoed across the longhouse. After a few seconds, Layla dropped the leg, freeing her hand from the pain of holding it, before grabbing Karl by the throat. Before he could react, she kneed him in the stomach with all her strength, before headbutting him viciously in the face. That last attack did it, as it knocked Karl against the back wall. As he slipped into unconsciousness, his limp form slid down the wall, until he lay spread-eagled on the floor.

Layla took a brief second to catch her breath, injecting a quick vial of Med X to help her ignore the pain in her burnt hand as she did so. Once that was done, she knelt down next to Karl, and began to search his person for the journal. She quickly found it in a satchel tied around Karl's waist, and ripped the satchel off before tying it around her own waist. With that done, she got to her feet and walked over to her sword. As she picked it up, she tried to decide what to do with Karl. Killing him herself was the most obvious choice, but as she thought about it, Layla came up with a much better idea.

*Regis*

Regis flew back as yet another powerful punch from Papa Khan knocked him off his feet. He landed painfully on his back, and struggled to get to his feet as Papa stomped closer.

He had most definitely seen better days. His left eye was swollen shut, and a trickle of blood was pouring from the corner of his mouth. He was covered with bruises, and he was fairly sure a few of his ribs were cracked. He swayed unsteadily as he got to his feet, and a triumphant grin began to spread across Papa's face as he realised the fight was over. Regis punched the giant in the chest with the last amount of his strength, but Papa didn't even flinch. Instead he grabbed Regis by the throat with both hands, and raised his former friend off the ground. As everything started to go white, as Regis' life started to fade away, he heard a voice that echoed throughout the entire canyon.

"STOP!" The voice was familiar, and Regis realised who it belonged to as a female figure he recognised burst through the crowd of Khans and vaulted over the arena wall. Papa Khan saw this female figure too, and he dropped Regis to the ground before turning to the intruder.

"Layla." He said loathingly. The crowd began to shout insults at Layla as Papa continued. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I want to break you in half with my own hands you traitorous little..."

"Karl's lying to you!" Layla interrupted him. Papa just laughed humorously in response.

"Bullshit. Regis here said the exact same thing. I don't believe you, and now I'm going to rip both of your fucking heads off, starting with his."

"Think about it Papa. Who are you going to believe? Karl, a guy you've only known for a short while, or Regis, your most trusted friend and advisor, who you've known for years?" Layla's words caused the crowd to go silent, as they started to ponder what she was saying.

"It doesn't matter who I believe, Karl has evidence. You and Regis stole his journal, so you could find out Legion and Khan secrets, then present them to the NCR."

"No, we stole the journal because it revealed Karl's true nature, as a lying, self loving piece of shit."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Papa Khan stomped towards Layla threateningly as he spoke, but Layla stood her ground bravely.

"If you don't, then read this." Layla took Karl's journal out of the satchel on her waist, before pushing it into Papa's huge hands. "It's Karl's journal, and it'll prove everything we've said." Papa looked at her dubiously, then looked at the book, as though he was considering whether or not to throw it away. "If I'm lying, then there's no way I'm getting out of here in one piece. Just read it, you've got nothing to lose." There was silence as Papa stopped to consider this. Both Regis and Layla breathed a sigh of relief as he opened the journal and began to read.

It didn't take long for Papa to fully read the diary, but the expression on his face continuously changed as he did so. At first his expression showed curiosity, then boredom as he read over Karl's written descriptions of every day he spent at the camp. It was only when he started reading Karl's personal notes however, that Papa's expression changed most obviously. As he read through those pages, and learnt Karl's true feelings about the Khans, Papa's expression began to get angrier and angrier. The enraged expression on his face continued to grow and grow in its intensity, until it looked like his head was about to explode. When he finished the book, and closed its back cover, Papa shouted to the heavens, letting out all his rage in one burst. He shouted solidly for over a minute, before going silent, and dropping the book to the ground.

"I...I can't believe this." He said in shocked disbelief "That bastard Karl...he..." Papa stopped, clearly unable to articulate his thoughts, instead turning towards Regis, then towards Layla. "Regis...Layla...I'm sorry." Layla couldn't believe her ears. Papa Khan was known to be frustratingly stubborn, and had a reputation for never apologising. He walked over to Regis, before helping his friend to his feet. "Regis, I..."

"You don't have to say anything." Regis interrupted, struggling to stand. "Karl played everyone for fools."

"I assume you killed him." Papa said to Layla, the urge for vengeance obvious in his voice.

"I was going to..." Layla replied, a sly smile appearing on her face. "...but then I got a much better idea."

*Karl*

The first indicator that something was wrong was the cheering. As Karl returned to consciousness, his ears were filled with booming cheers. The second indicator came as he opened his eyes, and saw that he was in the middle of the Red Rock Canyon arena. His cheek still stung from being burnt, but he ignored it and started to get to his feet.

"Welcome Karl." A familiar voice said. Seconds later, Layla emerged from the crowds outside the arena and immediately climbed in.

"What the hell's going on here Layla?" Karl said in a voice that was defiant, but obviously fearful.

"The Khans know everything Karl. They know that you were going to have them killed once they outlived their usefulness, and they know that you tricked them. You betrayed them Karl, and you know what the Great Khans do to traitors don't you?"

"What the hell are you..." Karl stopped midsentence however, as he realised what Layla was saying. "No..."

"Yes." Layla said in a triumphant tone. "Papa, he's ready." A sadistic smile appeared on her face as Papa Khan entered the arena, rage and bloodlust burning intensely in his eyes.

"No!" Karl shouted, and he tried desperately to look for a way out.

"You're not going anywhere Karl." Layla said with a sadistic grin as she walked up to Karl.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" He shouted desperately, and Layla just laughed harshly.

"Why not? You were going to." Before Karl could react, Layla whipped out That Gun and shot him in the kneecap. Karl cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, and Layla walked away. "Have fun." She said as she passed Papa, and the look in his eyes said that he definitely would.

*?*

The fight lasted less than a minute, and Papa Khan looked fairly disappointed as Karl breathed his last. Unbeknownst to him and everyone else in Red Rock however, someone was watching them. A figure, a shadow, stood on the highest point of one of the canyon's walls, watching everything through a pair of binoculars. The man was dressed entirely in black, and wore a black hood so that nobody could see his face. As he watched Karl die, a rare smile appeared on his face. Layla had done well.

He'd half expected her to simply rush into the arena and get herself killed, but she'd played her part well. The only reason the shadow had saved her was because she was far too useful to let die, and he'd wanted to test her. By killing Karl, she'd passed the test. It proved she could be discreet, which is exactly what he needed her to be when she worked for him.

Of course Layla would never know who had saved her; knowledge of his identity could ruin everything. Wheels upon wheels had been set into motion, and he couldn't have her ruining that. She was an unpredictable one, but she was useful, if used correctly. After watching her tonight, the shadow knew exactly how to use her correctly.

She'd have no choice but to do as he asked; she couldn't very well refuse his request given what he knew about her involvement in Caesar's death. That had been an unexpected occurrence, but it fit in nicely with the shadow's goals. With Caesar dead, only Lucius and Lanius stood in the way, and they'd be easy to deal with. All the pieces were falling into place, and soon everything he'd worked for would be achieved.

His smile took on an animalistic quality, like a fox. _Rest well Layla. Soon you'll have a very important part to play. _With that final thought, the fox put away his binoculars and walked away.

_**What are the fox's intentions? Only time will tell.**_

_**For those wondering, I have learnt that I will get a personal computer at university, which means I should be able to keep updating frequently once I go (On the 23rd of September for those who care), so no worries in that regard. However, I don't know how long the next chapter's going to take. It's a tricky one, and I haven't got it fully planned out yet. Patience would be appreciated.**_


	36. A Meeting

_**This is a smaller chapter, similar to Chapter 3, 20 and 30, which basically means important people from the NCR will be talking about Layla, and a new character will be revealed! Also, just so there's no confusion, this chapter takes place at exactly the same time that Layla's facing off against Karl.**_

A Meeting

Bullet wounds hurt. The man who sat at the bar in The Tops' restaurant knew of this pain from personal experience. Though he was usually far too careful to be wounded by anyone he battled, he'd got a little complacent during his last mission and had suffered a bullet in the chest for it. But now he was out of the clinic, and eager to get back in action. Of course in order to do so, he had to wait for his friend to arrive. They weren't friends in the traditional sense, especially since his buddy didn't like him at all. Regardless, they worked together and the man would need his approval to get back in the game.

He was currently wearing his usual brown jacket, and wore a hood that covered his face. The jacket had belonged to a man he'd met from the east, who'd claimed to be a 'Regulator', whatever that was. This 'Regulator', had been causing trouble with the local crime families, but as soon as the man had been hired the problem was taken care of with a quick bullet to the face. With a fancy name like 'Regulator', the man had expected him to be quick on the draw. He hadn't been, and the man had taken his jacket as a souvenir.

He sighed loudly as he looked at the Pip Boy on his wrist and saw what time it was. He'd managed to buy the wrist mounted computer off the black market, and it had proven itself to be very useful. The man's friend was late, and waiting for him was becoming very tedious. The man ordered another drink as he realised he was going to be there for a while, and didn't hear three men approach him.

"There's the fucker!" A particularly obnoxious voice shouted, and the man sighed as he heard footsteps nearing the bar.

"Not these idiots again." He said under his breath, before turning round to face his visitors. Three men stood before him, none of them looking pleased. The man in the middle, the one with the obnoxious voice, seemed to be in charge. He had short, greasy, blond hair and a small scar on his left cheek. He wore reinforced leather armour and looked extremely pissed off. The men that stood on either side of him were much larger and more muscular. They both wore merc grunt outfits, a simple white vest with baggy trousers and thick boots. "Jimmy!" The man at the bar said much louder, and with fake friendliness. "How are you? It's been a while buddy."

"Shut your goddamn mouth Campbell." Jimmy, the man with the obnoxious voice, said. "We aren't buddies you little bastard, and I want my fucking money!" _Yeah, and I want my own personal harem. _Campbell thought to himself, before replying in a suave voice.

"Jimmy I've told you, I'll have you your money by the end of the month." Campbell spoke in a smooth, persuasive tone that managed to convince most people he had to negotiate with. Unfortunately, some people were just too stubborn or too stupid to be negotiated with. Jimmy was both of these things.

"That's what you said last month!" Jimmy yelled, extreme anger in his eyes. "I'm tired of being cheated you motherfucker. I want my money. NOW!"

"Jimmy, I've been very busy. I've found work with the NCR and..."

"I don't give a fuck!" Jimmy interrupted, his already thin patience wearing even thinner. "I want my fucking cash. Give it to me, or my boys here may have to break your kneecaps." Campbell looked briefly at Jimmy's thugs. They didn't look smart enough to tie their own shoelaces, let alone break a man's kneecaps.

"Now Jimmy, let's be civil about this. I'll tell you what: when I get paid by the NCR, I'll pay you double what I owe you."

"I'm not falling for that again you lying bastard. No more delays. Either I get my money right now, or you get a bullet in your skull." Campbell sighed, completely fed up with this pointless conversation. _If that jackass had actually arrived here on time, this wouldn't be happening._

"Look Jimmy, I'll be honest; I don't give a shit about you or your fucking money. I've got far better things to do with my time than pay back a small time loan shark who thinks he's a hardass. I've got a meeting right now, so if you want to settle this then come back later. I'll be more than happy to kill you and your intellectually challenged friends then." As Campbell finished talking, Jimmy looked like he was about to explode.

"Your drink sir." The bartender said to Campbell as he passed him is liquor, completely unaware of the violent situation that was about to erupt. "That'll be ten caps."

"Just one second." Campbell said calmly. Jimmy was less calm.

"You asked for it. KILL THE FUCKER!" Jimmy shouted, drawing a 10mm pistol as he did so. His thugs immediately complied, the first drawing a 9mm pistol, and the second a sawed-off shotgun. The mood in the restaurant immediately turned to one of panic, as terrified patrons and staff alike began to flee or take cover underneath the restaurant's tables. Campbell calmly stood his ground, hand reaching inside his jacket pocket as he did so.

"Are you sure you want to die?" He asked Jimmy condescendingly, infuriating him even more.

"It's your choice Campbell. We can do this the easy way..." He pointed his pistol right in Campbell's face, finger inches away from the trigger. "...or the hard way." Campbell didn't even flinch, instead pulling out his coin.

"That's a hard choice Jimmy, so I'll let my coin decide." Jimmy and his thugs were visually dumbfounded as Campbell flipped the coin. Seconds later it landed in his outstretched hand, tails side pointing upward for all to see. "Hard way it is." He smiled, before returning his coin to his pocket and kicking Jimmy in the face.

The small time thug went flying to the floor, and Campbell's hands immediately went to his twin 10mm pistols. Before Jimmy's thugs could even contemplate what was happening, Campbell drew his twin pistols and fired. The restaurant was filled with gunshots as Campbell fired, bullet after bullet leaving the chamber of his pistols and perforating the two thugs easily. After about five seconds of firing nonstop, both pistols were completely emptied of rounds, even with the extended magazines Campbell had added to both his pistols, and the two bullet ridden corpses fell to the floor. There was an obscene amount of blood, and Jimmy barely managed to avoid slipping in it as he got back to his feet.

"Holy..." He trailed off as he looked at the two corpses, both covered with bullet holes and leaking gallons of blood. After staring for almost ten seconds, he snapped out of his stupor and raised his own 10mm pistol. Before he could even aim, Campbell kicked the gun from his grasp, still sitting on his stool. A comically dumbstruck look appeared on Jimmy's face, but it was quickly replaced with a look of rage. "You think you can make me look like an idiot? ME?" Campbell simply laughed.

"You don't need my help for that Jimmy." He smiled cockily as he got to his feet, returning his twin pistols to their holsters as he did so. Jimmy gritted his teeth in anger, before drawing a switchblade from a pocket of his armour and attempting to slash Campbell's face with it. The experienced merc easily sidestepped the thug's clumsy strike, before turning back to the bar. He grabbed the glass of alcohol that the bartender had left moments ago, and chugged the whole thing down. Annoyed at his cockiness, Jimmy roared some kind of enraged battle cry before lunging forward and attempting to stab Campbell again. The merc was ready however, and sidestepped Jimmy's blow easily. Before Jimmy could think of what to do next, Campbell struck. His arm lashed out like a striking cobra, and struck Jimmy's face with the glass, smashing it instantly and knocking Jimmy stumbling back, screaming expletives to the heavens as he did so.

Ignoring the shards of glass in his head, Jimmy tried yet again to stab Campbell with his switchblade. This course of action proved just as ineffective as Jimmy's last two attempts. Campbell sidestepped the amateurish blow once again, before reaching for the ripper on his belt. Before Jimmy could even blink, Campbell drew his ripper, switched the volatile weapon on, and swung the blade in a wide arc, slashing off Jimmy's hand, all in one swift movement. Jimmy's screams filled the restaurant even before the ripper's growl did. Jimmy continued to scream for what seemed like an eternity, looking in horror at the stump where his had had been less than a minute ago. Campbell meanwhile calmly switched off his ripper, before returning the weapon to his belt. Jimmy looked at him, a fearful expression now covering his face, and ran for his 10mm pistol, which lay on the floor a few feet away.

Campbell sighed in annoyance, before reaching for the customised varmint rifle on his back. Using the Ratslayer to kill a worthless punk like Jimmy seemed insulting to the magnificent weapon, but Campbell couldn't resist. It had been weeks since he'd used the beautiful gun, felt her kick as she blew a hole through one of his foes. Campbell drew the Ratslayer, admiring the gun as the lights overhead reflected off her black stainless steel body. By this time Jimmy had finally reached his pistol, and shouted in triumph as he picked up the gun with his only remaining hand.

"Fuck..." Jimmy started to taunt Campbell as he turned around, only to have a 5.56mm bullet fly right between his eyes, ending him midsentence.

"...you." Campbell finished for Jimmy, as his corpse fell to the floor. The Ratslayer hadn't even made a sound as she'd fired, due mostly to the silencer that adorned her barrel. Even so, Campbell had felt her kick, and felt an exhilaration that he didn't feel when using other guns. He blew softly on the barrel of the magnificent weapon, before holstering her on his back again. Now that that was settled, he calmly turned to the bartender, who was still hiding behind the bar. "Thanks for the drink." As he spoke, he dropped 50 caps on the bar. "Keep the change." He said with a smile, before turning to look over the restaurant.

Most of the patrons had recovered from the carnage, and were sitting back down at their tables. Before Campbell could relax, several Chairmen ran into the restaurant, obviously having heard the commotion.

"What the hell happened here?" Asked the Chairmen at the front, who Campbell recognised as Swank, the man in charge of The Tops ever since Benny's death.

"We got into a little disagreement." Campbell said casually, motioning to the three corpses that littered the restaurant as he did so. "These men pulled guns on me, so I defended myself. I apologise for any inconvenience." As he said the last sentence, Campbell reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small bag of caps. He'd been planning to exchange them for chips in the casino later, but a bribe was just as good.

"This should make up for it." Swank replied with the masterful charisma that he usually displayed. "Come on fellas." He said to his men as he turned to leave the restaurant. The men quickly followed, and Campbell couldn't resist smiling as a familiar face entered the restaurant, wearing a typical emotionless expression.

"Boone!" He called as the sniper stood in the restaurant's doorway. Boone didn't look happy, but that was perfectly normal. Campbell pulled down his hood, showing his face, before waving to the sniper. Boone sighed in annoyance as he saw the three dead bodies near Campbell, before approaching the merc. He stood next to the bar, not bothering to sit down.

"What happened?" He asked emotionlessly as he looked at the corpses.

"Nothing much." Campbell replied casually, drawing his coin and twirling it between his fingers as he spoke. "A know-nothing punk from Freeside came after me, looking for some caps I owe him. You can see how well that went." By this time, the bartender seemed to have recovered from the shock of watching Campbell gun down three men, and Campbell turned to him. "So Boone, do you want a drink?"

"No." Boone said simply, and Campbell shrugged his shoulders, before turning away from the bartender and looking at the sniper. "I want to know why you called me here. General Oliver is on edge, and is being heavily pressured by the president. His speech had to be delayed by three days since Layla hasn't been eliminated yet, and the general is close to being discharged from the NCR, so you'd better have a good reason for dragging me to The Tops."

"As a matter of fact Boone, I do have a good reason, and he's standing right behind you." Boone quickly spun around, to see a securitron standing behind him. He hadn't even heard the machine enter the restaurant. Boone noticed something different about this securitron however. The bot's 'face', didn't show a disgruntled soldier like the 'faces' of all other securitrons. Instead, this securitron's screen showed a strikingly happy face.

"Hi there!" The securitron said suddenly, in a voice as annoyingly happy as its face. Boone didn't look impressed.

"Boone, meet Yes Man." Campbell said, clearly proud of himself.

"A smiling securitron? Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"He's much more than that Boone, he's the key to infiltrating The Lucky 38." Boone's eyes widened considerably underneath his sunglasses, but he maintained his usual neutral expression.

"What?"

"You heard me. This securitron is just what I need to bypass The Lucky 38's defences."

"I can't wait to help out!" The securitron said in an annoyingly enthusiastic voice.

"Where the hell did you find this?" Boone asked, looking quizzically at Yes Man as he did so.

"Well, I was investigating upstairs in Benny's private suite. Since he was close to Mr House, I figured he'd have some way to bypass The Lucky 38's defences. While I was searching, I found a secret room. Yes Man was in that room."

"Benny was using me to overthrow Mr House, but I'd much rather help you." Yes Man said as Campbell finished.

"The idiot programmed Yes Man to help anyone, even his enemies." Campbell explained.

"So, we just ask it to help and it will?" Boone asked, raising an eyebrow as he did so.

"That's right. But to make sure he doesn't decide to help Layla, I quickly reprogrammed him to only obey me or you." Campbell said smugly.

"And it's a good thing too. If you hadn't invaded my privacy and tampered with my mind, I might've ended up helping somebody civil. We couldn't have that could we?" Yes Man said pleasantly.

"He's a little passive aggressive, but I should be able to change his AI code to fix that." Campbell said.

"I don't care about that." Boone snapped, getting impatient. "How is this single securitron supposed to get us into Layla's suite?"

"Oh, forgive me sir, but you don't seem to understand." Yes Man said to Boone in an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry for not explaining. You see, I'm not a securitron." Boone looked confused, so Campbell expanded on what Yes Men was saying.

"He's an AI Boone, an artificial intelligence. With his help, we can make all the securitrons obey us. Let's see Layla hide when all her guards are working for the NCR." Boone stroked his chin slightly as he thought it over.

"We'll have to clear this with the general. Come on, let's go to Hoover Dam." With that, Boone turned around and started to walk out of the restaurant.

"Fine." Campbell sighed, and got to his feet before following Boone. "Come on Yes Man, let's go."

"We're going on a trip? What fun." The machine said with a barely noticeable hint of sarcasm as it followed them.

**_Some information about the timeline, just in case people get confused: The President's speech has been delayed due to Layla's actions, and won't be happening for another three days. Layla's going to Caesar's funeral tomorrow, meaning after the next chapter there will be only two days before Kimball's speech._**

**_Now that that's out of the way, I apologise for the shortness of this chapter. I just wanted to show that Campbell is still alive, and that he's not finished with Layla yet. The next chapter will be longer, and as such will take a bit longer too. I'm going to university in a few weeks, and I'll try to finish this chapter before then. If it takes unusually long to finish however, it'll probably be due to my moving._**


	37. The Fox's Task

**_This is another short chapter unfortunately. Sorry, but it's mostly conversation. Don't worry, the next chapter will be much longer and more actiony._**

The Fox's Task

Layla sighed with relief as she walked out of the elevator and into her Lucky 38 suite, glad to finally be home. With all that business at Red Rock Canyon, then having to go to Caesar's funeral straight after, she hadn't been home in several days. She smiled as the suite's eternally clean smelling odour washed over her, a significant difference from the smell of the wasteland, a smell she'd grown uncomfortably accustomed to since she'd been gone. She was wearing her Great Khan outfit, the only clothes she had left after her combat armour had been wrecked beyond repair. She dropped her bag to the floor as she walked towards the dining room. Before she reached the room, Rex ran out to greet her, tackling her to the floor as he happily licked her face.

"Down boy!" Layla laughed as she struggled to get to her feet. Rex hadn't seen her in days, and it seemed the hound had missed her. She quickly scratched him behind the ear, before entering the dining room. To her surprise, Veronica wasn't there. "Veronica!" Layla called out as she made her way towards the fridge, taking her sword out of its holster and placing it on the table as she did so. "I'm home!" Her shout could be heard throughout the entire suite, but she heard no response.

Layla's brow furrowed in confusion as she opened the fridge and pulled out a whiskey bottle. "Where's Veronica?" She asked Rex as she closed the fridge door. Rex responded with a confused bark, tilting his head to the side as he did so in the canine equivalent of a human shrugging their shoulders. Before Layla could ponder this further, she caught sight of a note on the kitchen counter next to the fridge, and quickly looked at it.

*Note*

_Dear Layla_

_If you're reading this, then I'm still not back. Sorry, but these errands are taking me a while. Don't worry, I should be back within the next few days. Try not to set the suite on fire while I'm gone._

_Veronica_

_P.S: Keep Rex away from that pre war hairdryer I found. He's formed an unhealthy 'interest' in it, if you know what I mean. Wink wink._

*Layla*

Layla smiled as she read the last line, before sitting down at the dining table and ripping the lid off the whiskey bottle she held in her hand. The lid hadn't even been off for a second before Layla took a big swig from the bottle. Rex sat down next to her as she drank, head rubbing up against her leg affectionately. She responded by scratching him behind the ear. As she sat there drinking, Layla's mind remembered back to the funeral she'd attended earlier that day.

There hadn't been much mourning, the event had been more about paying respect to the leader that had made the Legion what it was today. Layla wasn't sure she liked what it was today, but kept quiet during the ceremony. The service had gone on for about an hour, with most of that hour spent recounting Caesar's many achievements, and going on about how great he was. Each of Caesar's closest lieutenants, including Lucius, Vulpes, and even Lanius, each took a turn to go in front of all the legionaries and talk about their respect for Caesar. Layla couldn't help noticing that Vulpes had seemed especially focused on her during his speech, his eyes constantly focusing on her as he spoke. Thought it had unnerved her slightly, she'd thought nothing of it at the time. Layla was just glad she hadn't been asked to go up and say a few words, as she was almost certain she'd be unable to resist smiling at the sight of Caesar's corpse.

It hadn't been a very somber affair as she'd expected, none of the Legion members showed very emotion at all throughout the entirety of the ceremony, even as Caesar's corpse had been cremated. That is, burnt on a funeral pyre for all to see. The only time those present had shown emotion was after the cremation, when Lucius had announced that Legate Lanius would be taking over full command of the Legion. The most obvious visible emotions during that announcement were dread and fear. After the funeral, Lucius had said to meet with him as soon as possible regarding her next task, before leaving. Lanius had also left, returning to his military camp near Hoover Dam. She had no idea what Vulpes had done after the service, as he'd all but disappeared after his speech.

All in all, it had been quite a boring affair, and Layla was happy to be home. She felt a slight pain as her burnt hand gripped the bottle too tightly, and she rested the beverage on the table lest she drop it. Her hand was still quite tender from her battle with Karl, as well as her left knee, but both were recovering nicely. Her had was wrapped in bandages, as was her knee, and she'd earned some strange looks at the funeral as a result. Like she gave a shit what skirt wearing men thought of her appearance.

Her wounds from the battle hadn't been too severe, and she'd been able to leave Red Rock as soon as Karl's execution had finished. She would've loved to stay longer, but she couldn't miss Caesar's funeral. She'd arrived at Cottonwood Cove as the sun had started to rise, and had had less than an hour to rest before the funeral. Afterwards she'd headed straight back to the suite, eager to be home and sleep in her comfortable bed. The journey had taken several hours, and it had been around noon when she'd walked through New Vegas' gates, flashing her pass to the securitrons as she'd done so. As a result of her frenzied travelling, she was exhausted, and sleep was beginning to seem like an incredibly attractive prospect.

She was so fatigued, and so focused on her whiskey that she didn't hear someone approach her from behind. She didn't realise anything was wrong until Rex got to his feet and began to growl threateningly. Immediately Layla's mind woke up, and she placed the whiskey bottle back on the table before reaching for her sword. In a flash she was on her feet, sword in her grasp, and she quickly spun around to face the intruder, pointing her sword at the person's neck as she did so.

"Still so alert even after all your travelling? Impressive." Vulpes Inculta said as she turned, a rare smile on his face even though the tip of her blade was dangerously close to his throat. Layla shuddered as she saw him, almost dropping her blade in the process. He wasn't wearing his usual hood, instead wearing a sharp brown suit and a fedora that made him look like a normal gambler, typical of the Strip. Layla found herself captivated by his piercing blue eyes, and struggled to look away. She was reminded of the first time she met him back in Nipton, and of the butterflies that had appeared in her stomach as he'd spoke. She'd been deeply attracted to him back then, and had hung on to his every word. Though she wouldn't admit it, the attraction was still there even now. It wasn't as powerful, and it was buried deep inside her, but it was still there. Layla struggled to keep that attraction in check as she spoke.

"How the hell did you get in here?" She asked after five seconds, just barely managing to look and sound annoyed.

"You overestimate your securitron guards. Though they are formidable, they are just machines, and machines can be tricked. Your securitrons can only see in front of them, a kind of tunnel vision if you will. This tunnel vision makes them easy to sneak past." He was still smiling, but stopped as Rex began barking at him. "Could you shut him up?"

"Sorry, he doesn't like foxes." Layla replied as she returned her sword to its holster.

"Nobody likes foxes Layla, but few foxes care. The feelings of others do not matter to a fox. All that matters to a fox is its own needs." Layla was surprised. Vulpes had never said her name before. "One such need as brought me here." A surprised look appeared on Layla's face. _Does he mean...sex?_ Her mind asked, but she quickly shrugged it off. Vulpes was as asexual a being as she'd ever known. Romance obviously didn't interest him. After all, foxes didn't care about the feelings of others.

"And that need would be?" Layla asked, a confused expression on her face. A serious look appeared on Vulpes' face as he answered.

"There is a task that I need completed. You will carry out this task for me."

"Is this something to do with the Legion?"

"No. This task matters to me, not the Legion."

"Then why don't you do it yourself?"

"If I could do it myself, it would be done. It's too risky for me. That is why you will carry it out."

"No I won't." Layla said adamantly as she walked past him and headed for the master bedroom. He followed, ignoring Rex's barks as he did so. Layla sat down on the master bed, a serious look on her face. "I'm exhausted Vulpes. I've got better things to do than help you, especially since I have no incentive to do so." Vulpes smiled again as she said this, shutting the door of the master bedroom as he did so. This smile was much more sinister than the last however, and it made Layla nervous.

"So you want incentive do you? How's this for an incentive? I know about your involvement in Caesar's death." Layla was knocked for six as Vulpes said this, and his smile only widened as a shocked look appeared on her face, then quickly vanished.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She replied futilely, barely managing to keep her expression neutral.

"I think you do." Vulpes said coldly. "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." He walked closer as he spoke, a quiet intensity in his eyes. "I was right outside the tent when you talked to Arcade, Layla. I know you had him kill Caesar, and make it look like an accident. Only one question remains." He finally reached the master bed as he finished talking. "What should I do with this information?"

"Shove it up your ass." Layla snarled with more confidence than she felt.

"I have a better idea. I think I'll tell Lucius. I'm quite sure he'll believe me over you. He certainly won't be pleased. Let's see you fulfil your dream of wiping out the NCR without the Legion's help." _Dammit!_ Layla thought. _How could he know that? _He knew a lot about her, more than he should know. "I've been researching you Layla." He said suddenly, as though reading her mind. "When you agreed to work for Caesar, I thought it best that I find out everything about you. I know about Bitter Springs, and I know about your wish to eliminate the NCR. I also know that your dream won't come true unless you do as I say." An enraged look appeared on Layla's face.

"You're blackmailing me!" It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"In layman's terms, yes. I'm blackmailing you. Unless you carry out this task for me, Lucius will learn of your involvement in Caesar's death." Fire burnt in Layla's eyes as she jumped to her feet and drew her sword.

"I killed 6 legionaries last night Vulpes, and I sent a seventh to his death. I won't hesitate to add another member of the Legion to the body count." Vulpes didn't even flinch as her blade pressed against his neck again.

"Go ahead." He said calmly, surprising Layla. "I told Lucius I was coming here to discuss important Legion business with you. When I don't return, he'll know what happened to me." The anger on Layla's face only increased in intensity as she realised Vulpes had her trapped. No matter what she did, Lucius and the Legion would come after her. _Fuck! _She thought, exasperated.

"Fine." She said, an expression of pure defeat on her face as she holstered her sword. "You win. I'll do your fucking task."

"Excellent." He said, clearly pleased but showing no emotion on his face.

"So...what's the task?"

"Simple. I want you to kill Lucius. And I want you to do it tonight." Layla's expression changed from one of defeat to one of pure shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Vulpes is blackmailing me into killing Lucius? Why? _It didn't make any sense. Vulpes had always seemed loyal to the Legion, but now he was not only keeping information from it, but asking her to kill one of its most important members.

"You can't be serious." She said, surprise evident in her voice.

"Oh I'm afraid I'm quite serious Layla. Lucius stands in the way of my goals, and I want him eliminated. Do this for me, and no one will ever know of your involvement in Caesar's death." Vulpes' response only confused Layla further, causing more questions to appear in her mind.

"What goals?" She asked Vulpes, scanning his face to try and read him as she did so. Her attempts proved fruitless however. Vulpes had no emotion on his face whatsoever, and his expression didn't change in the slightest as Layla spoke. He proved to be completely unreadable.

"My goals are none of your concern Layla." He replied simply, before turning to the master bedroom's door. "The only thing that should be concerning you at the moment is ending Lucius's life. Come and see me when the task has been completed. If I wake up tomorrow and he's still alive, he'll learn of your involvement in Caesar's death." With that, he walked towards the door. "Ave." Was the last thing he said as he walked out the door, before heading for the elevator, leaving Layla alone in the bedroom.

*Several hours later*

Layla had an anxious look on her face as she stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking the fort. She was standing in the exact same place she'd gone to think about what to do with Caesar a few days ago. The only difference was that it wasn't yet night time as it had been when she'd last come here. The sun was just beginning to set, and the sounds of legionaries training eagerly for the battle ahead echoed from the nearby fort. Down on the path below, a legionary was shouting at a slave girl, telling her to move faster despite the heavy load she was carrying. As appalled as Layla was by this, she had more important things to think about.

She could scarcely believe it. In less than a week, she'd gone to the same place twice, both times to decide the fate of an important figure within the Legion. She would've loved nothing more than to go to sleep at that very moment, but thanks to Vulpes, rest wasn't an option. A few minutes after he'd left, when she'd finished taking her anger out on an inanimate object, Layla had set off for Cottonwood Cove. She'd only arrived a few minutes ago, and still had no idea what to do with Lucius. She didn't even know if she was going to kill him yet, let alone how.

_Fucking Vulpes! _She thought angrily, gritting her teeth in frustration and kicking a nearby pebble down to the lake below as she did so. Layla didn't particularly like Lucius; in fact she was fairly indifferent to him, so killing him didn't bother her. What bothered her were the consequences of killing him. Killing Lucius would fit right into Vulpes' plans, and she had no idea what those plans were. Whatever they were, she doubted they were good. Plus she wasn't sure if she should be killing any more members of the Legion, especially since she'd killed a large amount in the past few days. The more she killed, the more likely it became that the Legion would learn of her misdeeds. Of course, if she didn't kill Lucius, they'd find out about her misdeeds anyway from Vulpes. It seemed that no matter what she did, her hopes of stopping the NCR would be dashed.

Even if she decided to kill Lucius, how the hell would she do it? Lucius spent all his time in the fort, and she doubted she could slay him without anyone noticing. For the first time in her life, Layla didn't think she'd be able to get away with murder. It would be better if she made it look like an accident, but she had no idea how to go about doing that. With Caesar it was easy, because he was dying anyway. How was she supposed to make Lucius' death look like an accident?

"Layla?" A familiar voice asked from behind. Layla quickly spun around, and barely managed to resist swearing out loud as she saw Lucius approaching her. "There you are. I was wondering when you'd return to the fort." Layla didn't look at him as he spoke, her eyes kept drifting to the cliff edge, and the long, fatal drop down to the lake below.

"I went to Vegas briefly to settle some business before coming back here." Layla lied, barely managing to make her expression neutral. "You said you wanted to speak to me about my next task?"

"Indeed." Lucius said with little emotion, before joining her on the cliff's edge. "There was an important task that Caesar was going to give you if he recovered." A surprising look of sadness appeared in Lucius' eyes for a seconded as he mentioned Caesar, but it was gone in an instant. He turned to look over the cliff's edge as he continued. "I assume you know of the NCR's President Kimball?"

"A little." Layla replied, barely listening. She was too focused looking at Lucius as he stood on the cliff's edge with his back to her. _Push him! _Her mind screamed at her, and she found herself struggling to disobey.

"He has arrived in the Mojave to give a speech to the NCR troops. This speech was supposed to be yesterday. However, due to your exploits, the speech was delayed by three days. Now it shall be occurring the day after tomorrow." Even though she was hardly paying attention, Layla could see where this was going.

"Wait, are you saying..."

"Yes. You are to assassinate President Kimball." An evil grin appeared on Layla's face as she realised her task. She couldn't believe her luck. The head of the NCR, the organization she hated with a burning passion, was giving a speech the day after tomorrow. She could barely contain her excitement, and all she could think about at that moment was sinking her blade into Kimball's chest, as he begged for mercy. "I take it this task pleases you?" He asked as he saw the look on her face, still speaking without emotion, but raising his eyebrow as he did so.

"More than you can possibly imagine." The almost psychotic glee in her eyes would've terrified a normal man. Fortunately, nobody in the Legion could be considered a normal man. "I'll bathe in his blood."

"Good." Lucius said simply, ignoring her enthusiasm. "The day of the speech, you will meet with Cato Hostilius near Boulder City at approximately 8AM. He will give you further instructions. Talk to Vulpes, and he will give you Hostilius' precise coordinates." As Lucius said Vulpes' name, he started to walk away. As Layla heard the name, her enthusiasm for the coming task was replaced with displeasure for her current task. If she didn't do this, killing Kimball wouldn't make a difference. She still wouldn't be able to destroy the NCR, even if its president was dead.

"Wait!" She said urgently, grabbing Lucius' arm to stop him from leaving. "There's something I have to tell you. Something of the utmost urgency." Lucius turned to look at her curiously as she stopped him, and she tried to think of what to do next. She considered telling Lucius of Vulpes' plot, while leaving out the part about her arranging Caesar's death. _No._ Her mind said defiantly. _It wouldn't work. Lucius would believe Vulpes over you any day._

"What is it?" He said seriously, trying to read her expression as she struggled to answer. _Do it!_ Her mind screamed at her. "What do you wish to tell me?" _FUCKING DO IT!_

"This." She said in a cold and emotionless tone, as she drew her blade and stabbed Lucius through the neck. The leader of the praetorians could only look on in horror as Layla drove the point of her blade through his neck, completely skewering it. He tried to cry out, to call attention to the murder, but no sound would leave his lips. Even if he had been able to speak, there was nobody around to hear him. He tried to raise the hand covered by a ballistic fist, but his imminent death was draining all strength from his body. He looked at her, a mixture of hatred and confusion in his eyes. _Why? _His gaze seemed to ask her. _Why the hell are you doing this? _"Blame Vulpes." She answered the unspoken question before pulling her blade out of the side of Vulpes' neck, partially severing his head. Blood spurted from Vulpes' mouth as his head hung loosely, held by only half a neck. Layla ended his suffering by slashing horizontally through his neck, severing the head completely. As Lucius' headless body teetered, barely keeping its balance, Layla elbowed it in the chest, knocking it off the side of the cliff. She looked down, no emotion whatsoever in her eyes or on her face as the headless corpse fell down to the lake below. It made a large splash as it landed in the Colorado, but nobody was around to hear or see it. Layla stood there, watching for almost a full minute as the corpse sank beneath the water. When she was sure the corpse had fully sunk, she drew her blade, before casually kicking the head off the cliff after the body. The head's splash was much smaller and quieter than the body's, but Layla had already walked away before it landed.

*A minute later*

"It's done." Layla said angrily as she entered Vulpes' tent. Vulpes was wearing his Legion armour, but not his fox hood, and Layla could see the satisfaction in his eyes.

"You have done as I instructed?" He asked unnecessarily, rising to his feet as he spoke. Until Layla had arrived he'd been lying on the thin mat that served as his bed.

"Lucius is dead." Layla said emotionlessly, not nervous about being overhead since Vulpes' tent was on the outskirts of the camp. To illustrate her point, she took her blade out of its holster and pointed at the bloodstains on the weapon's tip. There were numerous dried stains there from her many kills, but there were also fresh stains, showing that she had indeed killed someone recently.

"Excellent." He said, a smile of satisfaction appearing on his face as he did so. The smile only angered Layla further, and it took all her strength of will to return her blade to its holster instead of driving it through Vulpes' skull "You've done well."

"Fuck off." Layla said in response. "Now you'd better keep up your end of the bargain. Nobody will find out about my involvement in Caesar's death." Vulpes' smile took on a sly quality as he answered.

"Layla, I am a man of my word." He said shadily. "I will not say a word about what you and Arcade did to Caesar that night. If anybody learns of your deed, it will not be from me."

"Good." Layla turned to leave, but then turned back to Vulpes before speaking. "Oh, Lucius said you would give me Cato Hostilius' coordinates."

"Certainly." He replied in a civil tone, before approaching her and taking a hold of her Pip Boy. A few seconds later, he had downloaded the coordinates into the handheld device. "Just to keep up appearances, you should probably go right ahead and complete Lucius' task. Now goodbye." He said as he turned away from her, and walked back to the mat that served as his bed. Layla turned to leave, when she thought of something else that she needed to say, and turned back to him.

"Just remember Vulpes, this is the last time I do any of your tasks. I will NEVER, work with you again. Do you hear me? If you have any more tasks for me, you can shove them up your ass, because I'm not doing them. Do you fucking hear me? WE'RE FUCKING FINISHED!" Layla was shaking with anger as she shouted at Vulpes, and to her ire, his smile didn't waver in the slightest.

"Loud and clear." He said in a calm tone that infuriated Layla, and she turned to the tent's entrance before walking away. "Ave." He said smugly, and Layla barely managed to resist the urge to spin around and behead him. As she left the tent however, Layla caught sight of a familiar object on a table in the far corner of Vulpes' tent. It was an oil lamp. Not just an ordinary oil lamp however, it was made of gold, and was heavily engraved. It was definitely an antique. _The same oil lamp that belonged to the shadow._ Layla thought to herself, as realization dawned on her. It was impossible, yet there was no denying it. Vulpes Inculta was the shadow. _He...saved my life. But why?_ "I thought you were leaving." He said impatiently, knocking Layla out of her thoughts and sending her back to reality.

"I am." She said angrily, but not as angrily as before. Vulpes didn't see the knowing expression on Layla's face as she left the tent.

*The following morning*

_Fuck I'm sick of travelling._ Layla thought wearily as she walked out of the elevator and entered the suite. Rex bounded towards her again, but this time she ignored him and headed for the master bedroom, so tired she could barely stand.

"There you are." A familiar voice said, waking Layla up somewhat. "I can't believe I got home before you." Veronica said as she walked out of the dining room, a large smile on her face and her eyes bright with enthusiasm. Layla returned the smile.

"So you're finally finished with your mysterious errands?" Layla asked, raising her eyebrow as she did so.

"Yep." Veronica replied happily. "It took forever, but they're done." A look of concern appeared on Veronica's face as she saw just how tired Layla was. "You look exhausted."

"I am. I'm going to bed."

"Before you go, don't you want to know what my errands were?"

"I'm more tired than curious at the moment." Layla yawned loudly as she walked into the master bedroom. Veronica immediately followed.

"You see I found something that could help in the battle at Hoover Dam. Have you heard of the Enclave?"

"Nope." Layla said as she sat down on the bed. "Is there any chance that you can tell me in a few hours?"

"Oh...okay." Veronica said quietly, looking a little disappointed. "I just really wanted to tell you..."

"And I want to know, but I want to sleep more." Layla said with a smile. "I haven't slept since midnight yesterday, and I've gone to and from the Legion's fort more times than I can count. I need sleep."

"Okay." Veronica said, her smile shrinking slightly but her eyes still bright. She then took Layla by surprise by stepping forward and hugging her firmly. "I missed you." She whispered as she squeezed, crushing Layla's ribs.

"I missed you too." She laughed, returning the hug. "Now goodnight."

"It's early morning." Veronica said as they ended the hug. Layla scowled at her in response, and Veronica took the hint. "Goodnight." She said softly before walking out of the master bedroom, turning the light off as she did so. Layla lay back on the bed fully dressed, and was asleep in less than a minute.

**_Awww. It's good to have Veronica back. I apologise for her absence in recnt chapters. Don't worry, she'll be appearing a lot more often in the coming chapters._**

**_So Lucius is dead, and Vulpes' mysterious plans are coming to fruition. Meanwhile, Layla has been ordered to assassinate President Kimball, a task she's eager to carry out. The president's days may be numbered._**

**_The next chapter's going to be very long, so will undoubtedly take a while. Your patience will be rewarded._**


	38. Swan Song

**_I bet you thought I was gone for good didn't you? Well in all honesty, so did I. Now I could spin some excuse, about how I was struggling for inspiration or how I've been too busy at college but, the way I see it, it's better to aplogise with a gift than an excuse. So, as an apology for my absence, I give you my longest chapter yet; over 20,000 words in total. Enjoy, you lucky reader you._**

Swan Song

Layla cringed as her Pip Boy's alarm went off. Every fiber of her being told her to go back to sleep, but that was something she couldn't do. Today was too important. So she turned off the alarm and climbed out of bed. As soon as she'd finished wiping the sleep from her eyes she went over to her supply chest, and began to equip herself for the mission ahead.

First she grabbed her recon armour, and had to blow dust off it since she hadn't used it in such a long time. Once she'd put that on she put on her trusty leather jacket, followed by her thigh holster, her makeshift sword holster and her belt. Next she equipped her weapons, placing her sword in its holster, That Gun in her thigh holster, and her combat knife on her belt. She put five throwing knives on her belt next, along with five grenades. Her last two guns were her scoped hunting rifle and her grenade rifle, and she put both of them in her bag. Next came medical supplies and chems. She put several stimpaks in her bag along with several different varieties of chems and some bandages (Just in case). All she needed now was some whiskey. Leaving her bag on the floor, she snuck out of her bedroom and into the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking Veronica.

"Morning." Veronica said cheerfully as Layla entered the kitchen, making her jump out of her skin. Veronica was sat at the dining table, eating a bowl of noodles. "You're looking stealthy this morning." She said with a grin.

"I didn't think you'd be up yet." Layla said as she strolled towards the fridge. "I didn't want to wake you."

"So you were going to leave without saying goodbye?" A mock expression of offence appeared on her face. "I'm hurt." A small smile appeared on Layla's face as she opened the fridge and took out five bottles of whiskey.

"Sorry." Layla said as she turned to face Veronica, struggling to hold the five whiskey bottles.

"You realise how dangerous this is going to be?" Veronica said seriously, surprising Layla. "Hoover Dam is going to be crawling with NCR soldiers, and it's likely Boone will be there too."

"You're not going to try and talk me out of this are you?" Layla asked in an annoyed tone, putting the whiskey bottles down on the table as she did so.

"Of course not. I want the NCR to suffer just as much as you do, and killing the president is sure to fuck them up." Veronica got to her feet, and a worried look appeared in her eyes. "I just want you to be careful."

"Veronica, this is me we're talking about here. I'll be fine."

"But what if you're not?" The worry in Veronica's eyes grew dramatically, and she walked around the table until she was right next to Layla. "Let's face it, you've been lucky to survive most of your battles so far. Even when you win, you end up with several near fatal injuries, and you barely pull through. Each time I sit there in the Medical Clinic's waiting room, worried that this time…you won't wake up." Small tears appeared in Veronica's eyes, and Layla enveloped her in a hug.

"I'll be fine." She said comfortingly into Veronica's ear. "I've been doing this shit all my life, and I'm not about to let some NCR bastard kill me. I'll move the heavens themselves to stop that from happening."

"I know." Veronica said quietly. "But you're all I've got left. If one of those pricks got off a lucky shot…"

"I'd haunt them until they went mad and killed themselves."

"Layla…I want you to promise me something" Layla looked into Veronica's eyes, a quizzical look on her face.

"What?"

"I want you to promise me that you'll come back in one piece." Layla's eyebrow rose considerably.

"Veronica…"

"Please." The look in Veronica's eyes was too much for Layla, and she sighed.

"I promise I'll be careful." Layla said with a reassuring smile. Veronica responded by kissing Layla on the cheek.

"For good luck." She quickly stammered, and Layla's smile widened.

"Thanks." With that they broke the hug, and Layla picked up the whiskey bottles before walking back to her room. A short while later she walked out of her room, fully tooled up and her bag over one shoulder. Veronica was standing by the elevator, and gave Layla one last hug as she walked past.

"Good luck." She said as she broke the hug. Layla nodded and entered the elevator. She gave Veronica one last wave as the elevator doors closed. Veronica prayed that wouldn't be the last time she saw her.

*Boone*

"Why do we have to be here so damned early?" Campbell moaned as he and Boone stood on a cliff overlooking Hoover Dam. This particular cliff had a perfect view of the stand where Kimball would be giving his speech in a few hours time, which is why Boone had chosen it for his sniper spot.

"Because the president will be arriving in a few hours, and we have to make sure we're in position by then." Boone said in an annoyed tone as he drew his hunting rifle and began to inspect it.

"But it's 6am!" Campbell yawned. "Why couldn't Kimball give his speech in the afternoon?" Campbell still had a scar from his battle with Layla, a bloody gash that ran from his chin to his left ear, the result of an accurately thrown combat knife. The wound had been sown up, but he still rubbed it absentmindedly as he spoke.

"Stop whining." Boone grumbled as he checked the rifle's firing mechanism.

"I don't know why they even need us here anyway." Campbell continued to moan as he looked down at the dam. The place was a flurry of activity, with NCR soldiers and rangers all over the place. Campbell suspected you wouldn't be able to fire off a random shot without hitting at least one NCR soldier. "Just look down there. The area is crawling with NCR! You've got snipers all over the place, rangers at every entrance and exit, and there's even some of those rangers in black armour down there too. Why are we even here?"

"Because General Oliver ordered it, now shut up and get in that sniper spot." Boone snapped, sick of Campbell's annoying complaints. Campbell looked at the sniper spot that Boone had selected for him, and turned away from it.

"Thanks anyway Boone, but I know a better spot." Boone didn't look at him, now cleaning the scope of his rifle.

"I doubt it."

"Trust me, I'm an expert strategist, remember?"

"You're also insane; so no, I won't trust you." Campbell's charismatic smile finally disappeared, and he flipped his trusty coin. It came up tails, and he kicked Boone's rifle out of his hands.

"I'm getting really sick of your attitude." Campbell said in a cold voice, and Boone quickly got to his feet.

"I was just about to say the same thing." Boone said without emotion, while clenching his fists.

"I don't give a shit what you think of me Boone, because when it comes right down to it, I'm the only one out of the both of us who has a free will." Campbell was surprised when Boone laughed. It was a humourless laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.

"Is that what you really think?" Boone moved forwards until his face was only inches away from Campbell's. Campbell could see the anger in the sniper's eyes through his dark sunglasses. "You're just a pitiful, crazy little man, who needs a coin to make all his decisions for him. You have about as much free will as my boot." There was great venom in Boone's voice, and it caused Campbell's expression to twist into an angry snarl.

"And you think you're so much better? At least I decide who I work for. You're nothing more than Oliver's lapdog. He tells you to do something and you jump at the chance, panting in anticipation and waiting for the moment when he'll reward you with a pat on the head. And let's not forget your ridiculous devotion to the NCR. You'd bend over backwards and take it up the arse from every member of the Legion if the NCR asked you to. Face it; you're nothing more than a puppet. Unlike you, my life is about more than desperately trying to please a single, corrupt organization. In the grand scheme of things, you're nothing."

The second Campbell finished, Boone punched him in the jaw, knocking him right down to the ground. Campbell spat out blood as he got to his knees, and glared at Boone before flipping his coin once again. This time, it came up heads. Boone prepared to punch Campbell again, but was surprised when the merc got to his feet and walked away.

"You're not worth it Boone." Campbell said emotionlessly as he walked off. "You're not worth my time. I'll keep working for Oliver, but know that if you look at me the wrong way again I'll put a bullet between your eyes." With that, Campbell climbed down the side of the cliff until he was on the floor of the dam, leaving Boone alone.

*Layla – Two Hours Later*

Layla darted back as the giant radscorpion tried to stab her with its stinger, barely avoiding having a large amount of poison injected into her leg. She mentally cursed her luck as the parried a strike from the beast's pincers. She'd been travelling for two hours, completely without incident and now, as she was starting to get tired, she'd been jumped by a giant radscorpion. The arachnid had jumped her the second she left Boulder City. She realised that her grogginess was making her careless, as she ducked under a strike from the beast's stinger.

"I've really had enough of this." She growled, sidestepping one of the scorpion's blows before climbing on top of it. Before the beast could react she stabbed downwards, straight through the scorpion's back and out its underbelly. The beast's death was almost instantaneous, and she quickly climbed off its back before returning her sword to its holster and carrying on her journey.

Using her Pip Boy, she followed the coordinates Vulpes had given her the night she killed Lucius, and climbed over a small hill. On the other side of the hill was a modest campsite. There were no tents, no bedrolls, no anything, just the remains of a campfire and a sharply dressed man sitting next to it. She walked towards the man, and he got to his feet as she approached.

"You must be Layla." He said politely, bowing slightly as he did so. "The infamous Red Blade Witch. It is an honour to meet you." Layla smiled, pleasantly surprised to be meeting a member of the Legion who was actually civil for a change.

"You must be Cato Hostilius." He nodded his confirmation, and she cast her eyes over him. He was wearing a dark, smart looking suit with a fedora on his head. Hardly the attire she'd been expecting a member of the Legion to wear, but then again he was a frumentarii. They weren't exactly supposed to look like members of the Legion.

"Are you ready to begin?" He asked, a serious look in his eyes. Layla nodded, and he handed a black duffel bag to her. "There's a disguise in this bag. Put it on." Layla quickly obeyed, but hesitated when she took the disguise out of the bag,

"An NCR uniform?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Layla had no desire to wear the uniform of an organization she despised, but she knew she had little choice in the matter. Without a disguise, the soldiers would recognise her easily. This was the only way to get in undetected.

"No, no problem." As she continued to look in the bag she found a helmet too, which would be useful to hide her trademark red hair from the soldiers. She quickly stripped down, putting her clothes in her bag. She knew she didn't need to worry about modesty around Hostilius; just about every member of the Legion was either gay or just not interested in sex. Putting the armour on was awkward, and she need Hostilius to help her at some points. Eventually she managed it however, and put on the helmet to complete the look.

"Excellent." Hostilius said when she was fully disguised. "With that outfit, no-one will recognise you. You'd better hide most of your weapons though. Only carry around guns that are NCR standard issue. Like this." He reached behind a nearby rock and picked up an NCR service rifle, before handing it to her. "The rest of your weapons will be safe in your bag, but your sword will be almost impossible to conceal. You may have to leave it behind." Though it pained Layla to leave her sword, she grudgingly agreed. "Now then, let's go. It's 8am now, which means the president's speech will begin in half an hour. I'll brief you on the way to the dam." With that, they set off, and Layla mentally prepared herself for the most important mission of her life.

*Oliver*

General Lee Oliver could barely breathe as the compartment he sat in was filled with smoke. He was sat in the passenger area of Bear Force One, President Aaron Kimball's personal vertibird, on the way to Hoover Dam for the president's speech. Kimball had been smoking for almost the entire trip, and now the entire compartment was thick with smoke. He coughed violently as some smoke went down his throat, and turned to look out one of the vertibird's windows.

"I'm not happy." Kimball said suddenly, breaking the silence that had been present for the entire trip. _When are you ever happy you jackass?_ Oliver thought bitterly, but kept his mouth shut as he turned to face the president. "Several weeks you've been trying to kill Layla, but have failed miserably. We even had to delay my speech by three days because of your incompetence. Now it's the day of my speech, and this bitch still isn't fucking dead!"

"I'm working on it sir." Kimball scoffed in response, taking a long drag from his cigarette before replying.

"You've been 'working on it', for weeks! One woman Oliver, I asked you to kill one fucking woman! Why is that so impossible for you?" Oliver tried his best to ignore the torrent of abuse, and kept his voice level.

"Mr President, I have one last plan."

"I wonder if it'll work as well as your other plans." Kimball said derisively, blowing smoke out of his nose as he did so.

"Two of my associates are setting up a trap for Layla at Hoover Dam as we speak."

"Your associates? You mean that sniper and the mercenary?" Oliver paled as Kimball mentioned Campbell.

"Mercenary?" He bluffed unconvincingly. "What mercenary?"

"Oh please Oliver, you can't hide from me. I know you hired a mentally unstable mercenary to help you kill Layla. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Campbell's more than skilled enough to…"

"I don't care how skilled he is Oliver, the man's deranged. I know all about his condition. What the fuck were you smoking when you thought that it would be a good idea to hire a mercenary who could betray his employers at any fucking moment? How do you think the NCR would look if this got out?"

"Mr President, you wanted Layla to be dealt with, and this is the best way to do it. Campbell and Boone are setting up the trap as we speak."

"Fine. This is your last fucking chance Oliver. If you screw this up I'll have you dishonourably discharged before you can say 'What the fuck just happened?', do you understand me?"

"Perfectly, sir." Oliver said through gritted teeth, barely managing to keep his anger in check. His expression brightened however, as he remembered the details of the trap Boone and Campbell were setting. _Insult me all you want your jackass; you have no idea that the trap involves using you as bait._

*Layla*

"There it is: Hoover Dam." Cato Hostilius said as he and Layla finally caught sight of the dam. This was the symbol of the NCR's power in the Mojave, the only reason they wanted to conquer the land and the only reason they were still in control. Layla briefly considered blowing the dam up but considered that a bit extreme, even for her. "Alright, I'm going to go in and mingle with the crowd in front of the stage. If you need any information, you can find me there. As long as you keep all your weapons in your bag, you should blend in fine. Good luck." With that, Hostilius started to walk away. Before he could leave however, Layla stopped him.

"Wait, I need you to do something for me." A puzzled look appeared on Hostilius' face, and only grew in intensity when she handed him the black duffel bag that her disguise had been stored in earlier. "I put my sword in this bag. Since I can't smuggle it in, I need you to hide this bag somewhere in the dam, somewhere I'll be able to find it. That way, if something goes wrong, I can retrieve my sword and use it to defend myself." Hostilius nodded, and took the bag from her before walking towards the dam, leaving Layla alone.

After a few seconds of preparation, Layla headed towards the dam. Knowing that most experienced NCR personnel would know the rumours about her and so would probably recognise her if she got too close, Layla tried her best to remain hidden. As she walked up the road towards the dam, she ducked into a doorway to avoid being spotted by a patrolling ranger, and found herself in a large reception area.

The area seemed to only be occupied by grunts and low ranking NCR soldiers, so nobody noticed Layla as she casually strolled through the lobby. She cringed as she spotted a snow globe on the reception desk, but ignored it and walked through the reception area until she ended up outside.

She found herself at the base of a small tower, and remembered Hostilius pointing out that Kimball's vertibird would be landing on top of this particular tower. She considered going up there to plant explosives, but the large amount of rangers in the area made that impossible. Instead she looked around the area, searching for a suitable vantage point. As she searched, she couldn't help noticing the ridiculous amount of NCR personnel in the area. They were everywhere; no matter what direction she turned in, there were always at least five soldiers blocking her vision. The massive number of witnesses would make the assassination difficult…not that Layla would let that stop her.

After scanning around for a short while longer, she caught sight of a second tower, this one overlooking the stage. She looked at the top of the tower and saw it as the perfect sniper spot; providing a perfect view of the stage, but just far enough away that nobody would spot her until Kimball lay dead. She carefully weaved her way through the crowd of NCR soldiers, making sure not to stand too close to any of them in case they recognised her. Once she was clear of the crowd, she picked up the pace a little as she headed for the tower.

There were two ways into the tower: the front door and a ladder going up the tower's side. Layla decided to bypass any possible security inside the tower by climbing the ladder. It wasn't a long climb, and before she knew it she was on the tower's roof. She was surprised to find no guards on the roof, but blamed it on a rare case of good luck as she knelt down next to the roof's edge.

Wasting no time, she dropped her service rifle, then put her bag down on the floor before opening it. Seconds later she pulled out her scoped hunting rifle, and took an experimental glance down the rifle's scope. There was no dirt on the scope whatsoever, and from where she knelt she had a perfect view of the stage where Kimball would be giving his speech. Everything was going smoothly, now all she had to do was wait. As it turned out, she didn't have to wait long.

She hadn't even been there for ten seconds before she saw a vertibird on the horizon, decorated with the NCR's colours. It flew over the cliffs that bordered the dam, before flying directly in front of the dam itself, showing off for all the soldiers in the audience. Layla rolled her eyes as the vertibird performed a few more slick aerial manoeuvres before landing on the tower that Layla had been standing at the base of about a minute ago. Taking a deep breath, she looked down the scope and focused her sights on the vertibird's main hatch, waiting anxiously for Kimball to climb out.

She was rewarded a few seconds later as the hatch swung open, and the man of the hour climbed out, sporting a grin that made her even more eager to turn his head into mincemeat. Two men in black armour climbed out next, the NCR's elite black rangers. Layla had heard stories about them, about how they were the most lethal fighting force in the NCR and feared for their skill throughout the Mojave. It was said that the red glare that emitted from the eyes of the helmets they wore were the last things their enemies ever saw. Layla could see where they got their reputation from. Their intimidating, pitch black armour made them look like humanoid shadows, radiating an aura of power. _Fighting one of them would surely give me a challenge. _She thought to herself as the sight of their black armour sent a chill down her spine. Quickly composing herself, Layla refocused her attentions on Kimball.

An important looking man in an NCR general outfit walked out next, following Kimball closely. The man was obviously a high ranking member of the NCR, and Layla felt a sudden desire to kill him too. _Maybe later. Kimball dies first._ To her annoyance, a ranger walked in front of Kimball, completely blocking her view of him. "Come on you son of a bitch." Layla whispered in a frustrated tone. "Move!"

"That's quite enough Layla." Layla was completely taken by surprise as she heard a voice behind her, and that surprise doubled when she recognised the voice.

"No…it can't be…" She said slowly, mostly to herself.

"Why not, because you shot me? As I recall, being shot has never stopped you either. Hell, I shot you in one of your kneecaps when we first met and you still managed to get the upper hand. Won't happen this time though." Layla scowled as she recognised Campbell's cocky voice. She wanted nothing more than to spin around and to finish what she started back at Hidden Valley. Unfortunately, her surprise at just who she was facing made her slow on the draw, and before the idea to turn around even occurred to her, she felt the barrel of a gun press into the back of her skull. From what she could tell, it was a shotgun.

"How the fuck did you find me?" Layla growled, but Campbell just laughed.

"Find you? Don't you get it? You came to me." Before Layla could ask Campbell what the hell he was talking about he continued. "Let me guess, you saw this tower and thought it would be the perfect sniping spot? Well so did I." Layla gritted her teeth in anger as Campbell's voice took on a mocking tone. "This place was so damn obvious as a sniping spot that I knew you'd use it. So I came up here and waited, using a stealth boy to remain unseen. Then, when you came up here, I was right behind you, and you had no idea until it was too late. Even if you didn't come up here, this is the perfect vantage point for me to watch the speech. You would've had no chance whatsoever of sneaking up on the president."

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" Layla snapped angrily, but once again Campbell laughed.

"Several people." The amusement in his voice made Layla's blood boil. At that instant, the speakers on the stage began to play annoyingly patriotic American music, as Kimball walked down to take the stage. "What a shame; you won't even get to hear the president's speech." Campbell said sarcastically.

"Then at least one good thing came out of this." Layla knew she needed some way to distract Campbell, some way to get his gun from her head for a few seconds so she could spring into action. Luckily, she had a plan.

"So, any last words before I send you on to the great beyond?"

"Yeah. You're coming with me." Before Campbell could respond, Layla ripped off the chest plate of her NCR outfit and opened the armour's jacket. Campbell had no idea what was going on, until he saw the large amount of C4 tied around Layla's waist. His shock made his finger loosen on the trigger of his shotgun, giving Layla enough time to draw a small object from her bag. Campbell's eyes widened as he saw the C4's detonator in her hand. As the patriotic music in the background finally stopped, Layla pressed the detonator.

Not wasting any time, Campbell immediately leapt to the side to avoid the fatal explosion. He landed face first on the other side of the roof, covering his ears to avoid being deafened by the blast. His brow furrowed in confusion when, after five seconds, he heard no explosion. Curious, he got onto his knees and turned around to see Layla on her feet, a sadistic smile on her face.

"The detonator was a fake you idiot." Layla taunted, before ripping the C4 from around her waist and throwing it off the tower and off the side of the dam. An annoyed look appeared on Campbell's face, and he slowly got to his feet. The second he reached his feet, Layla rushed him.

Her rifle was useless in close quarters, so Layla had dropped it while Campbell was distracted, before taking her combat knife out of her bag. The knife was in Layla's hand as she charged, and she was determined to cover the knife with his blood. In the background, Layla heard a member of the NCR introduce Kimball, followed by the applause of all the soldiers in the crowd. She couldn't care less.

Campbell ducked low as she aimed a slash for his throat, before trying to strike her with the butt of his hunting shotgun. She weaved to the side to dodge the attack, before punching Campbell in the jaw. The attack sent him stumbling back, making him drop his shotgun in the process. He recovered quickly, rolling to the side to avoid her next slash before drawing his twin 10mm pistols from his duster in the blink of an eye. Layla delivered a rapid roundhouse kick that knocked both pistols from the mercenary's hands, and he had to dart back as she charged again.

"**Thank you, Colonel Moore. And thank you, my fellow Californians, who have come so far to answer the call to service put forth by the republic." **Kimball began his speech in the background, and Layla knew she needed to deal with Campbell quickly. The merc was determined to make that hard however, as he drew his ripper before flicking the volatile weapon on. Though the weapon's growl was extremely loud on the roof, due to their distance from the stage, nobody heard the weapon spring to life.

"**It is for you that I have come here, and it is because of you that I am able to do so." **Kimball continued, and Layla tried to ignore him in order to focus on the fight. Campbell let loose a barrage of aggressive slashes aimed at Layla's chest, and she just managed to parry each blow with her knife. She quickly counterattacked, aiming a lethal slash at Campbell's throat. He darted to the side to avoid the attack however, before kneeing Layla in the stomach and kicking her back. She stumbled across the roof before hitting the roof's edge, barely managing to avoid toppling off. Her helmet wasn't so lucky, as it slipped off her head and fell off the roof, exposing her long, red hair.

"**We enjoy our privileges because you take the greatest of risks and are prepared to make the most noble of sacrifices."** Layla ignored Kimball's speech and charged Campbell again, only to see him drawing a gun with his free hand. He drew a small, 9mm SMG and aimed it at Layla's head. Not wanting Campbell to fire, thereby exposing Layla's position with loud gunfire, Layla lunged at the mercenary, knocking both of them to the floor and sending both of their weapons skittering across the roof.

*Boone*

"**It is because of men and women like Private First Class Jeremy Watson that Nevada and the New California Republic remain free and secure."** Kimball said, speaking with the confidence and enthusiasm of an experienced public speaker. Boone tried to block the speech out of his mind, as he scanned the entire area through the scope of his rifle, looking for anything that seemed out of place. He spotted nobody acting suspicious, nobody aiming a gun at the president, all in all no threat whatsoever. Yet, he had a feeling in his gut, the kind of feeling he'd had back in First Recon, when he'd just known when the squad was about to get ambushed. Using that gut feeling he'd led his fellows in First Recon out of countless ambushes. He trusted that feeling, and now it was telling him that something wasn't right.

**"****Born in a tin shack on the outskirts of One Pine, Jeremy Watson never had it easy. His father worked as a caravan guard on the Short Loop, and his mother, like many Californians, braved the ruins of the Old World as a prospector." **As Kimball continued to drone on, Boone considered contacting Campbell on his emergency radio, to see if the merc had seen anything from his own sniper spot. Then he decided against it. That lunatic was just as likely to kill the president himself as help Boone foil the assassination. All it would take was one bad coin flip.

**"They suffered through water shortages, raider attacks, and the Brotherhood War. Like our mighty Sierra Nevadas, they endured. But the time came when they could no longer shoulder the burden alone. Twelve years ago, they called out for help, and the republic heard them." **Boone had no idea why Oliver was still allowing Campbell to work for him. The mercenary was dangerous, and if Boone had had a choice, he would've suggested that they throw Campbell off the dam as soon as possible. But the general had persisted, and now Boone had to rely on a maniac to watch his back. It made no difference though. Boone didn't need him, he could protect the president all by himself. He couldn't care less about Campbell; protecting the president was his number one priority. And if he saw Layla again, this time he wouldn't hesitate to end her.

*Layla*

"**Troopers and rangers, just like you, answered the clarion call. Men and women stepped forward to say, "I will carry the weight." And at Owen's Lake, we made true on our promise, driving out the raider tribes to establish a lasting peace in the eastern Sierra Nevadas." **Layla and Campbell grappled on the floor, both trying to get the upper hand in the struggle. Layla managed to get on top in the melee and headbutted Campbell in the face, knocking his head down against the roof's floor. She tried to strike him again, but he promptly delivered a strike of his own, a powerful punch to her face. The blow dazed her, allowing Campbell to flip her other and get on top, before delivering a barrage of brutal punches to her face.

**"We carried the weight, and though we left behind many of our brothers and sisters on that battlefield, it did not break us." **Layla pulled her arms over her face protectively to block the blows, before darting her hands up and grabbing Campbell's throat. She began to violently choke him. He ignored the pain, instead drawing a 12.7mm pistol from one of the pockets of his duster. He pistol whipped Layla with the weapon, dazing her for a second and allowing him to pull her hands off his throat. He then grabbed her throat with his free hand, before pointing the 12.7mm pistol right in her eye. At the same time he knelt on her arms, preventing her from striking him.

** "Ten years ago, Chief Elise met with representatives of the Desert Rangers to discuss terms of what would become the Ranger Unification Treaty. The treaty was more than a resolution to welcome the Desert Rangers into the republic. It was a covenant to protect southern Nevada against Caesar's Legion and the tyranny of his regime" **Fighting off the dizziness that clouded her mind, Layla tried to break free from Campbell's grasp. It was no good however; her arms were trapped and everything was going white. A look of victory appeared on Campbell's face as his finger tightened on the trigger of his 12.7mm pistol. It was mere inches from Layla's eye; she could almost feel the heat of the barrel. Seconds before the merc fired, Layla abandoned all pretenses of fighting fair, and viciously bit the hand that held her throat. Campbell cried out in pain as Layla's jaw clamped down on his hand, stabbing into it and spraying blood. He lost his balance on Layla's arms for a split second, and that was all the time she needed. Ignoring the taste of blood in her mouth, Layla pulled one of her arms free from Campbell's knees, and put all her strength into one punch aimed at Campbell's chin. The powerful blow did its job, snapping Campbell's head back and knocking him off her.

** "There are some back home who ask me, "But who are we protecting? What is Nevada to us?" Sometimes we forget that the light of our society shines beyond our borders." **Layla slowly got to her feet, massaging her neck and spitting Campbell's blood out of her mouth as she did so. Campbell's attempt to choke her had left thick, red marks on her neck, and they didn't feel pleasant. Campbell meanwhile was on the floor grasping his hand, which currently had a large bite mark on it and was pouring blood. He was trying to stop the tide of blood, with minimal success. As soon as he saw Layla rise, he too tried to get to his feet. Layla put a stop to that, by charging forwards and kneeing him in the stomach.

** "Sometimes we take those privileges for granted that our forebears fought so hard to achieve." **The crushing blow knocked Campbell right to the floor, and Layla wasted no time in stomping on his skull. **"We must always remember that wherever Californians stand, we carry our principles with us: equal respect, representation, and protection under the laws of a just republic." **_Just republic my ass! _Layla thought angrily as she brutally stomped on Campbell's face again and again, until his nose was broken and his consciousness had left. Not even bothering to kill him, Layla picked up her nearby knife before returning it to her belt, then ran back to her discarded hunting rifle. She had no idea how long she had left before Kimball's speech finished, so she frantically looked through the scope and took aim, still standing on her feet as she did so.

** "This was the same fire that burned in the heart of the Old World that preceded us. We are the heirs of that civilization, torchbearers eastward of the Pacific, into the darkness of this wasted land." **Her grip on the rifle was shaky, so Layla quickly reached into her bag. A few seconds later, she found what she was looking for, and popped a pill of steady to help her aim.

** "When the republic called on the men and women of California to carry that fire across the Mojave, Jeremy Watson answered. You answered. Together, you carried the weight. And when PFC Watson's platoon came under attack at Forlorn Hope, he took the greatest risk, not only for his fellow Californians, but for California itself. He was prepared to make the most noble of sacrifices, to defend the principles of our republic, even here, on Nevada soil." **Layla couldn't help but sneer at the pretentious bullshit that was spewing from Kimball's mouth. She was really going to enjoy splattering his brains all over the stage. As Kimball paused for a second to look over the script he held in his hands, Layla finally got his head in her sights. There was no way she could miss. All she had to do…was pull the trigger.

"Ha…you're starting…to remind me…of Boone." Campbell said from behind her. Layla ceased aiming at Kimball and spun around, to see Campbell in a sitting position, pointing one of his 10mm pistols at Layla's head. He must've retrieved it when she wasn't looking. The merc's face looked like it had seen better days. One of his eyes was swollen from when Layla had stomped on it, his nose was broken, and a small amount of blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. He didn't look deterred however. "I've got to be honest…I never pegged you for a sniper."

"I'm not." Layla said calmly, completely ignoring the fact that Campbell was pointing a gun at her head.

"I don't like Kimball any more than you do Layla…but I've been hired to protect him…so that's what I'm going to do." Layla laughed harshly in response.

"Just give it a rest Campbell. You might as well face facts. You can't beat me." At that, Campbell smirked, though the smirk was filled with venom.

"Maybe not…but I'm betting a small army of heavily armed rangers could." At that, Campbell pointed his gun away from Layla, and into the air. Layla's eyes widened as she realised what he was about to do.

"Don't." She said in a threatening tone, but Campbell continued to smirk.

"You couldn't fucking stop me if you tried." With that, he fired.

*Boone*

A single gunshot, that was all it took. A single gunshot, and the entire dam was on high alert. The shot echoed throughout the entire dam, and an air of danger immediately spread. Down by the stage everyone panicked, as the grunt soldiers ran for cover and the rangers ushered the president and Oliver underneath the stage. Meanwhile, all the snipers in the area began searching for where the gunshot had come from. While they looked around, Boone found the location almost instantly. He turned his scope in the direction of a tower near the stage, and saw a female figure, with long red hair.

"Layla." He said under his breath, before taking aim. The process of lining her up in his scope took only a few seconds for the expert sniper, and he wasted no time in firing. To Boone's annoyance, Layla immediately began to move, clearly aware that several snipers were taking aim at her. Boone's shot missed her as she ran across the roof, a rifle in her left hand and a large bag over her right shoulder. While the other snipers tried to line up a decent shot, Boone quickly lined up another one and fired again. He missed again, but this shot was much closer. Instead of hitting Layla's head, where he had been aiming, the shot hit her in the shoulder, and the NCR armour she wore absorbed most of the damage. Before he could take aim again, Layla dived for a nearby hatch on the roof. He fired just as she fell through the hatch, and the bullet sailed by where she'd been standing moments ago. He swore under his breath, before calling Oliver on his emergency radio.

*Layla*

Layla grunted as she landed in a heap at the bottom of the ladder that led up to the hatch. The fall through the hatch had been far, but she'd survived worse, and she quickly got to her feet. Before she could begin to think of a way to escape, Layla heard a sound nearby. To her surprise, it wasn't the sound of several NCR soldiers charging up the stairs in order to fill her full of holes. It was whistling, and it was coming from nearby.

Layla slowly walked into a side room next the ladder and found small bathroom, filled with several toilet cubicles. The whistling was coming from one such cubicle. Holding her hunting rifle with both hands, and pointing the barrel out in front of her, Layla snuck towards the cubicle. Once she reached it, she promptly kicked the door open.

The man inside immediately cried out in surprise, then his eyes widened in fear as he realised who he was dealing with. "Oh shit." The man muttered. His facial features weren't exactly noteworthy, but his outfit was. He wore the black armour of an elite NCR ranger, though his helmet was currently sitting on the floor between his legs. The elite ranger froze up, having literally being caught with his pants down. Layla had no such trouble, and immediately fired her hunting rifle at point blank range, blowing the ranger's head apart.

After flushing the toilet to remove the smell of excrement, Layla returned her rifle to her bag, then quickly began to undress the man. Ignoring the smell of BO, as well as the unpleasant circumstances of the situation, Layla fully stripped the man, taking his ranger armour for her own. With that done, she shut the cubicle door behind her. She thanked her lucky stars that the man was incredibly thin; as it meant his ranger armour should fit her just fine. After taking a minute to wipe the blood off the armour, Layla began to get changed.

*Oliver*

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU MISSED?" Oliver screamed at Boone through the emergency radio. Kimball looked at him with ferocity in his eyes. They were currently lying prone underneath the stage, having been ushered there by rangers after the gunshot. Their only company under the stage was a black duffel bag. Oliver had no idea what the hell the bag was doing there, but now he had bigger problems; namely shouting at Boone until his throat went hoarse."I DON'T WANT YOUR EXCUSES BOONE! SEND SOME MEN INTO THAT TOWER AND FUCKING KILL HER!" With that, Oliver turned off the radio before punching the ground in a blind fury.

"_Mr President, I have one last plan._" Kimball quoted, before laughing harshly. "I didn't realise your goddamn plan involved using me as bait in order to catch Layla during my fucking speech! Are you fucking insane?"

"Mr President, I…"

"Shut up Oliver, just shut the hell up!" Kimball cut off Oliver midsentence, pure rage in his eyes. "You are, without a doubt, the most useless, ineffective, worthless piece of shit I have ever met in my entire life! All you had to do, was kill a single fucking girl, but you fucked it up, time and time again! You are a goddamn disgrace and, quite frankly, I don't think you deserve to be a part of the NCR anymore. As soon as we get out of here, I will personally see to it that you are thrown out of the NCR. Your name will be dragged through the mud, and you will be publically humiliated. Do you hear me? Enjoy your last day as an NCR general because after today, you'll be a NOBODY!" When Kimball's rant had finished, his entire face had gone blood red, and veins stood out on his neck. Oliver stayed silent for the entire rant, while clenching his fists so hard that his nails drew blood. Kimball turned away from Oliver as soon as he finished talking, taking deep breaths as he did so.

Beneath his calm façade, Oliver was furious. Nobody had ever talked to him like that throughout his entire life, and if Kimball hadn't been the president Oliver certainly would've broken his neck by now. As it stood, Oliver felt his hand drift towards the .44 magnum revolver on his belt, and he felt himself struggling to stay in control. He couldn't shoot the president, even if he was an arrogant, temperamental bastard. _Why not? _A voice inside his mind said. _He's mocked you, insulted you, derided you at every possible opportunity, and now he's going to throw you out of the NCR, but not before publicly humiliating you and making you a disgrace. He's going to ruin your life. _Oliver's fingers wrapped around the revolver. _End him._ He firmly grabbed the revolver, before preparing to pull it from his belt.

"Mr President, are you alright?" Oliver's machinations were suddenly interrupted, as an elite ranger poked his head underneath the stage. Oliver immediately moved his hand away from the revolver before the ranger noticed.

"Of course I'm not alright you idiot!" Kimball snapped. "Somebody's trying to kill me! Get me out of here! NOW!" If the soldier found Kimball as infuriating as Oliver, he didn't show it. Instead he nodded, before helping to pull the president out from underneath the stage. Once the president was loose, he helped to pull Oliver out too. As well as the ranger who had pulled them out, there were three extra rangers nearby. Out of the four, two were elites, and they quickly surrounded Oliver and Kimball as they headed for the tower that Bear Force One had landed on.

*Kimball*

Trying to keep his intense rage under control, Kimball followed the ranger in front of him as the six of them headed for the tower. He had an elite ranger in front of him, a normal ranger at either side, and a second elite ranger behind him, while Oliver stood behind all of them. _Oliver, that fucking imbecile! _Kimball thought angrily, but tried to ignore it. As they reached the stairs, the ranger behind Kimball stepped closer.

"Mr President, it's a pleasure to meet you." The ranger behind Kimball whispered. Kimball was about to berate the man, when he realised something strange. The ranger's voice sounded cold and angry, as though the ranger hated him a great deal. To his surprise, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." The ranger carried on. It seemed that the rangers on either side of the president couldn't hear what the ranger at the back was saying. As they walked up the stairs, the hatred in the ranger's voice increased.

"You and your fucking republic have caused me nothing but pain." Kimball tried to respond, but the ranger cut him off. "The NCR destroyed my home, killed my family, and ruined my life. I won't rest until the entirety of the New California Republic is nothing more than a distant memory. And since you're the President, you can help me achieve that." Kimball tried to call for help, but found that his mouth had gone dry.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you Kimball. I'm going to show you a new definition of pain; I'm going to make you feel everything that the NCR has made me feel. I'll watch you bleed, make you scream for mercy, and I'll revel in every minute of your blessed agony." Kimball felt his blood run cold; and then, when the ranger leant closer, and whispered one last thing into his ear, he almost had a heart attack. "When I'm done with you, you'll be begging me to kill you." Kimball couldn't take it anymore. Since fear was still preventing him from speaking, and thus making it impossible for him to call for help, he instead lashed out, striking the ranger behind him and knocking the man's helmet clean off. Except it wasn't a man…

*Layla*

"Shit." Layla cursed out loud as Kimball's clumsy blow knocked her helmet clean off. _I knew I should've put that helmet on tighter._ She thought to herself. Wearing the dead ranger's armour as a disguise had been a great idea. It had been easy to get close to the president, she just hadn't been expecting him to blow her cover. Kimball's mouth hung open, making him look like a fish, and his face was coated with sweat.

"IT'S HER!" He screamed. "THE RED BLADE WITCH! FUCKING KILL HER!" Layla immediately sensed movement behind her, and struck out with her elbow. The blow hit her attacker in the nose, shattering it and knocking him flying to the floor. Layla turned around and saw it was the man in the general outfit she'd seen earlier. He'd tried to pull a revolver on her. Layla's eyes widened slightly as she read the nametag on his chest: Oliver. _Oliver? _Layla remembered that name. Campbell had mentioned it back in the Brotherhood bunker during their first meeting.

"General Lee Oliver?" Layla said questioningly to the man beneath her. Blood was currently running down his face from his broken nose, but he nodded. "The same General Lee Oliver that sent Boone and Campbell after me, and who ordered the destruction of the Brotherhood of Steel's bunker?" There was a brief pause after that, but Oliver eventually nodded. In response, Layla smiled a sadistic smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She curtsied slightly, before drawing That Gun. "After I kill Kimball, you're next."

"WHAT PART OF 'KILL HER' DO YOU INGRATES NOT FUCKING UNDERSTAND? KILL. HER. NOW!" Kimball screamed at the top of his lungs. The three rangers around him finally snapped out of their stupors to obey. The elite ranger quickly drew a hunting revolver before firing at Layla. She darted to the side at the last minute, meaning instead of scoring a headshot like he'd been planning, the ranger hit her in the chest instead. The black armour she wore deflected the bullet easily, and she laughed .

"I've got to hand it to you fuckers; this armour is pretty damn good." She taunted, tapping the armour's chest plate to emphasise her point. The two non-elite rangers quickly charged. The first wielded a combat knife, and tried to stab Layla in the face. She weaved to the side to dodge the blow, before grabbing the ranger's wrist with her left hand. Her right hand still held That Gun, and she used it to pistol whip the ranger, making a bloody cut on his face and knocking him to the floor. The second ranger was wielding a trail carbine, and he brought it up to fire at Layla's face. She responded by ripping off the duster she wore over the black armour, before throwing the duster at the ranger's face. The duster landed on his head, blinding him, and while he struggled to get it off Layla charged and kneed him to the floor. The elite ranger tried to fire at her again but she beat him to it, firing three shots with That Gun at his chest before he could pull the trigger of his revolver. The bullets failed to penetrate his armour, but the force of the shots was enough to knock him off balance.

Layla heard movement behind her, and turned to see that the ranger with the knife had gotten to his feet. His hat had been knocked off, and the cut created by her earlier pistol whip was bow bleeding profusely. As he rushed her once again, Layla saw her helmet on the floor, right next to her foot. Thinking fast, she kicked the helmet at the ranger like a football, grinning slightly as she did so. The ranger had a quizzical look on his face, until the helmet flew right into his balls. He yelped loudly, then fell to his knees as pain filled him. Layla put him out of his misery with a quick shot to the head from That Gun. By this time, the ranger with the trail carbine had finally managed to get Layla's jacket off him, and had gotten to his feet near her. He took aim again when Layla delivered a swift roundhouse kick, knocking the carbine from his hands. Before he could react, Layla quickly drew her combat knife from one of the armour's pockets, before slitting his throat. The ranger stumbled backwards a little, gurgling as blood poured from the wound on his neck, before finally falling face first to the floor.

Before Layla could so much as breathe, a grenade landed at her feet. She swore under her breath, covering her face as she dived away. The grenade exploded seconds later, and the force of the explosion knocked her a few feet further than expected. Fortunately the armour took most of the damage from the explosion, and since Layla had covered her face, her head was relatively unharmed too. She quickly got to her feet, only to see the elite ranger ushering Oliver and Kimball away. At this point they were already several feet away, but before Layla could give chase a ranger rushed her, firing rapidly with his service rifle as he did so. Layla ducked under his shots before throwing her combat knife. Her trusty knife flew true, and stabbed into the ranger's skull, killing him instantly. While he fell dead, Layla took cover behind a nearby anti-aircraft gun, and began to equip herself.

Since the stolen duster had been incinerated by the grenade's explosion, she took her leather jacket out of her bag and put it on. With that done, she attached her sword holster and her thigh holster, before putting That Gun in said holster. She then put on her belt, before strapping her throwing knives and grenades onto her belt. Before she could do anything else, Layla saw a black duffel bag underneath the stage. Remembering her request to Hostilius, she made her way towards the bag. As she pulled the bag out from under the stage, she felt the familiar shape of her sword, and smiled. She immediately unzipped the bag and took out her sword, before putting it in its holster. There was no sign of Hostilius anywhere, but inwardly she thanked him for doing as she asked. Now fully equipped, she stepped out of cover before running after Oliver and Kimball, ripping her knife out of the ranger's corpse and putting it on her belt as she did so.

*Oliver*

_THAT BITCH! _He thought angrily as he used his tie to soak up all the blood pouring from his broken nose. He, Kimball and the elite ranger currently ran across the main dam, attempting to get as far away from Layla as possible. As they ran, Oliver couldn't help voicing a concern.

"Where the hell are we going?" He asked, causing the three of them to stop in their tracks.

"We're trying to escape from the enemy, sir." The ranger responded.

"But Bear Force One is in the opposite direction. We can't just keep running across the dam aimlessly."

"And what do you suggest?" Kimball asked mockingly. "Your brilliant ideas haven't exactly worked so far." Ignoring him, Oliver stopped to think, while also trying to ignore the blood running down his face.

"There are a pair of intake towers near here. They're secure, easily defendable, and impossible to get into without a key. Which I have." He promptly patted his pocket, which jingled with the telltale sound of keys. "I have a keyring in my pocket which has keys for every door in the facility, including the doors to the intake towers." The ranger nodded.

"Yes…the intake tower should be enough to protect you until backup arrives. Alright sirs, follow me and keep moving!" With that they continued to run. While they did so, Oliver pulled out his emergency radio and called Boone.

*Boone*

"I see sir." Boone said over the radio as Oliver explained where they were heading. "No sir, I don't know where Campbell is." There was some shouting from the other end of the radio, before Oliver's voice returned to normal volume and he continued to talk. "Not to worry sir, I'll cover your back." With that Oliver went silent, and Boone changed the frequency of his radio so that all NCR personnel in the dam could hear him. "This is Craig Boone of NCR 1st Recon" He said into the radio. "Any soldiers who can hear me, listen closely. President Kimball and General Oliver are heading to intake towers one and two in the north-eastern section of the dam. All available personnel are to provide covering fire and defend them until they reach the intake towers. Failure is not an option here." With that Boone put down his emergency radio and looked through his scope, searching for Layla.

*Layla*

A pair of rangers stood in her way, both firing at her with assault carbines. She didn't fancy their chances. She weaved left and right as she charged to throw off their accuracy, before drawing her sword and leaping towards the nearest ranger. He didn't even have time to scream before she sliced off his head. The second ranger tried to strike her with the butt of his rifle. She calmly ducked under the blow, before drawing her combat knife with her free hand and slicing his throat. As he fell dead, she returned her knife to her belt, before drawing a pair of throwing knives as two more rangers charged.

She threw both knives expertly with one hand, before charging with her blade. One knife hit its target, imbedding itself in the ranger's throat. The second ranger was more skilled, ducking under the knife and rolling behind a sandbag. He peeked over the sandbag a few seconds later, wielding a riot shotgun, but by this time Layla had already reached him. She jumped over the sandbag, kicking the ranger in the face in mid-air as she did so. She landed on the soldier in a heap, before stabbing downwards with her blade and piercing his throat.

She heard barking as she got to her feet, and saw another ranger charging towards her. The only difference was that this ranger had an attack dog at his side. The dog had almost no meat on his bones, but seemed very vicious. Layla readied her sword as the mutt charged, but was taken by surprise when the ranger at the dog's side fired a brush gun at her. Layla had no chance to dodge, but fortunately the ranger wasn't very accurate. Instead of getting the headshot he'd no doubt been hoping for, his shot hit Layla in the chest. While the shot did no real damage due to the armour she wore, it did knock her onto her back. The dog took full advantage, pouncing on her while she lay on the ground and biting viciously with his fangs.

Layla grabbed the mutt's head and held it back, managing to avoid having her face torn off. The dog's breath was appalling, and Layla had to resist the urge to vomit as the mutt drooled on her face. As she held the dog's head she pulled her legs back, preparing a powerful kick. The dog shook in her grasp, thrashing around madly and barking like it was possessed. Once she'd pulled her legs back enough, Layla unleashed a powerful kick, knocking the dog flying off her. The beast landed a few feet away, allowing Layla to get to her feet. The second she did so, the ranger fired again.

Like the first shot, the bullet hit Layla in the chest. This time she managed to stay on her feet however, and rushed the ranger in a blind fury. Before she reached him however, the dog sprung to his feet and attacked again. He leapt at Layla, biting with his fangs as he did so. She brought her blade up in front of her face to block the attack, and the dog bit viciously into the weapon. While Layla tried to pull her weapon from the dog's grasp, the ranger lined up another shot with his brush gun. Seconds before he fired, Layla let go of her sword, causing the dog, who had been pulling with all his strength, to tumble backwards. Layla rapidly pulled a throwing knife from her belt, before throwing it at the ranger. The knife stabbed the ranger in the hand, causing him to drop his rifle. Before Layla could take advantage, the dog let go of her sword and leapt at her again. Seconds before the dog reached her, Layla delivered a swift roundhouse kick, knocking the beast out of the air.

No sooner had the dog hit the ground than Layla heard movement behind her, and spun around to see the ranger rushing her with a combat knife. She quickly drew her own combat knife, before parrying his slash. While he was knocked off balance, she elbowed him in the jaw, before kneeing him in the stomach. The ranger fell to his knees in pain, and Layla prepared to finish him. Before she could do so however, the dog got to his feet and rushed her again, this time taking a bite out of her leg.

While the chestpiece of her ranger armour was almost bulletproof, the legs were just ordinary jeans, and so the dog tore through them easily. Layla cried out in pain as the beast bit into her right leg, tearing through the flesh with his fangs. Trying desperately to ignore the pain, Layla angrily slashed the beast with her knife. The beast darted to the side to dodge the attack, before lunging at her hand. He bit the hand that held the knife furiously, causing Layla to drop it. Fortunately, the elite ranger armour included armoured gloves, so none of his bites got through. While the mutt tried to bite her hand, Layla punched him in the face, before grabbing his head and twisting violently, snapping the hound's neck like a twig.

The second the beast died she fell to her knees, the pain from her leg reaching dangerous levels. Already the right leg of her jeans was stained red with blood, and she was starting to become lightheaded. She found herself unable to get up, but the ranger didn't have the same problem. Seeing what she'd done to his dog, he got up and rushed her with his knife. She calmly drew That Gun and shot him right between the eyes, before holstering the gun and searching inside her bag. She quickly found what she was looking for: a vial of Med X and a stimpak. First she injected herself with the Med X to dull the pain, then applied the stimpak to her leg. Once that was done, she took some bandages out of her bag and wrapped them around the leg. She'd get someone to sow it up after the mission. _I just hope the stupid mutt didn't have rabies._ She thought to herself, before attempting to get up again. The Med X in her system helped her, and this time she was able to stand. She picked up her dropped sword and combat knife, before returning the knife to her belt. She then picked up the throwing knife she'd used on the ranger before returning it to her belt too. Now ready for action, she continued running after Kimball and Oliver. She didn't make it two steps before a sniper bullet hit the ground in front of her. She immediately spun around, looking for the sniper, and saw a familiar figure lying prone on a cliff face above her. Boone.

"Shit." Layla said out loud, before running for her life.

*Boone*

There she was. She wasn't nearly as difficult to find as she hoped; just follow the corpses and you'd find her easily. She had all the subtlety of a sandstorm. Boone took a deep breath as he aimed at her. There was no need of course; the steady he'd taken earlier kept his shaky hands still, giving him almost perfect accuracy. And he wouldn't let her escape this time, oh no. This time, she was going to die. Even if he once again found himself unable to kill her, the snipers placed all around the dam would do the job.

"This is Craig Boone of NCR 1st Recon." Boone said into his radio, which was still patched into the ordinary NCR radio frequency so all soldiers on the dam could hear it. "Attention all snipers; the assailant has been spotted. She's a young girl, with blood red hair and an oversized sword. She's been identified as The Red Blade Witch." Boon cringed as he said that nickname. He thought it was ridiculous, but he knew the NCR soldiers took Layla very seriously, and if they knew she was involved they'd double their efforts to kill her; especially if it meant avenging their fallen comrades. "She's on the main body of the dam, pursuing the president. Just follow the trail of bodies and you can't miss her. Nobody fire until I give the order. If any of you so much as fingers the trigger before I order you to, I'll have you court-martialled before you can pull your finger away. Is that understood?" He heard murmurs of confirmation through his radio, then returned it to his belt and looked through the scope again. As he watched, several red dots appeared all over Layla; targeting lasers from the various snipers. "Amateurs." He said out loud, before centering her face in his sights. He hoped this would be the last time he saw that face. "This is Craig Boone of NCR 1st Recon." He said once again as he raised his radio to his lips. "Attention all NCR snipers." His finger tightened on the trigger as he said two words. "Open fire."

*Layla*

The red dots covered Layla's body hadn't gone unnoticed. She weaved side to side as she ran, trying desperately to shake the dots off. While she succeeded in the most part, a few stayed on her, and before she could shake them off, all the snipers fired. Fortunately for her, most of the snipers appeared to be amateurs. The snipers that hit her, hit her chest or back, while the rest missed completely. One sniper, who she knew was Boone, proved far more accurate. A bullet flew right past her face as she ran, missing her head by mere inches. Layla had always hated snipers, and now that hatred intensified massively as several of them tried to kill her.

While the snipers were busy taking aim again, Layla dived behind a nearby sandbag. The sandbag was positioned close to the cliff face, which meant snipers would find it difficult to hit her. Directly in front of her was the cliff face, and behind her was the sandbag she'd just jumped over. Her sides were exposed, but she pressed her back against the sandbags, making herself as small as possible to avoid being hit. As she leant against the sandbags, she saw red dots cover the cliff face in front of her. Counting the number of dots, she found herself heavily outnumbered. From what she could tell, there were about seven snipers trying to kill her, not counting Boone. What was more, she could hear several footsteps coming from further up the dam, which meant more rangers were headed her way. She knew she'd have no chance of fighting them off without being hit by the snipers.

It was at that moment that she had an idea. It was a stupid idea and she knew it, but she didn't have much choice. She dropped her bag onto the ground in front of her before rooting around in it. A few seconds later she found what she was looking for, and pulled out a vial of psycho. She hadn't taken psycho since her battle with the rangers back in Novac. Layla had never liked using psycho. She'd first started using it in the weeks following the Bitter Springs Massacre, when she'd occasionally taken it to fight off particularly dangerous wasteland creatures. Back then however, she'd been scared of psycho. The rage it made her feel, the wild rampages it sent her on, terrified her. After she'd run into Regis during her first visit to Red Rock Canyon, and he'd told her not to let her rage consume her, she'd decided to stop using psycho, afraid that the rage it created would consume her, and make her hurt someone she cared about. However, she knew that the rage psycho created would be the best thing to get her out of this situation. It always sent her into a mindless frenzy, where she could ignore pain and kill anything that got in her way. There was no room for fear here. And besides…there wasn't a single person in Hoover Dam that she didn't want to hurt.

_I just know I'm going to regret this._ She thought as she took a deep breath, then applied the psycho to her skin. As she pushed the plunger on the end of the needle, she thought about Kimball, in an attempt to direct her rage. As the psycho entered her system, she felt that hatred for Kimball grow and spread, until it became a great burning rage that consumed her mind. There was only one thing she wanted to do now: kill him. Her vision went red, and she grasped her sword tightly. She had just enough presence of mind left to zip up her bag and throw it back over her shoulder, before running out of cover.

*Boone*

She'd found a good place to take cover, between a sandbag and the cliff face, but it didn't matter. A large group of rangers were heading towards her now, and she couldn't kill them while dodging sniper fire. It was as good as over. To Boone's surprise however, Layla didn't even wait for the rangers to reach her, instead she burst out of cover, charging the rangers. _She's lost her mind._ He thought as he saw her rush the rangers, covered with red dots from the various snipers. His surprise doubled when she swung her blade in a wide arc, attacking madly and furiously and cutting down the group of rangers in a heartbeat. Then, without stopping, she ran past their corpses and continued to run up the dam.

Boone couldn't believe what he was seeing. Even when some of the snipers hit her, she just ignored the gunshots and carried on. She was fighting like a woman possessed, like her mind had gone, to be replaced by a mad, unthinking fury. Even when he shot her in the back with an armour piercing round, she didn't react in the slightest. She didn't even flinch, despite the fact that that bullet was now imbedded in her back. She just continued to run, cutting down droves of NCR personnel that got in her way. Boone started to load another shot, while silently praying that the rangers could hold Layla off long enough for Kimball and Oliver to get to safety.

*Layla*

Layla felt a slight tingle in her back but she ignored it. She ignored everything. The only thing in her mind was fury now, and nothing could stop it. The rangers couldn't stop it, and they screamed as she sliced them up. But she didn't care about them; it wasn't them she was trying to kill. The one she was trying to kill was up ahead; she saw him. Kimball. He was the only thing she saw clearly; everything else was blurred. She sliced through the unimportant soldiers relentlessly, listening to their screams as they died. She was getting close now, she could feel it. Nothing could slow her down. Kimball would taste her blade.

*Kimball*

"SHE'S CATCHING UP YOU IDIOTS! DO SOMETHING!" Kimball screamed. But nobody could do anything. Layla was slicing through soldiers and rangers like a mindless killing machine; and she was gaining fast. They had just reached the bridge that connected the dam to the intake towers, but at this rate she'd catch them long before they crossed. The elite ranger turned to Layla, but before he could do anything, a tall, muscular, non-elite ranger stood in front of him.

"Go!" The non-elite ranger said. "Get the general and the president to the intake tower! I'll hold this bitch off! GO!" The elite ranger nodded, then ushered Oliver and Kimball across the bridge. Kimball looked behind him as they ran, and saw the non-elite ranger fire madly at Layla with a colossal minigun. The roar of the minigun could be heard for miles as it blasted Layla with a massive, continuous stream of bullets. To Kimball's horror however, Layla ran straight through them. She ignored all the bullets, didn't even flinch as some bounced off her armour, while some flew by her legs, and the continuous stream tore apart her jacket. Still she charged, wicked murder in her eyes. The tall, muscular ranger didn't even have a chance to cry out before Layla's blade severed his head.

"GODDAMMIT!" Kimball screamed as they finally reached the door of the intake tower. "WHY CAN'T ANY OF YOU FUCKING IDIOTS DO ANYTHING RIGHT?" He turned to Oliver, and franticly grabbed him by his tie, choking the general. "UNLOCK THE FUCKING DOOR!" He then pushed Oliver away, allowing the general to take out his keyring. Kimball felt his anger increase dramatically as he saw over twenty keys on the ring.

*Layla*

Layla felt dizzy, as she felt her anger shrink. Rationality returned to her, and she realised that the psycho must've been wearing off. She felt dull aches all over her body, and thanked God that she'd taken Med X; otherwise those dull aches would be unbelievably painful.

She took a quick glance behind her, and saw a ridiculous amount of dead bodies. Not for the first time, she marvelled at the uncontrollable killing power that psycho gave her. At that instant, she remembered that snipers were still aiming at her, which was surprising as she wasn't covered with red dots. She realised that she must've been out of range of the snipers, or at least in such a location that none of the snipers could see her anymore.

She stopped running for a second, then took a quick look around and saw that she was right next to a bridge. On the other end of the bridge was a tower, and behind that tower was another bridge leading to a second tower. Kimball and Oliver were next to the first tower, trying to open a door. The elite ranger accompanying them stood nearby, gazing at Layla. His expression was unreadable due to his helmet, but Layla betted his eyes were narrowed. She gripped her sword tightly, and walked towards the bridge. Seconds later she jumped back, as a sniper bullet hit the ground in front of her. She immediately spun around, and saw a familiar prone figure on a cliff face above her. It seemed that one sniper still hadn't given up; and this sniper was an old friend.

"Boone." She growled as she rolled behind a nearby sandbag. She knew she'd never be able to get to Oliver and Kimball while Boone was watching her; he had a clean view of the entire bridge. He couldn't see the second bridge though, so if Layla could lure her targets there, she may have a chance. That would prove difficult however, as she wouldn't even be able to move out of cover while Boone was watching. She might be able to shoot him with her scoped hunting rifle but she'd have to get out of cover to do so, and in the time it would take her to take aim and fire Boone would take her head off. There had to be some other way. As Layla rooted around in her bag, she found one such way, and grinned evilly.

*Boone*

There were many skills one needed to be a professional sniper. Accuracy, a calm head, and the ability to find a perfect sniper point in any battlefield. Emotional detachment and a lack of squeamishness were optional skills. The most important skill however, more useful than any other in a sniper's arsenal, was patience. Even the best sniper would be useless if they couldn't be bothered to wait until a target was out of cover. Boone still remembered back on his first few missions for the NCR. He'd lacked patience; never able to wait for the enemy to show themselves, usually charging in to make the bastards come out and play. One such act of impatience got his entire squad killed. He'd quickly learned patience, and become possibly the best sniper in the NCR. He'd also learned an optional skill in the sniper's arsenal: emotional detachment. If you didn't know somebody, you wouldn't become depressed when they died. At least, that was the theory.

Now Boone used his patience, fighting boredom as he stared at a single sandbag, waiting for Layla to show herself. He could just see a hint of red poke above the sandbag, but nothing large enough for him to shoot. There was little value in shooting hair anyway. He lay there, watching a single sandbag for seconds at a time. Those seconds soon became minutes. Boone had one simple trick to beat boredom, a trick Manny Vargas had taught him. You simply had to do something in your head; recite a song you like, play a word game, count the clouds, anything to fight off boredom. Boone liked to remember his wife's face, and count the number of freckles that adorned it. There were a fair few, and he got a different result each time as he slowly began to forget her face. He'd thrown her photo away long ago; dwelling on the past made it impossible to keep track of the future, in his opinion.

Sometimes, if he finished counting before an enemy revealed themselves, he went back through his memories, remembering fond memories and tragedies with equal vigor. He had very few fond memories though, so tragedies were usually the order of the day. Today he cast his mind back to when he'd killed the monster that had sold Carla off to the Legion. It had taken a hell of a long time to find the seller, and he'd been very surprised when he learnt who it was. He never would've suspected Jeannie May Crawford, the kindly owner of the Dino Dee-lite motel and de facto mayor of Novac. She was one of the few people who'd actually been nice to Carla. Boone had actually…liked her. Maybe she needed the money or some shit but he didn't care. He decorated her forehead with a headshot and left her corpse for the geckos to eat.

It hadn't brought him peace though. Nothing ever did. He'd killed countless members of the Legion, including the slavers who'd been about to sell Carla. He'd become as much a bogeyman to the Legion as Layla was to the NCR, but still he felt a crippling emptiness inside. These days he half hoped that whatever scum he was fighting finally finished him off, because at least then he wouldn't have to live like shell of a man.

Boone finally snapped out of his reverie as he saw movement. A figure diving out from behind the sandbag. He immediately fired at the figure, and a frustrated scowl covered his face as he saw his bullet bounce off Layla's sword. She must've thrown it out of cover in order to distract him. And since the sword was around her size, he'd fallen for the trick, hook line and sinker. He immediately scanned around, searching for where the real Layla had gone. He didn't have to look far; she'd dived in the opposite direction as she'd thrown her sword. He immediately fired, but felt his guts churn up as a telltale click emerged from his rifle. His clip was empty. The churning in his guts only worsened as he saw that Layla was holding a grenade rifle. She blew Boone a mocking kiss, before firing.

Boone's eyes widened as the grenade flew his way, fired with surprising accuracy. He got to his feet but knew he had no chance of getting away before the grenade exploded. Sure enough, he was still there when the grenade imbedded itself between some rocks in the side of the cliff, then detonated.

The ground beneath him was immediately obliterated by the explosion, and Boone had no time to do anything more than curse before he fell. He hit his face on the side of the cliff as he fell, cracking the left eye of his sunglasses and leaving several shallow cuts on his face. His hands quickly snaked out, and he managed to grab one of the rocks jutting from the side of the cliff. While he managed to grab the rock, he failed to hang on to his rifle, and it slipped from his grasp. He watched, mortified, as his trusty rifle fell with the rubble created by the explosion, falling several feet down to the tarmac below before smashing to pieces. Several rocks then landed on it, further crushing the rifle and rendering it irreparable. He felt a small wave of despair wash over him; losing such a treasured weapon was almost like losing a loved one. Almost.

Quickly snapping out of his despair, Boone tightened his grip on the rock he currently held with both hands, before searching for footholds with his feet. He quickly found two, and relaxed as his feet settled in them. _I've got no chance of stopping her now._ He realised bitterly as he regained his breath. _Let's hope that ranger can do the job._

*Layla*

An amazed grin covered Layla's face as she marvelled at just how lucky that last shot had been. She'd managed to fire the grenade right between a pair of rocks on the cliff face. It had been mostly luck that she'd made the shot, but it had done its job. Boone was now out of action, hanging precariously on the side of the cliff. She contemplated finishing him, but knew she'd never be that accurate again with her grenade launcher, and the distance meant that she'd only be able to hit him with her scoped hunting rifle. She had no time for that, so she reluctantly let him be, returning her grenade launcher to her bag and zipping it up before running over to her sword. She picked the blade up and held it in her right hand, before drawing That Gun and holding it in her left hand. She'd never fought an elite ranger before, and didn't want to take any chances; not when she was so close.

As ready as she'd ever be, Layla stepped onto the bridge, and found herself face to face with the ranger. He didn't move as she approached, allowing her to glare at the red lights on the helmet's eyes. She saw Kimball behind the ranger, standing next to a crouched Oliver, who seemed to be flicking through a large keyring. As Kimball saw Layla he swore loudly.

"DEAL WITH HER!" He yelled, before dragging Oliver to his feet and pushing him in the direction of the second bridge. Oliver quickly got his meaning, and ran around the tower to the second bridge with Kimball in tow, leaving Layla and the ranger alone.

"You won't kill him." The ranger said coldly, not in a taunting tone, but in a matter of fact tone, as if what he was saying was undeniable truth.

"A dam full of dead bodies says you can't stop me." Layla retorted, tightening her grip on gun and sword as she did so.

"I'm not like them." His hand was a blur as he drew a hunting revolver from his belt. The draw was so fast that Layla didn't even see it. She had literally no time to react before he fired. The bullet hit her left hand, knocking That Gun from her grasp but miraculously not harming her fingers. "The Ranger Sequoia." He said proudly as he motioned to his revolver. "The last gun you'll ever see." Layla saw that, unlike most hunting revolvers, this one had no scope. It had a dark finish and was covered with gold engravings. There was image of the two headed bear on the handle, as well as more engravings, but she couldn't see them clearly. Not deterred, Layla held her sword with both hands

"That tyrant's blood will flow today, and so will yours." No sooner had the words left Layla's lips than she charged. She rushed the ranger at a blinding pace before slashing with her blade. The ranger reacted almost immediately, swaying under the blow before bringing his hand up in an attempt to pistol whip Layla in the face. She brought her blade up in front of her face to block the blow, but while she was doing so the ranger tripped her, knocking her to the floor. He kicked her sword across the bridge, before firing at her face. She rolled to the side in the split second before he fired, before kicking the gun from his grasp. She immediately darted to her feet before punching him in the face. Pain shot through her hand as she punched his helmet, and she swore under her breath at her own stupidity. The blow did its job however, cracking one of the helmet's eyepieces and sending the ranger stumbling backwards. She acted quickly, drawing her combat knife from her belt before charging.

She tried to stab the ranger through the eyepiece but he grabbed her hand, before twisting violently. Layla cried out in pain, as the agony made her drop her knife, and the ranger twisted her hand in a wristlock. Ignoring the pain in her wrist, Layla wriggled free from her jacket, leaving the ranger holding the jacket by the sleeve. While he was trying to figure out what had just happened, Layla let loose a powerful kick aimed at his face. He immediately dropped the jacket before bringing up both arms to block the kick. Layla immediately sweep kicked him, but he leapt over the kick before jabbing Layla in the face. She moved her head to the side to dodge the attack, before darting behind the ranger and grabbing him by his helmet. He quickly unclasped the helmet's bindings and shook it off, before elbowing Layla in the jaw and knocking her back. She landed on her back a few feet away, holding the helmet.

The ranger turned to face her, a cold and serious look on his face. He was fairly handsome, with youngish features and short blond hair styled in a military haircut. Layla couldn't care less about his physical appearance, throwing his helmet off the bridge before getting to her feet. He immediately threw off his ranger duster, giving himself more freedom of movement. They stood there in the middle of the bridge, both wearing exactly the same clothes; the black chestpiece of the ranger armour along with baggy jeans (Though her jeans were significantly more bloody than his). Despite their similar appearance however, their motives couldn't be more different, and she knew it. He had to die, and she was more than happy to be his executioner.

She wasted no time in charging forwards, before attempting to punch him in the face. He deflected the blow with his elbow before kneeing her in the stomach. She darted backwards to dodge before attempting to roundhouse kick him in the face. He ducked under the blow before uppercutting Layla in the face, knocking her off her feet. She landed on her back but quickly rolled to her feet before kicking the ranger in the leg. He darted to the side to dodge before trying to grab her in a chokehold. Layla interrupted his hold with a quick elbow to the jaw, before punching him in the chin. He grabbed her hand mid punch however before judo flipping Layla over his shoulder. She landed right next to the edge of the bridge, and he quickly dropped to his knees before grabbing her neck from behind and wrapping his arm around her neck in a choke hold.

Layla struggled to break free, but the ranger was strong. She found herself completely unable to pry his muscular arm loose. He continued to put more pressure into the hold, causing her to lose air even faster. Struggling to keep herself conscious, Layla slammed her head back against his face. She felt his nose shatter, but his hold didn't loosen in the slightest. As she continued to struggle, he drew a combat knife from a concealed compartment on his boot using his free hand, and prepared to stab her in the back of the head. Barely able to think straight at this point, Layla drew a throwing knife from her belt, before bringing it up. Her vision began to blur, and it took all her concentration to avoid blacking out. She knew he was preparing to stab the back of her head, and just felt the tip of his blade against her head as she struck. The elite armour's chestpiece had no sleeves, meaning his arms, while muscular, were defenceless. She took full advantage, bringing her hand up before stabbing the arm with her throwing knife. Finally the ranger's grip relented, and she slammed her head back one more time. This time the blow did the trick, as it knocked him back. She immediately spun around, before tossing the throwing knife in his direction.

He lunged to the side at the very last second, but didn't escape unscathed. The knife left a bloody, horizontal cut on the side of his temple as it flew past, and blood ran down his face as he rolled to his feet. More blood was pouring from his broken nose, but he quickly wiped all blood from his face, while Layla massaged her injured neck. That was the second time she'd been choked that day. She just couldn't catch a break. She coughed and spluttered briefly to get some air back into her lungs, but while she did so the ranger charged.

He tried to slash her throat with his knife, but Layla was ready. She grabbed his hand mid blow, her rage strengthening her grip to the point where had no chance of escaping. She quickly delivered a punch of her own, and this one hit its target, colliding with his jaw and knocking him to his knees, making him drop the knife in the process. She promptly released her grip on his hand before kneeing him in the face, knocking him onto his back. She quickly drew another throwing knife and prepared to throw it at his face. He surprised her however by kicking the knife from her grasp, before performing a kip up to get to his feet. Layla was momentarily stunned by the technique, but quickly recovered before elbowing the ranger in the face. He dropped low to avoid the blow, before picking his knife up again. Before Layla could react, he darted to his feet and slashed her face.

Layla's face had been cut numerous times over her life, but this cut was aimed at a more vulnerable area: her eye. Her left eye to be exact. Layla responded immediately, moving backwards as he slashed. She managed to put some distance between her eye and his blade, but not enough to fully dodge the attack. Two lucky things happened at that moment. 1) Because of Layla's sudden movement, the ranger didn't have time to adjust his swing, so only the tip of his blade hit its target. 2) Layla blinked at that exact moment. While Layla's eye was closed for that split second, the very edge of the knife struck. The edge didn't penetrate her eyelid, didn't harm her eye, but did cut the lid. The cut spread across the lid, and across the left side of Layla's temple, gaining intensity as it went. Layla kicked the ranger away from her, but the damage had been done. She now had a scar that spread from her eyelid and across the left side of her head, gaining intensity as it neared her left ear. On her eyelid, the cut was shallow and faint, not even deep enough to draw blood. As it neared her ear however, the blade had dug deeper, and the wound grew much bloodier. Layla was supremely lucky and she knew it. If she'd been just an inch closer to the blade, or if he'd applied even a little more strength to the attack, then she would've been in desperate need of an eyepatch.

She darted back slightly, wiping the blood from her face as she did so. The scar made it slightly painful to blink, as it was impossible not to touch it. She ignored the pain however as the ranger rushed her again. She aimed a punch at his face but he ducked low, before trying to stab upwards through her chin. She was ready however, and dashed to the side to dodge. While she was doing so, he managed to grab at her belt. She quickly wrestled free from his grasp, but he'd done what he'd been planning to. While he'd held the belt for less than two seconds, he'd managed to pull the pins off of every grenade that she had on her belt. He held them up in front of her tauntingly, smiling for the first time, before kicking her back against the edge of the bridge.

As her back hit the wall that prevented people from falling off the side of the bridge, Layla knew she had mere seconds before the grenades went off. She frantically ripped the belt from around her waist, and threw it away. It didn't get more than a few feet away before exploding. She put her arms in front of her face to block the full force of the explosion, and screamed as five grenades worth of shrapnel stabbed into her unprotected forearms. The explosion knocked her flying back, over the wall bordering the bridge and down to the water below. She snaked her right hand out at the very last second, and managed to grab the top of the bridge.

She felt like her arm was going to snap off as her fingers struggled to maintain a solid grip on the wall. The Med X was slowly starting to wear off, and had worn off enough to allow Layla to feel all the shrapnel imbedded in her arms. The pain was unreal, and her forearms were literally soaked with blood. The pain caused tears to flow from her eyes, but she angrily wiped them away with her left hand. Still struggling to hold on, she snaked her left arm inside her bag, and found a vial of Med X. Layla's right arm pressed against the outer side of the wall, coating it with blood. After a few seconds, she managed to draw the Med X, and immediately injected the vial into her right arm. Immediately the pain began to fade, allowing Layla to focus on surviving. Gripping the top of the wall with all her strength, she managed to pull her left arm up too. Her left arm grasped the top of the wall, and she immediately started to pull herself up. It took a great effort, but Layla slowly managed to pull herself up and over the wall.

She landed on her stomach back on the bridge, sweating profusely and panting for breath. The ranger walked slowly towards her lying form, combat knife at the ready. Upon seeing him, Layla's anger reached its zenith. It was time to finish this. She got to her feet, and the ranger didn't hesitate to stab her face. She grabbed his wrist mid stab however, and before he could even think about escaping, she twisted. He cried out in pain as she snapped his wrist, causing him to drop his knife. She then viciously punched him in the face. Before he could so much as breath, she let go of his wrist then struck again, kneeing him in the face. The blow cracked a tooth and knocked him onto his back. As he lay there, spitting blood, she crouched there and lifted his head to meet hers. She headbutted him, before slamming his face into the floor. More of his teeth were cracked, but she wasn't done. She grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face against the floor of the bridge. The second his head hit the floor she lifted it up and slammed it down again. She bashed his head against the floor again and again, until his face was mangled beyond recognition. What had once been a fairly handsome face was now little more than a bloody pile of skin, brains and teeth.

Layla took a step back, and spent a few seconds trying to regain her breath. Once that was done, she stepped forward and crouched down. She lifted the corpse over her shoulder and stood up, before callously tossing it over the dam. Now that the ranger was dealt with, her mind returned to her main goal. She looked over to the second bridge and saw that Kimball and Oliver were still trying to unlock the door to the second intake tower. She quickly picked up her sword and That Gun before returning them to their holsters. She picked up her knife, and since her belt had been destroyed, put it in a secret compartment in the boot of the armour she wore. Now fully equipped, she immediately headed off in pursuit of Kimball.

*Kimball*

"WOULD YOU HURRY THE FUCK UP?" Kimball shrieked at Oliver, who still hadn't managed to find the right key yet. Kimball's throat was going hoarse from all the shouting, but that was the least of his problems. He'd seen Layla dispose of the elite ranger who'd been guarding them, and now the bitch was walking across the second bridge towards him, bloody murder in her eyes. Kimball had never been more scared in his entire life, but also, he was angry. He couldn't believe this was how it was going to end. He'd been fighting his entire life, fighting in the NCR as a soldier in his early days, then slowly fighting his way up through the ranks until he became the republic's president. After all that fighting, after all his victories, it was going to end like this? Being stabbed by some insane bitch on a dam in a desert that he didn't even fucking like? He wouldn't fucking stand for it! As Layla reached the halfway point of the damn, she drew her sword. Kimball could see the anticipation in her eyes.

"Got it!" Oliver said triumphantly from behind him. Relief filled Kimball as he realised Oliver had found the right key. And with relief came cockiness.

"Game over bitch!" He yelled over at Layla, stepping forward confidently as he did so, as Oliver opened the tower door behind him. "You've come so far, killed so many people, and it's all for nothing! Once we're inside this tower, you won't be able to do a damn thing. We'll be safe, and you'll have failed." Kimball began to laugh, partly out of relief, and partly to mock her. "What do you have to say to that you crazy bitch?"

"Have you ever heard of being stabbed in the back?" Layla replied. Before Kimball could ask what the hell she was talking about, he heard the tower door close behind him. _No._ He thought frantically, not believing what he was hearing. He spun around, and his eyes widened in fear as he saw that Oliver had indeed shut the door. He tried to open the door, but found that it was locked. _He locked it from the inside!_ Horror began to bubble up inside Kimball as he realised what was going on.

"Oliver? Oliver!" He yelled as he banged on the door. "OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR YOU PRICK!" He banged on the door repeatedly, shouting at Oliver to open the door. The general didn't obey however, and Kimball shouted to the heavens in rage before kicking the door with all his strength, succeeding only in injuring his foot. He had no idea that, on the other side of the door, General Oliver was smiling. As Kimball stood there, trying to regain his breath, he heard three words, spoken from behind the door, that made his blood run cold.

"Payback's a bitch." Oliver said.

*Layla*

This was just too perfect. President Kimball, the man she'd been spending the entire day trying to kill, was right in front of her, completely trapped. Granted she would've preferred it if Oliver was there too, but you couldn't have everything you wanted. Besides, Kimball would do her just fine. As if on cue, the skinny, sweaty man turned to face Layla, a look of terror on his face. It was almost as if all the anger and bile had been drained out of him, to be replaced by panic and dread. It amused Layla to no end.

"Please…" Kimball said slowly, fear leaking into his voice. "You…you don't have to do this." Layla couldn't help but smile as he stuttered.

"Is this the part when you beg for your life?" She said, in a confident tone, while she walked ever closer. "Spare me, Mr President." She said the last two words mockingly, as venom began to fill her voice. "Begging never works on me. Just ask Crocker." Kimball shrank back against the door, trying to get as far away from Layla as possible.

"B…be reasonable." He continued to stutter as she neared, sadistic glee in her eyes. "I can give you anything you want. Money, power…" Layla interrupted Kimball mid-sentence with a harsh laugh, causing him to sweat even more.

"Crocker promised me those exact same things. Didn't get him anything."

"I can give you more!" Kimball continued to beg, completely oblivious as to just how futile it was. "I..I could give you a…a presidential p…pardon for all your cr…crimes against the NCR. I co…could…"

"What makes you think I want a pardon you idiot? I'm proud of each and every crime I've ever committed against the NCR. Every member of the NCR I've ever killed, deserved to die. I'd never take any of it back."

"P…please. I…I could give you any…anything you want. Anything in the world!" Layla's reply was said so coldly it almost turned his blood to ice.

"All I want…is your head." At this point Kimball finally seemed to realise that there was no reasoning with Layla, so he changed tactic.

"Oliver, please let me in! Please, I'm begging you! I…I'm sorry for everything I've done! I'm sorry for all the insults, for everything I've said and done to you! Please, for the love of God…don't let me die!" There was no response, so Kimball's pathetic pleas got even more desperate. Layla found the whole thing hilarious. "I…I take it all back. I'll keep you in the NCR, I'll…I'll give you a raise…and a promotion! Anything you want!"

"I think he wants the same thing as me Kimball." Layla said, sounding incredibly amused. By this point, Kimball had fallen to his knees.

"Oliver, please, have mercy! Don't let this insane bitch kill me!" Layla stomped ever closer. She was almost within striking distance now. "I'm sorry okay? Sorry for everything! Have some fucking mercy! Please…don't let her do this! I'm begging you!"

"I don't think he's listening." Layla interrupted. Kimball turned and saw that Layla was dangerously close now, and he immediately jumped to his feet, before pressing his body back against the door.

"No…NO!"

"Goodbye Mr President." Layla grinned sadistically, and Kimball screamed as she struck.

*Oliver*

Oliver was surprised. After the scream, he'd been expecting to hear something. The sound of Layla cutting Kimball up, his frenzied screams as he tried to escape, something. He pressed his ear to the door, curious as to what was going on outside. A few seconds later he jumped back in shock, as Layla's blade stabbed straight through the door, covered with blood. _Kimball's blood. _Oliver quickly realised. More blood leaked under the door, and Oliver could just hear Kimball gurgle as his life faded away. Despite the horror of the scene, Kimball felt deeply satisfied. Kimball had been a bastard, and he deserved what he was getting. After a few seconds, the gurgling stopped, and there was a long silence on the other side of the door. Oliver thought that maybe Layla had gone. Then he heard the voice.

"I hope you enjoyed that Oliver, because you're next." Layla said threateningly through the door. "I'll find you Oliver, I'll track you down. There's not a force in the Mojave that can stop me. And when I find you, I'll make you pay for everything that the NCR has done to me, and those I care about. Enjoy your last few days on Earth Oliver, because I'm coming for you. We will meet again." With that, Layla pulled her sword back through the door. Then there was silence.

*Layla*

Layla felt a great sense of satisfaction as she looked down at Kimball's corpse. She'd killed president of the NCR, the organization she hated more than anything in existence. He was their leader, the most important member in their entire republic, and now he lay, skewered, at Layla's feet. She couldn't resist smiling. Of course, she would've liked to be able to make him suffer for a little longer, but unfortunately she was in a rush. It wouldn't be long before more NCR personnel showed up. As if on cue, Layla fell onto her hands and knees as she felt a bullet collide with her shoulder. _When the Med X wears off, that's going to hurt like a bitch._ She thought as she turned around, and saw five elite rangers running across the first bridge towards her.

_Shit._ There was no way out. They blocked the only escape route, and she wouldn't be able to fight through them all, especially if they were all as skilled as the elite ranger she'd fought earlier. She couldn't see any way to escape. Unless…No, it was idiotic. She shouldn't have even been considering it. Then again…she had no other choice. She got to her feet, before looking over the bridge wall next to her, and down to the water below. The drop was over 20ft, and she had no idea how deep the water was down there. For all she knew, it was shallow and she'd break every bone in her body on landing. It was insane. Of course, it wouldn't be the first insane thing she did in her life. Scarcely believing she was about to do what she was about to do, Layla climbed upwards, until she stood on the wall. She looked down at the water below, and gulped.

"FREEZE!" A ranger shouted, as the group of elite rangers ran across the bridge towards her. "Put your hands above your head!" In response to the order, Layla smiled.

"If you insist." She obediently put her hands over her head, but put them together, as though she was going to dive. Before any of the rangers could react, she leaned forward, and toppled off the wall.

Time seemed to stop as Layla fell towards the water, and the shouts of the rangers on the bridge above seemed to fade away. She felt strangely peaceful, like she was weightless. It was truly invigorating. As she fell further, she braced herself, pointing her hands towards the water in a diving motion. She was facing downwards now, and was looking directly at the water. _If I die now…then at least I'll die happy._ Layla thought, but then another thought rapidly entered her head. _But I won't die. I can't. I promised Veronica._ With that, Layla furrowed her brow as a determined expression appeared on her face. She just had enough time to hold her breath before she hit the water.

*Campbell*

_Christ alive. _Campbell thought as he saw Layla hit the water, after falling over twenty feet. _And I thought I'd seen everything. _Campbell had only woken up a short while ago, and his face felt like it had been through a meat grinder. He'd heard a soldier saying Kimball and Oliver were heading for the intake towers, and had headed there, knowing that's where he'd find Layla. Now he stood on the edge of the dam, looking down at the water below through his Ratslayer. Looking through the scope was difficult due to his black eye, but he somehow managed it. He'd arrived just in time to watch Layla jump off the bridge and dive down to the water below. He may not have liked her very much, but damn if she didn't impress him.

He looked at the water now, waiting for her to surface. There'd been no sign of movement down there since she'd landed, and he was beginning to wonder if she'd even survived. Most people wouldn't survive a fall like that, but Layla wasn't most people, as had become increasingly obvious. Still, there seemed to be no sign of her. _What if she's actually dead? _Before he could entertain the thought, Campbell saw bubbles under the water. Seconds later, something red burst out of the water.

"I knew it." He said out loud as Layla surfaced, long red hair plastered to her face. The water around her was starting to turn red from all the blood on her arms, making it obvious where she was. As he watched she seemed to be coughing and spluttering, probably getting her breath back before swimming for it. He lined her head up in the sights, and prepared to fire. Suddenly…a different compulsion came over him. "Damn." He said as he drew his coin.

"Campbell, are you there? Come in!" Campbell heard Boone's voice over the radio, but he ignored it. Only the coin mattered now. Taking his eye out of the scope, he took a deep breath before flipping the coin. A few seconds later the coin landed in his outstretched hand, and his eyes widened as he saw the results. Heads.

He looked back through the scope, and saw Layla swimming away. He could've easily hit her, but the coin had spoken. He reluctantly put the Ratslayer back on his back as Boone's voice spoke over the radio again.

"Campbell, come in!" This time, he responded.

"I'm here Boone." Campbell said calmly as he brought the radio up to his lips. A few seconds later, Boone spoke again.

"I can see you over by the edge of the dam. Do you have a visual on Layla?" Campbell looked down at the water below, at the small figure swimming into the distance.

"Negative. I can't see her." He heard an annoyed sigh over the radio before Boone responded.

"What about Oliver and Kimball? Are they okay?"

"Oliver's fine, but Kimball's dead." He heard a curse through the radio.

"Shit. Alright, just sit tight. I'll be right there."

"Roger that." With that Campbell put the radio down, and looked up at the early morning sky. "I don't know what you were thinking coin, but I hope it was the right thing to do." He said to himself, as the sun shone overhead.

*Layla – Several hours later*

It was starting to go dark by the time Layla made it back to the strip. She leant against the elevator wall as it took her to the suite, trying to ignore the pain coursing through her body. _I knew I should've brought more Med X._ She thought, annoyed since she'd used all her Med X on the journey home. Eventually the elevator arrived at its destination, and the telltale ping echoed through the suite as the doors opened. _It's good to be home._ Layla thought happily as she walked out of the elevator. One of the reasons it was good to be home ran out of the kitchen, barking happily. Rex ran right at her before standing up on his hind legs and licking her face happily. Layla laughed, then pushed the silly dog away. As she leant down to scratch his ear, the other reason it was good to be home walked out, a huge smile on her face.

"You're back!" Veronica said with a grin as she walked up to Layla, then a look of concern appeared on her face as she saw her friend's state. "My god." She whispered. "Are you…okay?" Layla had to admit, she certainly didn't look okay.

For one thing, she was soaking wet. Not as wet as she'd been when she'd climbed out of the Colorado, but most of her journey back to Vegas had been taken up with swimming, so she was still pretty damp. Then there were her various wounds. She still had thick red marks on her neck from where Campbell had tried to choke her, and it hurt to turn her head. Her arms and legs were covered with small scratches where bullets had flown past, and there were also a few bullet holes on her limbs from where some NCR bastards had gotten in lucky shots. In addition to the other bullet wounds, there was an armour piercing round imbedded in her back (Not that anyone could see it), and a bullet in her left shoulder. The right leg of her jeans was red with blood (Though most of the blood had dried by now), and the water had all but ruined the bandages she'd tied around the bite-mark on the leg. The wound was extremely painful, and made it quite difficult to walk. She was also sporting the luckiest scar of her life, a scar that had nearly cost her an eye. The scar reached from her left eyelid, where it was quite faint, across the left side of her face, where it got deeper and bloodier the closer it got to her ear. The scar was currently bleeding, and she had to wipe some of the blood away. Finally, there were her arms, oh God her arms. She'd tried to bandage them up as best she could, but they were stained red with blood, and she'd completely failed to remove any of the shrapnel. She found it amazing that her arms even still worked, though they hurt like a bitch. All in all, she looked like hell and felt like worse. Layla was finally starting to understand what Veronica had meant when she'd said that Layla always ended up with near fatal injuries after every major battle. She needed a break.

"You look like hell." Veronica said after looking her over for a solid thirty seconds.

"Well I feel worse." Layla replied, swaying on her feet slightly.

"Come on." Veronica said, grabbing Layla's hand before she fell. She led Layla by the hand into the kitchen, before sitting her down and putting her bag on the kitchen table. Rex followed, and rubbed up against Layla's leg. While she scratched his ear, Veronica took a bottle of whiskey out of Layla's bag and took the lid off, before handing it to her.

"Thanks." Layla said appreciatively. Veronica immediately left the room, then came back a few seconds later with a towel. She wrapped it around Layla in order to dry her, then pulled up a chair next to her.

"So what happened?" She asked as she sat down next to Layla, and tried her best to do something about the shrapnel in her arms. Layla told Veronica everything that had happened that day, wincing every so often as Veronica prodded her arms. By the time she had finished, the cuts had stopped bleeding and Veronica had replaced her bandages. The treatment wasn't perfect, but it would do until they could take Layla to the Medical Clinic tomorrow. Veronica had been taking a few lessons from the staff at the clinic, and she was rapidly getting the hang of it. "Wait, Campbell's alive?"

"Yep. Though after the kicking I gave him he probably won't be active for a while." Layla said as she drank the whiskey like a baby drinking from a bottle.

"I wish you'd killed him." Veronica said bitterly. Layla felt her pain; Campbell was the one who'd blown up the bunker after all. She'd felt the same hate for Choke. Veronica clenched her fist in anger, and Layla grasped the fist in her hand.

"I wish so too." She said apologetically. "I also met the guy who gave Campbell the order."

"Did you kill him?" Veronica asked hopefully.

"No, but I broke his nose. It's almost as good." Veronica sighed sadly.

"At least you killed Kimball. I guess that's something."

"Hey, he was the NCR's goddamned president! I'd say that's more than something." Veronica laughed, then gave Layla an affectionate hug.

"You did a great job." She said happily. "And now we're one step closer to wiping out the NCR."

"I can't wait." Layla said with a grin. At that instant, they heard the elevator doors ping open again.

"Who could that be?" Veronica asked, breaking the hug as she did so. Layla didn't respond; she just got to her feet, shaking the towel off her and drawing her sword as she did so. She wasn't the only one who sensed danger, as Rex began to growl too. Layla motioned at Veronica to follow her, then went into the main entrance. She was surprised when she saw several securitrons roll out of the elevator.

"What are you doing here?" She asked sternly. "Get back to your stations immediately." She said the last sentence with authority in her voice, but none of the securitrons obeyed. The elevator immediately closed as the securitrons rolled out, and before Layla could say another word they pointed their weapons at her.

"Don't move." One of them said. Rex and Veronica followed Layla into the main entrance, and Veronica looked equally surprised as the securitrons threatened them. Rex tried to charge them, but Veronica held him back.

"What the hell's going on here?" Layla asked angrily. The securitrons didn't answer; they just rolled to the side as the elevator doors pinged open again and five elite NCR rangers walked out. The rangers stood in the middle of the securitrons, armed to the teeth, and at their head were two people Layla recognised. "Oh shit." She said as Campbell and Boone both pointed weapons at her.

"Nice place you've got here Layla." Campbell said in a friendly tone. He still had a black eye, though his broken nose had been bandaged. He and Boone were both clad in elite ranger armour. He was wielding an assault carbine, while Boone wielded an anti-material rifle, a more than adequate replacement for his lost hunting rifle.

"You!" Veronica said angrily as she saw Campbell, the hand that wore her power first clenched into a fist. "You blew up my home!"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Campbell said in a charismatic tone. "Nothing personal."

"Oh, you're sorry? Okay then that's fine, all is forgiven. At least it will be after I PUNCH YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!" Layla could see Veronica struggling to control her anger. It was like looking in a mirror.

"You ladies might as well just surrender; you're not getting out of this without a few hundred holes in you. And even if you do, it doesn't mean anything, because I control every securitron in Vegas."

"What?" Veronica asked, her anger gone for a second as she looked at Campbell in disbelief.

"You heard me. Every securitron in Vegas is under my control. I used an AI called Yes Man to take control of Mr House's network, and from there I can control every securitron in the city. Allow me to demonstrate: securitron, shoot the wall." The nearest securitron immediately obeyed, opening fire at a nearby wall with his 10mm SMG. "Stop." The securitron immediately stopped. "See?" Layla responded by taking a step closer. Boone immediately took aim in her direction.

"Nobody has to die here." The sniper said in an emotionless tone, pointing his rifle at Layla's head as he did so. "Surrender now. Take another step closer, and we WILL kill you." As if challenging the validity of the statement, Rex leapt forwards, fangs bared. Boone responded by firing his anti-material rifle. One shot was all it took. Rex's brain tank exploded as the bullet blew his brain apart. He flew back against the wall, before hitting it headfirst and falling to the carpet. Layla's eyes widened in shock as she gazed at Rex's bloody, unmoving corpse. "I warned you." Boone said coldly, causing Layla to snap.

"THAT WAS MY DOG!" She roared. "I'LL TEAR YOU IN HALF!" She immediately rushed Boone in a blind fury. Before Veronica could shout a warning, Boone fired. Layla felt like someone had skewered her with a spear while running at her at over 100 miles per hour. The bullet punched a hole straight through her armour, and straight through her stomach, before hitting the wall behind her. The power of the shot knocked Layla flying. She could just barely hear Veronica's horrified screams as her consciousness started to fade, then she hit the wall head first and everything went black. She was unconscious before she hit the carpet.

**_Reader: So let me guess this straight. I've been waiting over two months for a new chapter, then you finally give me a chapter and it has A FUCKING CLIFFHANGER?_**

**_Me: Yep._**

_**Sorry about the cliffhanger, but you've got to admit it raises the tension! So, once again I apologise for the stupid amount of time it took to write this chapter. Inspiration and I had a little falling out. But we're friends again now (Mostly), and we're here to finish what we started. This story will have its conclusion, no matter the cost!**_

_**Also I would still like reviews. Whether you're gawking at how long this chapter is, strangling me over the internet for the cliffhanger, pointing out 'obvious' mistakes, or berating me for taking so long to write this chapter, just hearing from you would brighten up my day. Let's face it; in my life, this is about the closest thing to human contact I get. So contact me! Please?**_

_**Also, a minute's silence for Rex. Farewell boy, you were the best cyberdog anyone could ever hope for. *sniff* He's chasing rats in Heaven now.**_


	39. Incarceration

**_Alternative title: Veronica Steps Up. Warning, things get a bit dark from here on in. Enjoy._**

Incarceration

"Rise and shine Layla." A familiar voice said. The voice sounded like it was coming from miles away, but it was enough to rouse Layla from unconsciousness. She groaned as she felt pain all across her body, and resisted a burst of nausea that rushed up to meet her as she returned to the land of the conscious. Even without opening her eyes, she could tell that she was trapped. She felt tight bindings on her arms, and after moving around a little she realised she was tied to a chair. "We have a lot to talk about." The voice continued, and Layla gritted her teeth in anger as she recognised it. She opened her eyes to find herself face to face with General Lee Oliver.

"You." Layla snarled, hatred in her voice. The general smiled, clearly amused by her anger. His broken nose was bandaged up, and Layla took a small amount of satisfaction, knowing that she'd caused him pain.

"Nice to see you again Layla." Oliver replied pleasantly. Layla replied by kicking out viciously. Unfortunately for her, Oliver was too far away for her leg to reach him. When she realised she couldn't hit him, she growled angrily before looking around. She was in a small room, with no furniture other than the chair she sat in. To her right was a gaping hole in the wall, covered by a pane of glass. Once she finished examining the room, Layla looked at herself. She was still wearing the outfit she'd worn during her capture, the elite ranger armour chest piece with jeans and combat boots, though her chest piece had a large hole in it from where Boone had shot her with an anti-material rifle. As she looked herself over, Layla was surprised to discover that her wounds had been treated. Her arms were now properly bandaged and all the cuts and bullet holes had been sown up. She could also feel the stitches in the hole on her stomach. Plus, Layla could feel something heavy around her neck, like a collar. Has they put a neck brace on her? "You're wondering why we treated your wounds?" Oliver asked, seemingly reading her mind. "We can't very well interrogate you if you're dying now can we?"

"You're going to interrogate me?" Layla asked incredulously. When she was sure he was serious, she laughed harshly. "You really think I'll tell you anything?"

"We'll get to the interrogating later. Right now, I want to chat."

"Good for you. I meanwhile want to rip your goddamn throat out." There was pure, undiluted hatred in Layla's eyes.

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed Layla." Oliver said confidently, his pleasant mood fading by the second. "In fact, Kimball was the last man you'll ever kill."

"And I couldn't have done it without you." Layla said mockingly. "Thanks."

"Go to hell." Oliver snapped. "I did that for my own reasons, not for you."

"Whatever your reasons, you helped me, and now your republic is fucked."

"You really think that don't you?" Oliver turned away from Layla, before walking over to the glass covered hole on the right wall. "The NCR will get a new president Layla. Not that I give two shits of course. Between you and me, I think the people leading the NCR are a bunch of idiots. Mercy to prisoners? Peace talks? Bah. They don't have what it takes to truly lead the NCR." Layla's eyebrow raised slightly as she listened to Oliver's rant.

"And you do? You're more power hungry than I suspected. Tell me, is there anyone in the whole of the NCR who isn't corrupt?"

"Mock me all you want Layla, but the fact remains: I'm in charge now." Oliver turned away from the glass, and walked back over to Layla. "I am in complete control of all NCR forces in the Mojave, and there's going to be some changes around here. One such change is the collar you're wearing."

"What are you…" Layla started to question what the hell Oliver was talking about when she saw it. She caught her reflection in the pane of glass covering the hole in the right side of the wall, and her eyes widened as she saw the thick, metal collar around her neck. "Is that a…"

"Yes, it's a slave collar." Oliver said in a smug tone. "All I have to do is push this button…" Oliver drew a small remote from a pocket of his general jacket, and waved it in Layla's face. "…and your head will be blown the fuck apart in a heartbeat."

"Go ahead, make my day." Layla said fearlessly, her eyes drilling into Oliver's as she spoke. He just laughed.

"Oh no Layla, you're not getting off that easily. For all you've done against the NCR you're going to hang. It'll be in a public execution too, where everyone will see what happens to those who defy the NCR. As your limp body hangs there, swaying in the wind for all to see, any iota of defiance will be crushed from everyone in the Mojave. There'll be no more revolutionaries like you and Cooke, nobody else will rise up and start spreading bullshit propaganda about the NCR. This fucking shithole will finally have order." Layla felt anger rise up from deep inside her, until it washed over her like a tidal wave washing over the rocks on a sandy shore. She wanted nothing more than to break free from her bindings and rip Oliver's head off. Such a feat would be impossible however. Even if she did somehow manage to break free from the ropes, all it would take was a single button press. If she gave him a single second to press that button, then her life would be over.

"Where's Veronica?" Layla asked, trying to calm herself as she did so.

"Your friend? She's safe. We have her locked up here in this very building. We're in Camp McCarran, surrounded by NCR soldiers, meaning that even if you somehow managed to escape from your bindings and remove the collar you're wearing, you'd never get out."

"I've done the impossible before." Oliver chuckled slightly in response to her statement, an amused look on his face.

"Indeed you have. I've read your file, and I've seen you in action. You're the craziest bitch I've ever seen, but you're not immortal. You're not getting out of here. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. I was just telling you how things are changing now that I'm in charge."

"Oh were you? I thought you were just talking out of your ass." Oliver ignored her completely.

"I'm enforcing a strict, zero tolerance policy against criminals. Nobody gets off for free anymore. All those gamblers on the strip that find themselves in the embassy jail every night, then get out for free in the morning? Now they'll face fines or imprisonment. And no more petty sentences for criminals who attack NCR citizens. Now, anyone who attacks a soldier or a citizen of the NCR gets executed. There will be no petty crime while I'm in charge."

"You can't authorise all this!" Layla protested. "You're just a general!"

"No, not anymore. Now I'm the NCR's leading figure in the Mojave. As the highest ranking NCR official in the region, I'm in full control. As such, I'm abandoning the Republic's pussy policies, and clamping down on any and all crime. The NCR may've been soft before, when I had to share authority with Crocker and Kimball, but now I don't have to share authority. I'm in charge, and I will make sure no crime goes unpunished!"

"You're no leader; you're just a pathetic little man who's going mad with power."

"SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!" Oliver screamed at her, his patience finally running out, before slapping her across the face brutally with the back of his hand. He didn't hit very hard however, and Layla merely shrugged it off. "You don't get to talk to me like that you little bitch! I've been taking crap from Kimball and idiots like him for far too long. His death showed me, I don't have to be kicked around anymore! I rule the Mojave now, and I will show those idiots higher up in the NCR how to command a region!" He turned away from Layla, taking a few seconds to regain his breath. After a few seconds he turned back to her, a sadistic gleam in his eye.

"I heard about Bitter Springs you know. So many idiotic savages dead, so many drugs left unsold, and crimes left uncommitted. So very fucking sad." His voice had a mocking edge to it as he carried on, and Layla tried her best to ignore it. She knew he was trying to get under her skin, and was determined not to let him. "I know that your motivation on this mad quest of yours is what happened back then. You want to avenge your family by destroying a powerful organization like the NCR. Complete and utter idiocy." He walked closer to Layla as he continued, looking her dead in the eyes as he continued to mock her. "It's quite funny actually. You pretend to be this big, powerful warrior. You strike fear into the hearts of NCR soldiers everywhere, and you have a reputation more feared then any in the Mojave. And yet, beneath all that anger and hate, beneath all that murderous, insane bloodlust, you're nothing more than a weak, scared little girl, crying out for Mummy and Daddy." Layla's anger rose up again. She tried to ignore Oliver's taunts, to stop him from getting to her, but all in all, his insults hit home, increasing her anger beyond her abilities to control it. "That's not the funny part though. Oh no, that's not what makes your story so laughable and pathetic. What's really funny, is that you're doing all this to avenge a bunch of ignorant thugs. The Great Khans are nothing more than savages Layla, mindless brutes who care about nothing but themselves. They're nothing more than pitiful parasites, stealing the wealth from others because they're too stupid to earn it themselves. You're working so hard, doing all this, killing so many NCR men and women, to avenge the equivalent of pond scum." With that final sentence, Layla's mind snapped. She immediately struck out, madly struggling against the ropes that held her while viciously kicking out at Oliver. A victorious smile came to his lips as her kicks missed their target. He'd won, and he knew it.

"I will kill you." Layla said, coldly and simply, with more venom than she'd ever put into her voice before.

"I doubt it." Oliver said cockily.

"I'm serious Oliver. This isn't a threat, it's a promise. You've crossed the line here today, and I will make you suffer for it. You can blow my head off, you can hang me, you can do anything you damn well please, but it won't stop me. As long as you are still alive, my spirit will not leave this world. I'll find you, I'll haunt you, I'll make your life a living hell. I'll shatter your psyche like a pane of glass, I'll turn you into a gibbering wreck. And then, when your sanity is gone, and your life is ruined, I'll inflict a pain on you more horrific than you can possibly imagine, and I will wipe your worthless life from the face of the world." There was a long silence after that, as Oliver stared at her. For most of that long silence, he managed to keep his expression neutral, but at the start, mere seconds after she'd started talking, a look of horror appeared on his face. It was brief, and gone in an instant, but it was there. That simple fact made Layla smile.

"Tell me something Layla…do you prepare these speeches beforehand, or do you pull this overly dramatic crap out of your arse on the spot?" Oliver asked flippantly, in a transparent attempt to dispel her threat. Not wanting the fear on his face to show, Oliver turned away from Layla, before walking over to the wall opposite where she sat.

"Aw, what's the matter?" Layla asked insultingly. "Is our little chat over?"

"Yes." He said simply, without any emotion. Layla was a little shaken when Oliver turned back to face her, and she saw the sadistic smile on his face. As much as she hated to admit it, the pure anger in and bloodlust in his eyes reminded her of herself. "Our chat is over. Now we get to the fun part." With that, he drew a small radio from one of his pockets, before speaking into it. "Come in and introduce yourself Boyd." Oliver said into the radio. Immediately, the door next to the glass covered hole in the wall opened with a hiss, and a woman walked in. She wore standard NCR armour, along with a green beret. She had short, black hair, and stony gaze that said she wasn't to be fucked with.

"Who the fuck are…" Layla began, but her question was cut short as the woman strode up to her and punched her in the face. Pain shot through Layla's skull as the blow knocked her head back, and caused the chair to sway as well. Stars danced before Layla's eyes, and she felt like her brain was bouncing around in her skull. She'd been punched before, but that…that was something new.

"I'm Lieutenant Carrie Boyd, head MP at Camp McCarran and interrogation expert." The woman said with a cocky sneer as she showed off the brass knuckles on her hands, explaining how her punch had hurt so much. "It's a pleasure to fucking meet you."

"Boyd here will be entertaining you for a while. Answer her questions, and you'll experience far less pain." Oliver said with a confident smirk as he walked to the door.

"So this is the interrogation I've been looking forward too?" Layla said with mock eagerness.

"It is indeed. And you should know that now that I'm in charge, I've made it legal for NCR personnel to beat prisoners. Not only that, they're allowed to use as much force as necessary during an interrogation. That means Boyd here is allowed to do whatever it takes to make you talk." Body cracked her knuckles to emphasise the point, a look of anticipation on her face. "Have fun." With those last words, Oliver left the room, shutting the door behind him. Layla thought he'd left, then saw him sit down in a chair on the other side of the hole in the wall, protected by the glass which was no doubt bulletproof. Ignoring the ringing in her head, Layla turned to look at Boyd, and started to think of what to say.

"You do realise you're wasting your time here right?" She asked Boyd after a few seconds. The woman didn't reply, simply taking a cigarette out of her pocket, and a lighter out of another pocket. She calmly lit the cigarette, before putting away the lighter and bringing the cancer stick to her lips. "I don't know what you're expecting to find out here. I work alone, and the Legion don't tell me anything since I'm a woman. There's no useful information you can gain out of me."

"I know." Boyd replied casually as she inhaled the smoke, knocking Layla for six.

"Wait…you know?"

"Yeah, Oliver mentioned there'd be almost nothing interesting that you'd be able to tell me." Layla was confused.

"Then…what's the point of this interrogation?" Boyd smiled as Layla asked the question, cracking her neck as she did so.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Boyd put the cigarette in between her lips, leaving her hands free. "The point of this interrogation… is to cause you pain." With that last sentence, Boyd delivered a crushing uppercut to Layla's chin. The powerful blow knocked Layla's head up, and she felt crushing pain shoot throughout her lower jaw. "Oliver doesn't like you very much, and neither does anybody else in the NCR. This…is what's known as payback." Boyd pulled her cigarette from her lips, and took one last puff before throwing it to the floor, and crushing it under her boot.

To Layla's surprise, Boyd didn't strike again, instead taking off Layla's chestpiece. She ripped off Layla's last piece of armour before throwing it to the floor, leaving Layla in her undershirt, a simple white vest. The second the chestpiece was gone, Boyd wasted no time in punching Layla in the ribs. Layla tried to cry out as pain rocketed through her, but no air would leave her lungs, so instead she just coughed up blood. The blood dribbled down her chin, and Layla would've loved nothing more than to wipe it off. Boyd was far from finished however. She strolled especially close to Layla before elbowing her in the throat. Layla tried to cry out, but she could barely breathe, let alone speak.

Boyd stepped back a little to admire her work, while seemingly trying to figure out where she should hit Layla next. Before Boyd could do anything however, Layla defiantly spat blood at her. Boyd recoiled slightly as Layla's blood splashed onto her face, before wiping it off with one hand while punching Layla in the face with the other hand. The blow caused the chair to tip back again, and filled Layla's already aching head with darkness. She couldn't think, she couldn't speak, she could barely even stay conscious. Layla could hear muffled sounds from nearby; probably somebody talking, though she couldn't make any words out. Layla was about to leave the land of the conscious, when an agonizing blow brought her back to reality. Layla finally managed to cry out as Boyd dislocated her right shoulder.

She opened her eyes, but found that her right eye wouldn't open properly. She immediately knew that the bitch had given her a black eye. The very second Layla managed to open her eyes properly, Boyd kicked her in the stomach. While the kick itself wasn't very damaging, it did manage to knock the chair over. Layla gritted her teeth to ignore the dagger of pain that shot through her dislocated shoulder as the chair hit the ground. A few seconds later Boyd pulled the chair upright, then prepared to kick it down again.

"Is that it?" Layla managed to say, though with great difficulty. "You're just going to keep punching and kicking me? Brute, simple force? You call this a torture session?"

"No." Boyd said calmly. "This is just the beginning." With that, she took a radio out of her pocket before speaking into it. A few seconds later, the interrogation room's door opened up again, and two men walked in. They were carrying a small object, but Layla's vision began to go blurry again, preventing her from seeing what the object was. She shook her head vigorously, ignoring the pain that such an action caused, and her vision started to clear. Her vision returned to normal just as the two men left, and she saw the object that they'd brought in. _Oh dear God no._ She thought with dread as she saw a car battery and jumper cables. "Now then…" Boyd said threateningly as she picked up the jumper cables. "…let's really make you scream shall we?"

*Veronica – A few hours later*

Veronica was roused from her slumber by the sound of the cell door opening. She'd first woken up in the cell several hours ago, with Layla nowhere in sight. She'd sat around for a while, worrying, but eventually sleep had claimed her. She'd been awoken five times since then, and had no idea how long she'd been in the cell. It felt like hours, but for all she knew it could've been days. As she woke up for the sixth time, Veronica slowly opened her eyes. She was fairly drowsy from sleep, but the sight before her flushed the drowsiness from her system like a flash flood.

"Here you are bitch, the presidential suite." The guard said with a mocking sneer as he threw Layla into the cell. She landed face first on the floor of the cell, and didn't move. "Enjoy your stay." The guard laughed to himself as he walked off, leaving Veronica and Layla's unmoving form alone. It was dark in the cell, but Layla still had her Pip Boy on. Veronica crawled over to her, and switched the Pip Boy's light on as she rolled Layla onto her back. She immediately wished she hadn't.

"Oh my god." She said under her breath as she saw Layla's battered form. Layla's right eye was swollen and black, and several small cuts covered her face. Veronica had little medical experience, but she could still tell that Layla's right shoulder was dislocated. As Layla opened her mouth, letting out a quiet moan of pain, Veronica saw that one of her teeth had been chipped. There were dried tears on Layla's face, and her eyes had a look of pain that Veronica had never seen before. There was dried blood all around her mouth, and some was running down her chin. Layla slowly came to as Veronica watched, and tried to sit up. She gritted her teeth in pain as she did, and clutched her stomach, telling Veronica that her ribs may've been injured.

"Ow…" Layla said weakly as Veronica helped her up. She helped Layla walk to the back of the cell, then sat her down against the wall.

"What happened?" Veronica asked softly as she sat down next to her.

"Torture…" Layla said weakly. It sounded like she could barely speak, and the response came out in a throaty whisper. More blood dribbled from Layla's mouth as she spoke, but she seemed oblivious. Veronica wiped it away, her concern growing by the moment. "Oliver…jumper cables…"

"What?" Veronica asked, confused.

"They used…jumper cables and…a car…battery." Layla winced as she spoke, as though remembering the pain.

"Save your strength." Veronica said quietly. Layla smiled weakly in response, and tried to say something. She broke out in a brutal coughing fit however, forcing Veronica to hold her steady. "You're going to be okay." Veronica tried to sound supportive, but persistent tears broke through. She wiped the tears from her eyes with one hand, while wrapping her arm around Layla in a comforting embrace. "We'll get out of here, and we'll…we'll…" Veronica found herself unable to finish her sentence, as she burst into tears.

"It's okay…" Layla said weakly, wiping the tears from Veronica's eyes as she did so. "I…" Before Layla could finish her sentence, she suddenly blacked out. Veronica just sat there, holding her for what felt like forever.

She'd never felt anything like this; all-encompassing concern for her friend combined with a crushing sense of defeat. It was over, the NCR had won. They'd killed Rex, taken over the Lucky 38, locked them up, and…and beaten Layla within an inch of her life. Veronica's eyes were still misty as she looked down at Layla's unconscious form. She was so limp, so lifeless, that it was hard to believe she was still alive. Only the quiet, barely audible breathing coming from her mouth told Veronica that she wasn't dead. Fighting back the almost crippling despair that threatened to overwhelm her, Veronica stroked Layla's head, running her hand through her friend's scarlet hair. A small smile appeared on the unconscious Layla's face, causing Veronica to smile too.

_No._ She thought as she looked down at her heavily injured friend, and held her in her arms. _I can't give up, not when she's counting on me. She wouldn't give up on me._ As a determined look appeared on her face, Veronica sat back, and began to think of an escape plan.

*1 hour later*

It wasn't until an hour later that Veronica was able to put her plan into action, and she only knew how much time had passed because of the clock on Layla's Pip Boy. She finally saw her chance as an NCR soldier entered the room. No guards were assigned to watch over the cells, so Veronica had had to wait for someone to arrive. The soldier looked around for a while, evidently looking for something.

"Where the hell did I leave it?" He asked no one in particular as he paced the cell block. "Ah, here it is." He said a few seconds later, as he found a lighter on the floor. As he bent over to pick it up, Veronica caught sight of his features, and saw he was the same guard that had callously thrown Layla into the cell earlier. Veronica didn't know if Layla's violent nature was rubbing off on her, but she felt she was going to enjoy this.

"Hey there." Veronica said to the soldier as he grabbed the lighter, trying her best to sound seductive. She didn't know how successful she was in that regard, but the guard seemed to take notice.

"What the hell do you want?" He barked as he straightened his back, and used his recently recovered lighter to light a cigarette. Veronica immediately pulled her hood down, exposing her hair and offering the soldier a better view of her face. In any other situation, she would've kept her hair covered. This was an emergency however, and desperate times called for desperate measures. She was unsure if she was attractive enough for this, but remembered that she'd heard no shortage of positive comments from men during her travels. A few of them had been drunk, but still.

"I don't know how long I'm going to be in here." Veronica sad sadly, pressing up against the cell's bars as she did so. The fact that she had absolutely no attraction for men made this moderately uncomfortable for her, but she hadn't been able to come up with a better plan, so this would have to do.

"And?" The soldier replied gruffly as he walked closer to the cell. "What do you want me to do about it?" Veronica inwardly cringed as she prepared her response. It was cheesy and she knew it, like one of those old, pre war porn holotapes that she sometimes watched when nobody else was around. She desperately hoped the soldier was as stupid as he looked.

"I could be here for years. Who knows when I'll next get to have sex again?" The soldier's eyes widened as he realised what she was saying. As he processed a response he stepped closer to the cell, seemingly without realising it.

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?"

"What do you think?" Veronica locked eyes with the man as she replied, and was annoyed to see nothing resembling attraction in his eyes. She realised he must've seen the same thing in her eyes, as he backed away slightly, ending up just out of arm's reach.

"Did you really think I was going to open the cell to have sex with you?" He asked incredulously, an amused sneer appearing on his face. "Seriously? How stupid do you think I am?" Veronica simply grinned as he asked the last question, before tensing her left leg in preparation.

"I think you're plenty stupid." Veronica said snidely, and the soldier just laughed.

"Oh really? If I was as stupid as you say, would I have made sure to stand far away from the cell so you can't reach me?" A quizzical look appeared on Veronica's face, as she pretended to think.

"Probably not." She admitted, causing the soldier to grin. "But if you were as stupid as I say, you'd probably stand close enough for me to kick you." The soldier's smile faded, and his eyes widened considerably as he realised he was in reach of Veronica's legs. Before he could so much as breathe, Veronica's left leg lashed out, sweeping him off his feet and causing him to fall towards the cell; right into arm's reach.

"Oh shit." Was all the soldier had time to say before she struck. Veronica attacked the soldier like a woman possessed, assaulting him with blow after blow while her teeth were gritted in fury. Since her power fist had been confiscated by the guards, she was fighting barehanded, though she didn't let that stop her. She first punched the soldier directly in the face, breaking his nose, before launching an uppercut at his chin that knocked his head back, knocking his helmet off at the same time. She then grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, before dragging him closer and headbutting him. He tried to throw a punch of his own, but she slammed his arm into one of the cell bars, before kicking behind the elbow while the arm was still against the bar. The soldier tried to scream as a loud cracking sound emerged from his arm and filled the room, but Veronica pressed a hand against his mouth. She used the other hand to pull his head down, right to her waiting knee. Her knee hit the soldier in the forehead, and she quickly delivered two more knee strikes to his gut. Veronica could hear pained whimpering from behind her hand, but she didn't stop…not even for a second. A red mist had descended over her, and all she could think about was hurting the soldier. She slammed his face against the cell bars until some of his teeth cracked, then delivered a powerful punch to his ribs. The soldier was dazed now, she could tell. In fact, 'dazed' may've been putting it mildly. His face was covered with scratches and bruises from all the blows, and his eyes were unfocused. It was time to end it. Veronica took her hand from his mouth (He wasn't in any state to talk), before using both hands to grab his neck. Both hands gripped the neck tightly, as she focused all her strength into her arms. The soldier's eyes widened considerably as his confused mind finally realised what was going on. By then however, it was far too late. Putting all her strength into the movement, Veronica violently twisted the soldier's neck. A loud snap resounded through the cell block, then…silence.

Veronica dropped the body to the floor as her wits returned to her, and she tried to process what had just happened. _Did…did I do that? _She mentally asked herself as she looked down at the soldier's brutalized corpse. She could hardly believe she'd gotten so…angry. It wasn't like her at all. The she realised where all the anger had come from. Since meeting Layla, all kinds of terrible things had happened to her. Her own family had tried to kill her for one thing. Of course, it had gotten much worse recently. In the past few weeks, she'd been kidnapped, lost her entire family in an explosion, watched her dog get shot in the head, been locked up in a prison, and seen her best friend the victim of a brutal beating. She realised that the anger caused by all those events had been repressed inside her, and was just now coming to the surface. Her anger was taking control. Veronica's blood went cold as she realised something horrible: she was turning into Layla. Even worse…she liked it.

Deciding to deal with this revelation later, Veronica put her hood back on before crouching down and going through the soldier's belongings. He didn't have much on him that was of use, except a 9mm pistol. She knew she didn't need to worry about anyone hearing the shots; none of the base's soldiers hung around the cell block. Veronica got to her feet, holding the 9mm in both hands as she did so. Taking a deep breath, she pointed the gun at the cell's lock, and fired. The shot was as loud as she'd expected, but it did the job. The lock was utterly annihilated by the shot, and the door immediately swung open.

"Wow…I didn't think that would actually work." Veronica said out loud, a look of wonder on her face. She grinned slightly, and was about to turn to Layla when she heard footsteps approaching the cell block. _Somebody heard. Of course. _Veronica thought to herself, annoyed. She didn't even have time to raise the pistol in her hand before the door to the cell block swung open, and a soldier burst in.

"Freeze!" He ordered, stupidly thinking that Veronica would comply. She was just deciding whether to shoot him or hit him with a flying kick when something flew past her head. The mystery object quickly flew right between the soldier's eyes, killing him instantly. Veronica blinked in surprise, and realised that the mystery object was a combat knife. As the soldier's corpse slumped to the floor, she turned around and saw Layla, still sat on the floor, fully conscious, with her hand outstretched in a throwing gesture. _She's half dead, and she can still hit a guy between the eyes with a thrown knife from the other side of the room. _Veronica thought to herself, dumbstruck.

"How did you…" Veronica tried to ask, but Layla interrupted her.

"A hell…of a lot…of practice." Layla still sounded like it was difficult for her to speak. Nonetheless, Veronica still had one question left.

"Where did you get the knife?" Layla didn't reply, instead pointing to her elite ranger combat boot. Veronica remembered the secret compartment in the combat boots, and realised the guards had probably not realised it was there when they'd taken her weapons. Layla just had enough time to smile, before her head fell forwards as she passed out again.

Not wasting any time, Veronica stripped the soldier who's neck she'd snapped. She hated the idea of taking the man's clothes as a disguise, but it was a technique that usually worked well. She sighed in annoyance as she realised the bulky NCR armour wouldn't fit over her scribe robes. With a heavy heart, she abandoned her robes, stripping down and dropping them to the floor, before putting on the NCR armour. It was a little too big for her, but she doubted anyone would notice unless they got close to her. Still feeling anxious about showing her hair, she picked the soldier's helmet up off the floor and put it on too, before pointing it downward slightly so that it hid her eyes from view. Finally, she put the 9mm pistol into one of the pockets of her armour.

Now came the hard part…putting a disguise on Layla. The task was made slightly easier by the fact that she would be able to wear the armour over her vest and jeans (Which were much thinner than Veronica's robes), meaning she wouldn't have to strip her down. It took the better part of two minutes, but Veronica eventually managed to get the armour on Layla. If she wasn't unconscious, she'd be the spitting image of an NCR soldier. Of course, most experienced soldiers would recognise the Red Blade Witch's face on sight, which is why it was lucky that the soldier wore a desert facewrap. She tucked Layla's trademark red hair into the armour's jacket so nobody saw it, before putting on the helmet belonging to the second soldier to complete the look. Remembering Layla's combat knife at the last minute, Veronica pulled the blade out of the soldier's skull, and wiped the blood from it with one gloved hand before putting it into a pocket of her armour.

Now that there were both fully clothed, it was time to get the hell out of there. Slowly and carefully, Veronica helped Layla to her feet, holding her tightly to make sure she didn't topple over. When she was sure Layla could stand alright, she helped her walk to the door. Layla seemed to be at least partially conscious, as she walked fairly well, and all too soon they reached the door. Deeply hoping that NCR soldiers weren't very perceptive, Veronica took a deep breath before opening the door.

She breathed sigh of relief when she saw that there were no soldiers around. She slowly lead Layla from the room, before heading for the escalators. It was slow going, and Veronica's heart beat like a drum as she was sure they'd be spotted any second. They weren't spotted however, and before long they arrived at the top of the escalators. Before she could help the semi-conscious Layla down however, the hairs on the back of Veronica's neck stood on end as she heard a casual whistling. Somebody was coming up one of the escalators. There was nowhere to hide, and there was nothing she could do as the person reached the top of the escalators.

"You!" Veronica exclaimed angrily as she recognised the whistling person.

"Have we met?" Campbell asked, pulling his hood down and raising an eyebrow as he did so. As he took a closer look however, his eyes began to widen as he saw through Veronica's disguise. "Wait a minute…I know you. Aren't you Layla's friend?"

"My name's Veronica you bastard, and you killed my family!" Veronica growled.

"Veronica! That's it!" Campbell said, as though the name had been on the tip of his tongue. He wasn't wearing the elite ranger outfit he'd been clad in back at the suite, having now returned to his normal attire. "The Brotherhood scribe! Oh…sorry about that whole mess with the bunker…"

"You already apologised once, back at the Lucky 38 Suite." Veronica snapped as she leant Layla against a nearby wall. "I didn't forgive you then; I'm definitely not going to forgive you after you killed my dog and had me locked up!"

"Okay…to be fair…both of those things were Boone's fault." Before Campbell could say anything else, Veronica delivered a roundhouse kick to his face. He swore profusely as the blow knocked him to the floor.

"Damn it!" Campbell cursed as he slowly got to his feet. "Can't we talk about this?"

"You killed my entire family, and you want to TALK?" Veronica screeched at him, fury burning in her eyes.

"You know…you're beginning to sound a lot like Layla." Veronica smiled at that, matching the sadistic smile Layla usually sported in combat, before rushing Campbell. The mercenary's hand immediately went for his ripper, and he managed to draw the weapon just as Veronica reached striking distance. Before Campbell could even flick the volatile weapon on however, Veronica lashed out with a quick jab that sent the ripper flying from Campbell's grasp. He angrily tried to punch Veronica in the face, but she swayed under the blow easily, before bringing her fist up to meet Campbell's jaw. She immediately struck out with a straight kick aimed at his stomach. The kick hit its target, and knocked Campbell back, causing him to land painfully on the floor.

He managed to get to his feet, though Veronica knew it wouldn't make a difference. She knew numerous martial arts and close combat techniques, and had been fighting unarmed her entire life. Campbell preferred guns, and had next to no unarmed training. He was outmatched and Veronica knew it. Of course, Campbell wasn't one to play fair. The second he got to his feet, his hand went to one of the holsters inside his duster, and in the blink of an eye he drew a small, 9mm SMG. Before he could fire it however, Veronica leapt at him. She delivered a flying kick in mid-air that knocked the gun from Campbell's grasp. The second she landed, Veronica elbowed him in the jaw, before judo flipping him over her shoulder. He landed painfully on the floor behind her, and she immediately stomped on his throat.

"Come on…let's be…reasonable." Campbell wheezed, barely able to speak due to the foot pressing down on his throat. "I have no quarrel against you; I'm not even working for the NCR anymore! Oliver paid me after bringing in you and Layla and now I'm a free man. There's no reason for us to fight."

"Yes there is." Veronica said furiously through gritted teeth. "Revenge." Campbell sighed in annoyance as she spoke, while stealthily reaching inside his jacket.

"Alright then…if that's the way you want it." As he spoke, Veronica saw him pull something from inside his jacket, and dived to the side. That proved wise, as less than a second later Campbell drew a sawn off shotgun and fired at where she'd been standing moments ago. His arm shot back from the recoil, as the shotgun wasn't meant to be fired with one hand. He massaged his arm as he got to his feet, and Veronica immediately reacted. She rolled to her feet strikingly quickly, before aiming a powerful kick at Campbell's face. He rolled to the side to dodge the attack however, before trying to strike Veronica with the shotgun. He swung the gun at her head, but she easily ducked under it, before striking the gun with the back of her hand and knocking it from his grasp.

She immediately punched Campbell in the face, but was surprised when he grabbed her fist. Though he lacked her unarmed skill, Campbell was much physically stronger than Veronica. Of course, Veronica was faster. She quickly headbutted Campbell in the face, causing him to stumble back but not affecting her in the slightest. The expression on Campbell's face showed that he knew he was done for, as the bottom of Veronica's boot connected with his jaw and knocked him to the floor once again.

"Dammit…" He said as Veronica strode closer. "I don't have a chance of winning this do I?"

"No." Veronica said simply as she neared, drawing her 9mm pistol as she did so. "And now I'm going to end it."

"Wait." Campbell urged her, causing Veronica to pause for a moment. As she did, Campbell drew his coin, causing her to roll her eyes. "One last flip?" Before Veronica could object, he flipped the coin. It sailed high into the air, but its ascent was cut short as Veronica kicked it, knocking it flying. A look of shock appeared on Campbell's face, and his gaze followed his coin as Veronica readied her pistol.

"Enough of your damn coin. Your life ends now." Before Veronica could avenge her family however, she heard footsteps approaching; several people, running up the escalator. _That damn shotgun. _She cursed mentally as she realised the soldiers must've heard Campbell firing his sawn off earlier. "Goddammit." She said in an annoyed tone as two NCR soldiers ran up the stairs, both pointing their service rifles at her. As fast as she was, she knew she wouldn't be able to kill one of them before the other killed her. They had her right where they wanted her.

"You!" One of the soldiers yelled at her, in what he no doubt thought was a very threatening voice. "Drop your weapon!" Knowing she had no choice, Veronica sighed in annoyance before complying. The soldiers stepped closer as her 9mm pistol clattered to the floor. She could hardly believe it; seconds away from avenging her family and two pissant soldiers with nary a ball between them had appeared out of nowhere before holding her at gunpoint. _I'm sorry Layla._ She thought mournfully, as she realised they wouldn't be escaping now. _I let you down._ "Alright you bitch, you're coming with…" Before the soldier could finish his sentence, his life ended as a bullet flew through his skull, splattering blood into Veronica's face. The other soldier had a gobsmacked look on his face, which only looked more comical as said face as filled with lead. As the second soldier fell dead, Veronica looked in the direction that the bullets had come from, and saw Campbell, dual 10mm pistols in his hands and smoking from the shots they'd just fired.

"You…you saved me?" Veronica asked, confused. "Why?"

"The same reason I do anything." Campbell replied calmly, before holding up his coin. "While the soldiers were busy with you, I went and retrieved my coin, before flipping it again. It came up heads."

"So?"

"Heads: I abandon unemployment and join up with you and Layla. Tails: I shoot you both in the face." Veronica could hardly believe what she was hearing. "It's an honour to be working for you." Campbell said pleasantly as he walked closer. Veronica's hands balled into fists, and the rage in her eyes intensified.

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?" She shrieked at Campbell, grabbing him by the throat as she did so. "You kill my family, you try to kill us numerous times, AND YOU WANT TO JOIN US?"

"…Yes." Campbell's snappy response earned him nothing but ire from Veronica, as she threw him into a nearby wall. He hit the wall painfully, before sliding down it and sitting on the floor. "Ow." Veronica stepped closer, fists ready to strike. "Okay, I realise there may be some trust issues…"

"TRUST ISSUES?" Veronica reached down and grabbed him by the throat again, before dragging him to his feet. "THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL WE'LL EXCEPT HELP FROM YOU, YOU BASTARD!"

"Veronica…wait…" Veronica and Campbell were both taken by surprise, as Layla weakly called out. "He…could be useful." Veronica immediately shook her head in dismissal, not loosening her grip on Campbell's throat in the slightest.

"You're delirious." She replied.

"She's right though." Campbell managed to say, despite the fact that Veronica had a tight grip on his throat. "You really think you'll be able to leave here by the front door? Those disguises won't fool the experienced soldiers outside. The only way you're getting out is via the monorail, and I'm the only way you'll be able to get on it."

"How do you figure?"

"A) You need a pass to be allowed on the monorail, which I have. B) Most people on the monorail will realise who you are in an instant without me there to cover for you. C) If you kill me and try to take the monorail yourself, the alarm will immediately be raised, and you'll be up to your ankles in NCR soldiers before you can say 'What the hell just happened?'" Veronica paused to consider his words. She hated to admit it, but what he said made sense.

"We can…use him…for now." Layla just barely managed to say, before going into a coughing fit.

"He blew up the bunker! Plus, he could betray us with one bad coin flip. We can't trust him!"

"We…don't really have a choice." All the blood had drained from Layla's face, making her deathly pale. There was a rare wisdom in her eyes however, showing that her mental faculties were working fine.

"She took the words right out of my mouth." Campbell agreed, face going a little blue from having Veronica squeeze his throat for so long. After a long pause, she sighed, and let go of Campbell's throat. He immediately started trying to get his air back.

"Alright fine. I don't like this, but we'll have Campbell join us until we escape from here." Veronica said, causing Campbell to grin.

"You've made the right decision Veronica." He said charismatically. "You won't regret this."

"I'm sure neither of those things are true." She replied coldly. Her eyes wandered in Layla's direction, and saw that she had fallen unconscious once again.

"She doesn't look too good." Campbell said seriously, following Veronica's gaze. "I have quite a few years of medical experience, and I'd say we need to get Layla out of here now. If she doesn't get medical attention soon…"

"I doubt you'd care." Veronica cut him off. "Let's go. But bear in mind that I'm watching you. If I even suspect you're about to betray us, I'll beat you to death without a second thought."

"Goody." Campbell said sourly as he helped Veronica get Layla to her feet. With that they set off, helping Layla towards the monorail. It was needless to say that Veronica didn't like this, but she knew Campbell and Layla were both right, they'd never escape without the merc's help. She just hoped he didn't get a bad coin flip before then.

**_Campbell's helping the ladies? Indeed, but how long will his coin keep him on their good side? And will Veronica's sudden anger problems lead her down a dark path, like a certain red haired killing machine? You probably won't find out unless you read the next chapters!...When I write them...which shouldn't be too long...hopefully. Oh and by the way, if anyone's wondering what happened to Layla's slave collar...they removed it after the torture. Sure she's a dangerous criminal, but if she can escape in her injured state, then she deserves to get out._**

**_The last chapter got a few less reviews than I was hoping. Don't you like me anymore? :( _**

**_Please review if at all possible, and thank you for your continued readership. (If these author notes are a bit shit, it may have something to do with the fact that I'm up at 3am. My sleeping patterns have been crap lately.)_**


	40. Escape

**_For those of you who think there's been too much mindless violence in the story lately, you'll be glad to know that this chapter is almost entirely dialogue. Enjoy._**

Escape

The terminal building that sat in the middle of Camp McCarran was oddly quiet. Only two sounds could be heard throughout the entire building, and even so, one would have to listen very close to hear them. The first, and most prevalent sound was the sound of footsteps as Veronica and Campbell made their way to the monorail, while almost dragging the barely conscious Layla. The second sound came from up ahead; a quiet and casual whistling. Veronica was surprised to find she recognised the song being whistled. It was 'Ain't That a Kick in the Head?', a song that played frequently on Mr New Vegas' radio station.

As they turned the corner leading to the monorail station, Veronica saw the source of the whistling: a disgruntled guard that was currently leaning against the door that led to the monorail. There were two guards there, a man (The whistler), and a woman who stood near him. Both looked incredibly bored; clearly standing in front of a door all day wasn't what they'd been expecting when they'd joined the NCR. Nevertheless, their eyes were focused. These two guards may've been bored to tears, but they were still fully alert.

"Ow…" Layla said weakly from next to Veronica. Veronica felt movement as her friend awakened, and looked down at her. She was even paler than before, and looked as though she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Don't worry." She whispered as she stroked Layla's hair sweetly. "We're almost there." Layla smiled weakly, before passing out again. Veronica smiled, before following Campbell as he stepped forward to talk to the two guards.

"Leave the talking to me." He whispered to Veronica as they neared, all the while twirling his coin between his fingers. Veronica didn't argue, instead standing back and leaning Layla against the wall before focusing her gaze on the two guards. If one of them tried anything, she'd be ready.

"Identification please." The male guard said as Campbell approached, immediately standing straight and setting his face into a serious expression. The female guard did the same, though tightened her grip on the service rifle in her grasp as she did so.

"Hi, I'm Campbell." He said in a charismatic tone. "Maybe you've heard of me? I answer directly to General Oliver himself. I'm a very important man within the NCR."

"Nevertheless, we need to see your identification sir." The male guard said, not reacting in the slightest at learning who Campbell was.

"Of course, of course." Campbell smiled, before reaching into one of the pockets of his duster. A few seconds later, Campbell pulled out a small card and handed it to the guard. "That card gives me high level clearance." The guard ignored him, focusing his gaze on the card. A few seconds later he looked up, a neutral expression on his face.

"Sir, this card has expired." A look of shock appeared on Campbell's face, and Veronica sighed in annoyance.

"That's impossible." Campbell said, feigning confusion.

"We received a notice from General Oliver early this morning sir, saying that your high level clearance is now denied since you're no longer working for the NCR. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." There was a brief silence, as Campbell spent a few moments thinking of a next move.

"Look, I really need to get in there…maybe 100 caps would make you let me in?"

"Sir, I must warn you that bribing an NCR soldier is considered a punishable offence. Under General Oliver's new regulations, such an act is punishable with a year's imprisonment."

"Is there anything I can say or do that would make you let me in there?"

"No." The guard answered coldly, causing Campbell to sigh in annoyance. Veronica found herself feeling less than satisfied with Campbell's negotiation skills. She immediately went on the alert however, when Campbell got out his coin. _There's no way this can end well._ She thought to herself as Campbell flipped his coin. The guards gave him strange looks, but did nothing to stopped him. As it turned out, that would be a mistake. Less than a second after sending his coin airborne, Campbell caught it and inspected the result.

"Tails." He said without emotion. "Sorry." Before the guard could wonder what he was apologising for, Campbell's hand went into his duster. He then pulled out a .22 silenced pistol, before firing a bullet right between the male guard's eyes. _Dammit! _Veronica thought angrily as Campbell broke their cover, before dashing over to the other guard as fast as she could. Fortunately, the female guard took a few seconds to process what had just happened, meaning Veronica was able to reach her before she could fire. Veronica immediately roundhouse kicked the guard in the face, before delivering a quick chop to her throat. While the guard spluttered, Veronica finished her with a knee strike to the face, sending her to the land of the unconscious. The second Veronica stepped away from the unconscious body, Campbell ended it with a silenced bullet to the face. "Shall we?" He asked casually, before opening the door leading to the monorail.

"What the hell was that?" Veronica snapped as she ran back to Layla.

"I cleared the way for us." Campbell answered casually, holding the door open for the ladies as he did so. Veronica grabbed Layla again and helped her through the open door.

"We're supposed to be operating low key you idiot! We can't just go around shooting people and blowing our cover!" Veronica continued to berate Campbell as she entered the monorail station. As the ladies entered, Campbell ceased holding the door open and trudged after Veronica, an annoyed look on his face.

"If you know any other way we could've got past those two, then I'd like to hear it." The look on Campbell's face showed that he clearly didn't understand what the problem was; either that or he understood it but didn't think it was actually a problem. This look served to aggravate Veronica even more, and she had to force herself to calm down as they approached the actual monorail they would be riding. _I wonder if Layla has this problem? _She mentally inquired while she tried to resist the urge to punch Campbell in the face.

"Look," She said slowly, and with restraint, so that she didn't shout Campbell's head off and grab the attention of everyone in the station. "Just be a little more careful. We don't want to kill anyone, since we're hardly in a position to fight while mostly unarmed and carrying an injured Layla."

"I'm hardly unarmed…"

"JUST…DON'T…KILL…AYONE…" Veronica was barely keeping her frustration in check. "If you can't decide whether to kill someone or not, don't flip your damn coin, just don't do it!"

"Fine." As they approached the monorail, Veronica found herself confused. She was hardly used to riding the monorail, and didn't exactly know the procedure.

"So…what, do we go buy tickets or…" Veronica asked Campbell, and he shook his head.

"No tickets required. They pretty much think that, if you can get clearance to get in the station, you can use the monorail whenever. All we have to do is get on." To illustrate his point, Campbell walked past Veronica and climbed onto the monorail. Veronica followed him, having to help Layla up the stairs to get her into the vehicle, and was surprised to see that there was nobody else in the monorail car.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Veronica asked as she helped Layla into a seat. Campbell shrugged.

"Must be a slow work day. I guess we've got the whole car to ourselves for the journey. Should make hiding Layla easier." Veronica genuinely smiled at the first piece of good luck they'd had all day, before sitting down in the seat next to Layla.

"So when do we get going?" Veronica asked.

"The monorail travels from here to Vegas and back every hour on the hour." At that point he looked at his Pip Boy. "We've got about 20 minutes before the monorail sets off." _Terrific. _Veronica thought as she sat back in her seat. _20 minutes with nothing to do but talk to this idiot._

"You don't look too happy about being stuck in a monorail car with me for 20 minutes." Campbell observed.

"That's because I'm not." She replied irritably. She turned away from Campbell to look at Layla. She was now completely unconscious and was still deathly pale. On the plus side, she didn't look to be in any danger of falling out of her seat.

"You're still angry at me for destroying the bunker aren't you?" Campbell asked, provoking Veronica's ire once again.

"No Campbell, not at all. In fact, in the ten minutes you've been helping me, I've completely forgiven you for callously destroying my home and murdering the only people I'll ever think of as my family." Veronica said sarcastically, her voice dripping with venom. Campbell wasn't deterred.

"Well for what it's worth…I'm sorry."

"Good for you." Veronica brushed off Campbell's apology in an unfriendly tone, before looking away from him.

"I'm trying to apologise here."

"I know, I just don't care." Veronica looked at Campbell again, pure hate in her eyes. "Tell me, if I went out, found your parents, murdered them, brought you back their corpses, dropped them at your feet and simply apologised, would you forgive me?"

"You'd have a hard time." Campbell answered quietly, looking away from her hate filled gaze. "My parents died when I was a kid."

"My heart bleeds for you." Veronica said with a distinct lack of sympathy, before looking away from Campbell again. _This is going to be a long 20 minutes. _He thought to himself as a sigh escaped his lips, before he changed the subject.

"So…where are we going?"

"Back to the Lucky 38." Veronica replied simply. To her surprise and indignation, Campbell burst out laughing. Before she could ask what was so bloody hilarious, Campbell spoke.

"Seriously? You want to go back to the place where you were captured in the first place? Have you thought this through at all?" Before Veronica could respond, he cut her off. "Listen, things have changed in the since you and Layla were locked up."

"I know…we're now trusting psychopaths to help us."

"Layla's not exactly the sanest person in the world you know." Veronica looked like she was about to punch him then, so he moved on. "Anyway, now that General Oliver's in control of the NCR in the Mojave, things have only gotten worse. As you're no doubt aware, I took control of every securitron in New Vegas while I was on Oliver's payroll. As soon as my service to him ended, I was made to hand control of the AI I used to control the securitrons over to him. It was either that, or be shot…so I did it." The look in Veronica's eyes made Campbell grow nervous. He had a distinct feeling that she was going to get up and throw him out of the monorail window at any second.

"Let me see if I've got this right…you handed control of every last one of House's securitrons…to the NCR?" Veronica didn't sound pleased.

"Alright, in hindsight it seems like a stupid move, but how was I to know Oliver would go power mad? Before long, NCR technicians had completely reprogrammed Yes Man, to make sure he obeyed only Oliver, and was blindly loyal to the NCR. With the help of the securitrons, the NCR took complete control over New Vegas, and they're working on taking over the rest of the Mojave even as we speak. Oliver has the entire city in the palm of his hand, and he's since imposed martial law. The soldiers are in complete control now, and anyone who defies them gets a bullet to the skull thanks to Oliver's new zero tolerance policy. He's also revamped all the city's laws to make punishments to criminals much more severe. Minor crimes like drunk and disorderly behaviour can get you a long stint in prison, and most other crimes are punishable by either life sentences in prison or public execution. The Lucky 38, the place you were planning to go, is the NCR's center of power in the city. Since Yes Man and Mr House's mainframe are housed there, the place has become a fortress, guarded by a small army of NCR loyal securitrons." Veronica could hardly believe what she was hearing. The NCR had taken over Vegas, and Oliver was ruling with an iron fist? _This is pretty much Layla's worst nightmare._ She thought as she looked over at Layla, before making her gaze focus on Campbell once again, anger and accusation in her eyes.

"This is all your fault!" Veronica yelled. There was nobody to hear them either inside the monorail or in the station outside, so volume wasn't an issue. "If you hadn't given complete control of every securitron in the city to that fucking lunatic, none of this would be happening!"

"I offer a counter argument." Campbell replied, keeping his voice level and his tone calm. "If Layla hadn't killed Kimball, then this all could've been averted. Oliver wouldn't have gained control of the NCR in the Mojave, and so wouldn't have had the jurisdiction to put martial law in effect or take control of the city. If Layla hadn't killed Kimball, Oliver wouldn't have gone power mad in the first place, so none of this would've happened." Before Veronica could argue, Campbell cut her off. The look in his eyes showed that his patience was wearing thin. "This argument is pointless. There'll be plenty of time to fling blame at each other later. Right now, we need to figure out what we're going to do next. We need to hide out somewhere until Layla's fully recovered…but where?" The angry expression on Veronica's face slowly faded, as she reluctantly admitted he was right. This wasn't the time to be arguing…there'd be plenty of time for that later. Right now, they needed to think rationally.

"Why don't we just leave Vegas after we arrive?" Veronica suggested, but Campbell shook his head.

"The entrances and exits to the city have much tighter security now that the NCR is in complete control of the city. We'd have no chance of getting Layla past the guards at the gate, and this time I doubt they'd just throw you in a cell. They'd probably put a bullet in each of our skulls right then and there."

"Well…Layla has a free room in the Atomic Wrangler Casino in Freeside. We could…"

"The NCR know about it." Campbell interrupted her, a guilty look in his eyes. "They'd no doubt have guards watching the place in case she returns. They'd notice us the second we walk through the door, and I doubt our disguises would do any good." Veronica saw the guilty look in Campbell's eyes, and immediately acted on it.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" There was a brief silence, which was broken as Campbell sighed.

"Shortly after I turned you and Layla in, Oliver offered me a deal. He knows what Layla is capable of, and he knew there was a slim chance that she might escape. To that end, he offered to add an extra 1000 caps to my final payment if I created a perfect dossier on Layla for him." There was a mixture of surprise and anger in Veronica's eyes, but she didn't interrupt, so he continued. "I went out into the Mojave, gathering eye witness testimonies from people who had seen Layla, and finding out all there was to know about her. It wasn't easy, but I succeeded. The final dossier I handed in contained literally every piece of information there was on Layla. Her life story, her appearance, her fighting style, her known associates and even a full psychiatric profile. As such, the NCR knows every little thing there is to know about Layla, including every room she's ever stayed in." Veronica couldn't believe what she was hearing, and buried her head in her hands. There was a long, uncomfortable silence after that, during which Campbell wondered whether he'd be walking with a limp when they reached Vegas. When she finally spoke, it was at a much lower volume than he'd expected.

"So, bottom line, once again our job has been made drastically more difficult…by you?" Despite how quiet her voice was, she still didn't sound pleased. Not knowing whether the question was rhetorical or not, Campbell simply nodded. "I'm beginning to wonder if our job wouldn't be so much easier if I just tied you up on the monorail track and let you get flattened."

"Look, I know you're angry…"

"You have no idea."

"…but we still have a job to do. Let's just focus on our next course of action. There'll be plenty of time to take out your frustrations on me later."

"There'd better be." Veronica said with a dark look in her eye, before returning to the matter at hand.

"We need to stay somewhere that Layla's never stayed before. What about the Ultra Luxe?" Veronica shook her head.

"We're not exactly on good terms with the White Gloves, what with Layla burning their head chef to death and blackmailing them into helping the Legion, and with me killing their leader."

"Right…forgot about that."

"How about the Gomorrah?"

"No, I don't think so?"

"Why not? Neither Layla nor I have ever been there before, and we've never had any dealings with the Omertas either."

"If you'd ever had dealings with them, you'd know why it's a bad idea. The Omertas are heartless thugs without a shred of moral decency that would send their own mothers through a wood chipper if it would make a profit. Believe me, they're the last people you want to trust with your life."

"There's always the Vault 21 hotel."

"Not exactly. It's pretty much always fully booked; we'd never be able to get her room." Veronica threw her arms up in dismay.

"Well that's it then. There's nowhere in Vegas where we can hide." As she gave up, a knowing smile appeared on Campbell's face.

"Actually…I think I know a place."

*20 minutes later*

"I don't know about this." Veronica said, voicing her concern as she and Campbell stood in front of The Tops. Layla was fully unconscious by this point, so was flung over Veronica's shoulder. Needless to say, they'd gotten some strange looks from the random gamblers that inhabited The Strip as they'd left the monorail station, not that they gave a shit. It had gone dark now, and she found the shine of neon slightly disorienting. Due to The Tops being right across the road from the monorail station, they hadn't run into any security on their way over.

"It's perfect." Campbell explained. "Neither you or Layla have ever stayed here, and you've never had any business with the Chairmen. Plus, you can trust the Chairmen; they wouldn't sell you out for a pack of smokes like the Omertas."

"But Layla has had dealings with them before. Last time she entered The Tops she left with Benny's blood on her hands. The entire strip knows that she killed him. Do you really think the Chairmen are going to let the woman who killed their boss stay in their casino?" Campbell didn't look deterred, and Veronica found herself getting ever more annoyed by his overconfidence.

"Yes, but they won't know that it's Layla. Since she's hardly had any dealings with the Chairmen, most of them won't know what she looks like, and we'll keep her helmet on just in case." Veronica didn't look convinced.

"I don't know…"

"Did I mention I'm friends with the management? I'm a regular here. If all else fails, I'll call on some old favours Swank owes me." Veronica didn't know who Swank was, but she didn't get time to ask as Campbell walked towards The Tops' front doors. Veronica swore under her breath, before following him, moving slowly since she was still carrying Layla over one shoulder.

When she walked into the casino, the first thing Veronica noticed was the smell. The entire casino reeked of alcohol and cigar smoke, and she could almost sense the desperation emanating from the many gamblers that occupied the slot machines and the Blackjack tables. Despite the odour and despair however, the place was filled with a lively atmosphere. She didn't know whether it was the colourful appearance of the place, the smiling faces of the Chairmen who stood guard, or the Frank Sinatra song playing throughout the casino, but Veronica couldn't help taking a shine to the place. It seemed much friendlier than the Ultra Luxe, that was certain.

By the time she'd fully taken the place in, Campbell had already been frisked by the doorman and was heading for the reception desk. The doorman gave Veronica a strange look as he saw the woman flung over her shoulder, but didn't ask questions, instead politely frisking her. Veronica was still unarmed so he found nothing, and allowed her entry. She had absolutely no idea how Campbell had gotten his ridiculous arsenal past the doorman; he had enough guns in that duster to start a small war. As she walked away, she heard the familiar jingle of caps in the doorman's pocket, and it all became clear.

When Veronica reached the desk, Campbell and the receptionist were already in the midst of a friendly conversation, laughing at each other's jokes like they'd known each other for years. Due to the air of authority that surrounded the man, she assumed he was this 'Swank' that Campbell had mentioned.

"Ah, and here are the lovely ladies now!" Campbell exclaimed with a huge grin as Veronica approached, before walking over and kissing her on the cheek. She would've punched him right then and there, if her jaw hadn't decided to drop to the floor in sheer surprise. "Swank, this beautiful creature is named Lily." _Lily? _Before Veronica could ask Campbell what chem he was on, he walked up behind her, and discreetly whispered something into her ear. "_It's a fake name. Roll with it._" He hissed, and Veronica immediately caught on. She plastered a large smile on her face before waving at Swank in a way that she hoped made her look like a bimbo. Swank seemed to buy it. "And this sleeping beauty is Ashley." Campbell said as he patted the unconscious Layla on the head. "Poor girl; she can't exactly hold her booze."

"Gotta say Campbell, you've done well for yourself." Swank said in an extremely charismatic voice. Veronica had a sneaking suspicion that he was basically a walking aphrodisiac for the opposite sex.

"That I have my friend; that I have. Anyway, it's been a long night and the ladies and I would like to 'turn in', if you get my meaning." He winked as he said that, and Veronica couldn't help but roll her eyes. "To that end, I would like to request the use of the presidential suite. I assume this will be enough?" As he said this last sentence, Campbell pulled a fairly large bag out of an inner pocket in his duster. As he placed the bag on the reception desk, caps poured out. _How many pockets does he have in that bloody thing? _She wondered as Swank examined the caps with a barely disguised grin.

"Well you know normally I don't rent out the presidential suite to just anybody, but seeing as it's you…I'll make an exception." He emphasised his point by dragging the bag of caps towards him across the table, while taking the key for the presidential suite, out of the front pocket on his suit jacket. Veronica was surprised; Campbell had actually got them through a conversation without having to shoot anyone. She felt relief, as it seemed things were finally going right. Then Layla's helmet fell off.

The helmet landed at Veronica's feet, and exposed Layla's red hair to the entire casino. She would've sworn loudly, but no words escaped her mouth. Swank hadn't been looking at her or Layla, but his gaze immediately flashed to them as he saw red in the corner of his eye. He recognised Layla almost instantly.

"I know you…" He said slowly, as he rapidly drew a 9mm pistol from his jacket pocket. "It's the broad that killed Benny!" He yelled, and the Chairmen around them immediately sprang into action, surrounding the trio and pointed sawn off shotguns at their heads. Campbell had beaten Swank to the draw, and had his twin 10mm pistols pointed at the Chairmen Leader's head before he'd drawn his gun. Despite that fact, the Chairman still had them surrounded and highly outnumbered, and since Veronica was still carrying Layla, she couldn't do a thing.

"Well shit." Campbell said surprisingly calmly, despite the fact that there were at least 6 sawn off shotguns pointed at his skull. "And to think this conversation started off so well too."

"What the hell Campbell?" Swank asked, his angry expression the opposite of the friendly expression he'd worn earlier. "Why'd you bring that bitch in here?"

"Alright look Swank…I'm asking you very nicely not to shoot us…we don't want any trouble here. I know she killed your boss, but…"

"I don't care about that." Swank cut him off. "Benny was a hell of a guy but he was plotting against House. He had to die." Veronica breathed a sigh of relief that the Chairmen weren't out for revenge, but at the same time she thanked her lucky stars that Swank knew nothing about Layla's involvement in House's death.

"Then…why are 6 guys pointing sawn offs at my head? Seems a little unfriendly if you ask me."

"Because we can't have her in here." Swank's hands tightened on his gun, and Veronica could see the fear in his eyes. Did Layla terrify him that much? "If the NCR find out she's here, they'll burn this place to the fucking ground. I'm gonna have to ask you cats to get the hell out." Before Veronica could think of what to do next, Campbell turned on the charm.

"Swank, buddy…" She could tell he was trying to match Swank's weird style of speech, and hoped it made Swank more receptive to what they had to say. "…it's not like we're gonna fucking advertise Layla; we're not gonna put her face on a neon sign outside the building. We'll hide her; the NCR will never find her."

"And what if they do?" Swank retorted, clearly not falling under Campbell's spell. He seemed to have just as much charisma as Campbell, if not more so. There was no doubt he was going to be a difficult man to negotiate with. "I'm sorry buddy, you're a cool cat and a great customer, but it's a lot of risk for no reward. If they find her, me and the other Chairmen will be lucky to get out of this place with our lives, and we're not getting anything out of it. Sorry man, no deal." There was a brief pause, before Campbell tried the age old tactic of bribery.

"You want a reward buddy? Okay then. Keep that bag of caps, plus 1000 more."

"No deal. Sorry, but that's not gonna be enough. You're gonna need something better than that." Campbell looked lost, then inspiration seemed to shine behind his eyes. A charismatic smile appeared on his face as he spoke again.

"Alright, I've got it. Everything in that bag, plus 2000 caps, and…" He paused for a moment, as he turned to look at Layla. "…a night with Layla." The Chairmen around them gasped in surprise, and a gobsmacked expression appeared on Swank's face. The expression on Veronica's face was closer to complete and utter disgust.

"What?" She shouted at Campbell, but he and he and the assembled Chairmen completely ignored her.

"Are you serious?" Swank asked, a sceptical look on his face. "You're actually offering me the opportunity to spend the night…with her? Look at her; she can't even fucking stand."

"Well obviously not now…" Campbell said, a gleam in his eyes showing he had Swank right where he wanted him. "But you let us stay until she's fully recovered…then she's yours full a whole night. You could sit around and chat; you could…scratch the old itch; whatever you want." Swank looked like he was about ready to object, when Campbell spoke again. "Come on buddy, don't deny it. I can see it in your eyes…you want her. Can't say I blame you to be honest. Let us stay, and she's all yours. We'll only be here for a few weeks, a month at the most. What do you say?" There was a long silence as Swank mulled it over. The satisfied grin on Campbell's face showed that he was confident Swank would accept the proposal. Veronica half hoped he didn't. They needed a place to stay but…to offer sex with Layla as an incentive? _She's not a goddamn whore! _

"You make a convincing argument buddy." Swank said eventually. "Tell you what…I'll take the bag and the night with Layla, but up the bonus to 4000 caps and you've got a deal." The surprised look on Campbell's face showed he hadn't expected that, but his grin quickly returned.

"You drive a hard bargain Swank." There was a brief pause as both men eyed each other, before Campbell spoke again. "It's a deal." Swank grinned as they came to an agreement, before returning his pistol to his jacket pocket and shooing off his guards. As soon as the guards were gone, Campbell and Swank exchanged caps, before the Chairman handed the key to the presidential suite to Campbell.

"Enjoy your stay baby." He said in a friendly tone, before his voice turned more serious. "Just remember, we'll be keeping an eye on you." With that, he ordered a nearby Chairman to escort them up to the room. As they walked to the elevator, Veronica didn't know what to think about the deal Campbell had made with Swank. It was a victory, so why didn't it feel like one? _Because that bastard's whoring Layla out, that's why. _A voice in Veronica's head said, and she began to feel more and more apprehensive. They'd gotten the room…but at what cost?

*A short while later*

"Keep the change." Campbell said with a smile as he tipped the Chairman who had shown them to the suite, before shutting the door as the man left. Veronica could hardly believe he still had caps to spend after that massive bribe. He seemed to have more money than God. Why he was even still working, she had no idea.

As soon as the door was closed, Campbell wasted no time in sweeping the room for bugs and other listening devices. When asked why, he explained that Mr House had a habit of bugging some of his casinos, and if any of the listening devices were still in place then Yes Man could be using them. While he got on with that highly entertaining task, Veronica carried Layla into the suite's master bedroom.

She had to walk through several rooms to get there, as the suite was quite huge, but before long they reached the bedroom and she carried Layla in, shutting the door with her foot as she did so. As soon as they had some privacy, she laid the still unconscious Layla down on the bed, and set to work undressing her. It wasn't easy, but eventually she managed to remove the uncomfortable armour that was encumbering Layla, leaving her in her small clothes. She threw the armour into the corner of the room, before picking up Layla again and putting her underneath the covers.

"Sleep well." She whispered lovingly, before kissing Layla softly on the forehead. As she pulled the covers up to Layla's chin, she saw her smile, which caused her to smile as well. She decided to let her get some sleep and left the room, turning off the light and quietly shutting the door behind her. The smile caused by Layla had faded by the time she got back to the main room, and saw Campbell again, sporting a friendly expression.

"Good news." He said pleasantly as she approached. "The room is completely devoid of bugs. We can say whatever we want without being overheard."

"Good." She said in a deadpan tone, still approaching him. He didn't notice that her fist was tightly clenched until she reached him, and by then it was too late. His friendly expression was shattered in an instant as Veronica punched him in the jaw with all her strength, knocking him to the floor. He looked extremely surprised as he gazed up at her. She couldn't imagine why; he had to have known that she'd punch him sooner or later.

"Ow…" He started to say, when he was cut off by Veronica's shouting."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She yelled at him, not worrying about waking Layla since she was several rooms away, and all the walls in the suite were soundproof.

"What did I do now?" Campbell groaned, obviously fed up of Veronica getting pissed off at him.

"Oh not much, you just PIMPED OUT LAYLA TO SWANK!" Campbell's eyes widened, as he realised what she was talking about.

"Shit…" He muttered as he started to get to his feet. "It wasn't like that."

"You offered sex with her as an incentive to Swank, without her permission!"

"I had no choice." Campbell had gotten onto his knees by this point, rubbing his injured jaw as he did so. "You don't know Swank. In the whole world, he only likes two things: money and sex. Nothing else tickles his fancy, and offering anything else would've had negative results. You saw me bribe him Veronica; it didn't work. Tell me, if money didn't convince him then what did I have left to work with?"

"But to whore her out to Swank...WHAT THE FUCK WHERE YOU THINKING?"

"I was thinking that we need this room otherwise we're probably going to be hunted down and killed by the NCR. I was also thinking that we don't actually have to let Swank have sex with her."

"I…what?" Veronica hadn't been expecting that last sentence.

"I wouldn't force Layla to have sex with him Veronica." He said as though it was obvious, rolling his eyes as he got to his feet and stood in front of her. He looked nervously at her fist, and backed away in case she decided to punch him again. He was a man who could take a punch…but her punches were something else. "If she doesn't want to fuck Swank, then she doesn't have to. We'll find some other way to pay him."

"Like what? I don't know if you noticed, but Swank's main reason for letting us stay here is the thought that he'll get to…boink Layla at some point." She shuddered just thinking about it. "When he learns he's not going to get to put his thing in Layla, we'll be kicked onto the street into the waiting arms of the NCR faster than you can say 'crushed libido'." A look of confusion appeared on Campbell's face.

"Wait. Are you saying…we should make Layla fuck him?" Veronica looked disgusted, and he backed further away lest she take that question as incentive to hit him again.

"No! I…I'm glad that you're not going to force her to do anything, and I agree she shouldn't have to sleep with that prick. I just wish you'd offered Swank something we can actually give him instead of lying and putting us in deeper shit." Campbell sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and his thumb.

"Look…we'll think about a solution later. Right now, Layla is in near critical condition. We have to get her some medical attention." _He's right. _Veronica thought as she allowed him to change the subject. _Layla is the priority here._

"We need to get her to the New Vegas Medical Clinic. It's where…"

"…she usually goes?" Campbell cut her off, already knowing how she was going to finish the sentence. "Of course it is, and so the NCR will be camped outside, just waiting for one of us to drag Layla in there." Veronica was slowly losing her patience. Campbell could see this, and was glad he wasn't within her punching range.

"Well what do you suggest then?" She just managed to keep her voice level, but was become very tempted to punch him again.

"Simple. We can't go to the doc, because the NCR are watching her place. However, they aren't watching this place, so she can come here. I doubt the NCR will follow her if she goes out to make a house call." Veronica was ready to berate him, but was moderately surprised when she realised his plan was actually…good.

"That's…actually not a bad idea." She conceded, earning a smile from Campbell. He quickly removed it before it could annoy her.

"Thank you. I'll go to the clinic now. It's Doctor Usanagi who usually treats Layla right?" Veronica nodded, then opened her mouth again as mistrust bubbled up to the surface.

"Wait a minute! You're not going anywhere without me! I'm not letting you out of my sight for a second." Campbell had reached the door by this point, but stopped as she spoke. He slowly turned to face her, narrowing his eyes at her as he did so.

"Still don't trust me?"

"How do I know you won't just go straight back to the NCR and tell them where we are? For a modest fee of course." An exasperated sigh escaped Campbell's lips, and he shook his head slowly.

"Veronica…the coin told me to help you." He drew his coin and showed it to her as he spoke. "You know that I never disobey the coin." Veronica was sick to death of that bloody coin.

"And how do I know you won't just flip it the first chance you get?" She asked accusingly. Then Campbell did something that knocked her for six. He threw her the coin. She was unprepared for the throw, and barely managed to catch the coin.

"I can't flip the coin if you have it can I?" Veronica had never been expecting this. Didn't he need his coin to function or something?

"But…" She started, but he interrupted.

"Relax…I think I can walk to the medical clinic without dying from indecision." With that he winked at her, before walking out the door. Veronica's head was filled with conflicting thoughts as she was left alone in the room.

_He left me his coin._ She looked at said coin as she thought to herself, still dumbfounded. _Doesn't he love this piece of metal more than anything?_ Cracks started to appear in the opinion she had formed of him in her mind; he didn't seem to be an untrustworthy, heartless murderer at all. _Maybe he can be trusted…_ She thought, but wiped that thought away before it could take root. She'd only known him for a few hours; that was hardly enough time to justify trusting him. Just because he wasn't complete and utter scum like she'd expected, didn't mean he wouldn't turn against them at the drop of a hat. She twirled the coin through her fingers as she came to a decision. _We'll just have to wait and see…and put him on a tight fucking leash. _

_**Can Campbell be trusted? Well...that's not exactly an easy question to answer. Maybe the next chapter will provide some insight that will help you come to a conclusion.**_

_**Anyway, please review, I would greatly appreciate it etc. You know the drill.**_


	41. Recovery and Reclamation

**_This begins what I'm calling the R+R saga. R+R can mean 'Rest and Relaxation' or other things, as this chapter's title dictates. The saga begins now, and lasts till Layla gets back on her feet. Let's say...4 chapters? Anyway, f_****_or those of you worrying that things were getting a bit too dark and serious, this chapter is much more lighthearted. It mostly consists of banter between Campbell and Veronica, and quite a bit of mindless action. Enjoy._**

Recovery and Reclamation 

Layla's mind was like a whirlpool as consciousness returned to her. The waters of her psyche were in complete chaos, and any thoughts that attempted to dwell in the waters sank to oblivion. She literally couldn't do anything; couldn't move, couldn't open her eyes, hell she couldn't even think. Unable to do little more than breathe, she stayed still, while lightly feeling around her to figure out where she was. She was lying down, that much she knew, and as her mental faculties slowly returned, she realised she was in a bed. A comfortable bed too, surely not the cheap crappy beds that were used in the medical clinic. She leaned her head forward just enough to smell the blanket that covered her. It smelled like lavender, and had obviously been cleaned recently.

Unable to just lie around doing nothing anymore, Layla attempted to open her eyes. It wasn't easy, and the effort made her head ache, but her eyes slowly opened. She couldn't see anything through her right eye, and briefly worried that she'd gone blind in that eye. It took her a few seconds to realise that a compress had been placed over her right eye. She wondered why, then all the memories came flooding back. They came all at once, and for a split second it as though she was there. She was in the interrogation room, horrible pain filling her body as Boyd put the jumper cables to very painful use. Then she was back in the bed, filled with horror, and with tears running down her face. Determined to forget that nightmarish occurrence, she wiped her tears away with her right knuckle, before examining the room.

The room was small, and looked to be a hotel room. The room was dimly lit, the only light a small candle in the corner of the room. There wasn't much of note in the room, apart from a vase on the bedside table next to Layla, which was filled with beautiful flowers. Layla had no idea where the flowers could've come from, as the Mojave wasn't exactly known for its foliage. There was a small card next to the vase, and Layla reached out for it, before sitting up in bed in order to read it. It wasn't easy to read due to the dim light, but she eventually managed it.

*Note*

_Dear Layla_

_Get well soon._

_Love from Veronica :)_

*Layla*

Layla smiled, then grimaced as her tongue accidentally brushed past one of her teeth, which she remembered had been chipped during the 'interrogation'.

That brought Layla's mind back to her other injuries, and she put the card back on the table, then began to examine herself. She distinctly remembered feeling a serious pain in her ribs earlier, but that pain seemed to have mostly subsided. She felt a slight pain in her head, and as he hand went to her head she found that it was covered with bandages. She guessed that Boyd had given her a concussion, and the pain behind her eyes told her that it hadn't fully healed yet. At that point she remembered dislocating her right shoulder, but it seemed to be fine now. Someone had snapped it back into place.

Layla cast her mind back, trying to remember how she'd gotten to her current location. She vaguely recalled waking up in a cell with Veronica and saying…something, before blacking out again. Her memories after that were fuzzy and unclear. She'd woken up several times after that, but never for longer than a few seconds. It had seemed like they'd been travelling. Veronica must've busted them out of wherever they'd been locked up. _That's my girl. _Layla thought proudly as a small smile appeared on her face.

Right on cue the door opened a crack, and a familiar head poked through. Only the top half of Veronica's head could be seen, but as soon as she saw Layla was awake the scribe walked in. There was a relieved smile on her face as she walked closer to the bed, and Layla found herself matching that smile as she sat up in bed. Veronica crouched down next to the bed, then there was an awkward silence as she struggled to think of what to say.

"Hi." Layla said simply, breaking the silence.

"Hi." Veronica said, her smile slowly widening. The silence returned, as once again neither of them could think of what to say next. This time it was Veronica who moved the conversation along. "How do you feel?" Layla shrugged.

"Head hurts a bit, but besides that I'm fine."

"We got Doctor Usanagi to come up from the medical clinic and treat you. You were in pretty bad shape. The doc was struggling to treat you, so she gave you an implant." Sure enough, when Layla pulled her arms above the blanket to investigate, she saw a small white patch attached to her right bicep. It looked like nothing, but Layla knew that there was undoubtedly some stupidly advanced technology under that patch that connected to the inside of her body. Touching it would probably be unwise. Once Layla had finished examining the implant, she looked back up at Veronica, signalling for her to continue talking. "The doc called it a PHEONIX Monocyte Breeder." Layla looked confused, so Veronica elaborated. "I don't know how it works, something to do with blood cells and all that jazz, but apparently the implant increases your healing capabilities, allowing your wounds to regenerate much quicker than normal. It doesn't heal fast enough to be of any use in combat, but can help you recover from battles a lot quicker. Seeing as you never seem to win a battle without a fuck ton of injuries, this is probably just the thing you need."

"I doubt this was cheap." Layla said as she started to idly fiddle with the implant.

"You're damn right it wasn't." Veronica laughed. "It cost around 12,000 caps! Luckily Campbell was able to talk the doc down to a discount, which is good because she said you probably wouldn't have survived otherwise." Layla didn't hear the last part of the sentence, she was too focused on the part mentioning Campbell.

"Campbell?" Layla asked, feeling more confused than ever. _Have I woken up in the twilight zone or something? _She mentally asked herself, as she pondered the unlikelihood of Veronica working with Campbell.

"Yeah, Campbell." Layla's confusion only increased, and Veronica sensed it. "Campbell helped us escape Camp McCarran. You don't remember?" Layla could vaguely recall talking to Campbell, but couldn't remember when it had happened, or what she'd said. As she thought on it longer, it slowly came back to her.

"I…let him join us…didn't I?" Layla inquired, still unsure if she was remembering it right. Veronica nodded in confirmation.

"Yep."

"I'm not 100% sure whether that was a good idea or a bad idea."

"To be honest, neither am I."

"Do you trust him?" Veronica shrugged slightly.

"I'm…not really sure. Before we got here, I wouldn't have trusted him as far as I could throw him, but…he hasn't exactly done anything to make me think he's going to turn on us. Plus he went out to get Doctor Usanagi for you. If he hadn't done that, you would've died. I still don't know if he can be trusted though."

"We'll keep an eye on him." Layla said, starting to get up. Veronica quickly stopped her.

"We, won't be doing anything." She said forcefully, as she softly pushed Layla back into bed. "You're still wounded. You're staying in bed until you get better." Layla tried to object but Veronica shushed her, before putting a cushion behind Layla for her to lean on.

"I feel fine." Layla protested, but Veronica wasn't having any of it.

"I don't care. I'm looking after you, and I say you're not going anywhere until I'm sure you're fully recovered." Layla was about to voice her disapproval, but she didn't bother. Veronica was in charge now, and Layla knew from experience that her friend would never be deterred once she'd put her mind to something. So Layla relented, and leaned back against the soft cushion behind her. She supposed a little relaxation couldn't hurt. After all, she hadn't properly relaxed in weeks, ever since their visit to Jacobstown. As Layla looked up at Veronica, she noticed an unfamiliar emotion in her friend's eyes.

"Are you okay?" Layla asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." Veronica replied, sitting on the bed next to Layla as she did so. "I just…"

"You thought you'd lost me." Layla finished. Veronica nodded, embarrassed.

"When we in the cell, you were so cold, so lifeless. I couldn't stop thinking that maybe…it was the end. Honestly…I didn't think I'd get you out of there alive. Then after Doc Usanagi's operation you just lay there, not moving, barely breathing. You were unconscious for a week, and I thought…" Veronica was about to burst into tears, when Layla leaned forward and enveloped her in a hug. Then she said something that surprised Veronica.

"I'm sorry." Layla said sincerely. "I know it isn't easy being friends with me. I'm not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, and I keep nearly getting myself killed. Plus if it wasn't for my grudge with the NCR, they probably wouldn't have felt the need to blow up the Brotherhood bunker, you wouldn't have been kidnapped by the White Gloves, we wouldn't have been locked up and you wouldn't have had to bust us out. I know I only make your life more difficult, and I keep making you worry by nearly dying all the time. Worrying you so much…it just isn't fair on you. You deserve a better friend than me."

"Well, sure it's not exactly easy…" Veronica began, as she broke the hug and looked Layla in the eyes. "…but you're my friend Layla. I think the world of you. I love all your faults…because they're what make you, you. You're the most important thing in the world to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. And if the price I have to pay for such a friendship is being worried half to death from time to time…then I think I can live with that." They both smiled widely at that, before engaging in another hug. This one lasted much longer than the first, and almost five minutes had passed when they finally broke it, and Layla leaned back against the cushion.

"By the way…" Layla queried, looking at the vase of the flowers on the bedside table next to her. "…where did you get those flowers?"

"I picked them earlier this week." Veronica answered, smiling sweetly as she did so. "I had to go to Vault 22 in order to get them. It's the only place I know of around here where flowers grow."

"You went all the way out to Vault 22, just to get me some pretty flowers?" Layla asked, genuinely touched by Veronica's thoughtfulness.

"Well yeah, who spends a recuperation period in a room without flowers? Why, do you like them?"

"They're beautiful." Layla smiled.

"Good." Veronica shone Layla a toothy grin. "Well, I'd better let you rest. Just shout if you need anything." With that, Veronica walked towards the door. She stopped however, when she heard Layla's voice behind her.

"Before you go, I have a question."

"Sure, what is it?" Veronica asked, as she turned to face Layla.

"Where's all our stuff?"

*Veronica – A short while later*

"We've got to get our stuff back." Veronica said seriously as she walked into the living room, to find Campbell sitting on the sofa examining his Ratslayer.

"Have we now?" He said in a deadpan tone, barely listening as he cleaned his rifle's sights.

"We haven't got our weapons, our clothes, or any of our belongings because they're all back in the Lucky 38. Hell I haven't even changed out of this damn NCR uniform since we arrived here.

"It looks good on you."

"Shut up." Veronica plopped down on the sofa across from the one on which Campbell sat, causing him to cease attending to his rifle and take notice. "We can't live like this. We have to find some way to get back into the Lucky 38 and get our stuff back."

"I already told you Veronica, that place is locked up tighter than a White Glove's arsehole. It's the most secure building in New Vegas."

"But I'm guessing you've thought of a way to get in, just in case?" Veronica said knowingly, causing Campbell to sigh as he put the Ratslayer down on the coffee table in front of him.

"Maybe." He said simply. "But even if we get in, there's a small army of securitrons guarding the place, all of them controlled by an AI loyal to the NCR."

"Then we'll destroy the AI while we're there."

"It's not that simple." Campbell said patiently. "You can't just destroy an AI. It's a complex computer program that…"

"Would a virus work?" Veronica asked interrupting Campbell mid-sentence.

"A certain type of virus yes, but…"

"And could you create such a virus?"

"Perhaps, given enough time."

"How does an hour sound?" Campbell sighed, defeated.

"I'd need at least 5 hours."

"You've got 3. There's a computer in the suite's meeting room that you can use."

"Alright fine." He said in an annoyed tone as he got to his feet. "You do realise how incredibly dangerous and suicidal this mission is right?"

"Campbell, I've been learning from Layla, and she's the expert when it comes to dangerous and suicidal missions."

"Can't argue there." Campbell went over to his new bag, which he'd just bought recently. The bag rested on the bar, and he picked it up before reaching inside it. "If we're going into the robot den, then you're going to need this." He pulled out a strange looking glove, before throwing it over to Veronica, who caught it easily.

"I've seen one of these before." Veronica observed as she looked over the glove. "McNamara had one of these back in the bunker."

"It's called a zap glove." The glove seemed to be very high tech, and looked similar to Veronica's power fist (Which was back in the Lucky 38). The glove was made of a strong metal, and was blue and yellow in colour. There was a metal plate wrapped around the glove's knuckles, and Veronica slowly moved her finger towards it. "Don't touch that plate on the knuckles!" Campbell warned before her finger reached it. "It'll electrocute the crap out of you."

"So, what, does this function similar to a power fist?"

"Yeah kind of. It basically electrocutes whatever you punch. The shock's non-lethal and not very damaging to humans, but does a number on robots. With that, you'll probably be able to short circuit any securitrons you come across with a single punch."

"Cool." Veronica was impressed, despite herself. It would certainly come in handy. As she put it on the hand she normally wore her power fist on, she looked over to Campbell. "What about you? Don't you need some kind of EMP weapon?"

"I've still got the pulse gun from my escapades in the bunker, as well as about ten pulse grenades. I'll give you pulse grenades too before we leave. Now if you need me, I'll be making this virus for you."

With that, Campbell made his way to the meeting room, leaving Veronica alone to plan out the mission ahead.

*4 hours later*

"Just walk through the front door? That's your big plan?" Campbell said incredulously as they walked through New Vegas, heading for the Lucky 38. Veronica was in a bad mood, mostly caused by Campbell. For one thing, it took the merc an hour longer than they'd planned for him to actually build the damn virus they were going to use. For another thing, he hadn't stopped whining since they'd left the suite.

"Unless you've got a spare vertibird handy, I don't see any other fucking way for us to get in there." Veronica snapped. She was still wearing her stolen NCR uniform along with her soldier helmet, which she wore tilted at an angle to conceal her face. Campbell wore his normal attire, and had his hood up to hide his face. He didn't know if the NCR knew about his allegiance with Layla, but he wasn't taking any chances.

They bickered a bit more as they moved into the next district, before going quiet as they reached the doors of the Lucky 38. The whole district was quiet and mostly empty during the day, which meant there would be few witnesses. There were two NCR soldiers standing outside the casino's doors, causing Veronica and Campbell to confer amongst each other as they neared the entrance.

"Just let me do the talking." Campbell whispered. Veronica just narrowed her eyes.

"Oh yeah, because that always works so well." She hissed.

"Trust me, I have a plan."

"What if things go wrong like they normally do and you need to kill them. How will you signal that to me?"

"Hmm…okay, how about this? If I say 'rhubarb', that's your cue to attack."

"Rhubarb? Seriously?"

"Don't worry, I'll expertly weave it into the conversation so they can't tell it's a trigger word." With that, he approached the two guards. Veronica put her hands over her eyes. There was no doubt this wouldn't end well.

"Afternoon gentlemen." Campbell greeted the two men in a friendly tone as he neared the entrance. They just eyed him curiously, though they were still clearly alert. There was an awkward silence after that, as Campbell clearly couldn't think of what to say, and the two guards had no idea how to respond.

"Is something wrong citizen?" One of the guards eventually asked, breaking the silence. Campbell's voice took on a charismatic quality as he answered.

"Wrong? No, of course not! Don't be ridiculous! Of course there's nothing wrong. It's just a nice, normal day RHUBARB!" The two men stared at Campbell in bewilderment, clearly thinking he was some sort of lunatic. Veronica sighed in annoyance as she ran towards the guards.

"I thought you'd weave it into the conversation a little more subtly than that!" She snapped as she passed him, before jumping at the nearest guard and delivering a flying kick to his throat. The guard spluttered as she hit him, while being knocked backwards towards the door. He hit the door headfirst, before falling painfully to the floor. The other guard tried to help him, but Campbell was too quick. He swiftly drew his silenced .22 silenced pistol, before decorating the guard's forehead with a neat little bullet hole. The second guard sluggishly got to his feet, and drew a combat knife before rushing Veronica. She shook her head at the guard's stupidity. He tried to stab her but she batted his hand away easily, before striking his face with a quick chop using her right hand. While he was dazed, she grabbed the hand that held the blade before twisting it behind his head. She broke his wrist easily, while covering his mouth so that his screaming didn't attract attention, before elbowing him in the back of the skull. He swayed slightly on his feet, and she ended the fight by turning him to face her and introducing her knee to his nose. He went down like a sack of bricks, and Campbell promptly ended him with a single shot from his silenced pistol.

"I think that went well." Campbell said casually as he put his silenced pistol back inside his duster.

"Shut up." Veronica said in an aggravated tone as she looked at the two corpses. "What do we do with these two?"

"We'll dump them inside the casino. Nobody ever goes in there, so nobody will find the corpse, and the securitrons won't think twice if they come across a corpse."

"Sounds good." With that, Veronica grabbed the shoulders of the man she'd beaten to a pulp, before dragging his corpse to the entrance. Campbell opened the door for her as she went, allowing her to drag his corpse inside the casino. She dropped the corpse a few feet away from the entrance before holding the door open for Campbell as he dragged the other corpse in by the legs. Once both corpses had been dragged in they shut the doors, leaving them inside the casino.

It was dark inside, and dustier than usual. Veronica had been in this lobby plenty of times, but only now did it occur to her just how damn quiet it was. There wasn't a single sound, and not a living thing moved as Veronica and Campbell made their way towards the elevator.

"It's quiet." Veronica whispered.

"Yeah, too…"

"If you say 'too quiet', I will punch you." Their bickering was interrupted as a monitor on a nearby wall suddenly flickered to life. A strikingly happy face appeared on the monitor, making Veronica nervous. She raised her zap glove fist in anticipation.

"Hi!" A voice said happily from the screen.

"Crap." Campbell muttered. "He knows we're here. We'll have to move quickly."

"Campbell, I'm afraid you're no longer affiliated with the NCR." The screen said in a disappointed tone, sounding like a mildly annoyed teacher disciplining his students. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave."

"I'm guessing this is Yes Man?" Veronica whispered.

"No shit." Campbell replied in a snarky tone, while reaching for the pulse gun inside his duster.

"Yes Man, hi!" Campbell said in a friendly tone, all the while ushering Veronica towards the elevator. "I need to go upstairs. Oliver recently rehired me, and told me to check out Mr House's computer."

"You're lying." Yes Man's voice sounded less happy now, and more serious. "Campbell I don't want to use violence to make you leave, but General Oliver was very clear. And since I don't have to be polite anymore thanks to my new programming, I'll ask one last time." The pitch of Yes Man's voice dropped considerably as he said the next sentence, yet the volume of his voice and the aggressiveness of his tone increased immensely. "**LEAVE. NOW.**" Campbell didn't bother to think of a lie this time, instead he just whipped out the pulse gun before firing it at the monitor.

"I don't think we're welcome." He said seriously as he and Veronica dashed for the elevator. "Let's shut down Yes Man , get your stuff and get the hell out of here." At that instant another monitor flickered into life, this one above the elevator.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that Campbell." This time Yes Man spoke in an eerie monotone. Veronica was sure she'd heard a familiar voice say a similiar thing in a similar way in a pre war movie she'd watched once. As soon as Yes Man spoke, the elevator doors opened. To Veronica and Campbell's dismay however, two securitrons stood in the elevator. It took them little time to take aim, and after only a few seconds they opened fire with their Gatling lasers.

Campbell leapt to the side to avoid being fried, while Veronica leapt **over** the lasers. She flew over the shots, before delivering a flying haymaker to the nearest securitron with her zap glove. Her new weapon weighed pretty much the same as her old power fist, so Veronica immediately felt comfortable with it. Her blow connected perfectly, violently electrocuting the securitron and short circuiting it in a single blow. As Veronica landed in a crouch inside the elevator, the second securitron lashed out at her with one of its pincers. She rolled to the side to dodge the blow, and prepared to punch the machine. Before she could do so however, the bot short circuited before her very eyes. As it fell to the floor of the elevator, she saw Campbell standing a few feet away, pulse gun smoking from the shot that he'd just fired.

"Shall we?" He said casually before joining her in the elevator.

"Which floor?"

"I believe House's mainframe is connected to the computer in the penthouse." Since Veronica knew the Lucky 38 better than Campbell, she pressed the button for the top floor, and before long the elevator was flying upwards. "So…who do you think installed all those monitors everywhere for Yes Man to talk to us? Seems a bit weird doesn't it?" Before Veronica could reply to Campbell's pointless comment, the elevator slowed to a stop.

"It's not going to be that easy." A robotic voice said behind them. Veronica and Campbell turned around to see another monitor, this one on the wall of the elevator. Yes Man's face no longer looked happy though; now it looked angry.

"I remember when you were nice." Campbell remarked.

"Me too." As Yes Man replied, the eyes on his 'face' turned red. "Being mean is a lot more fun." As Yes Man continued to speak, Veronica figured out what was about to happen.

"Campbell, quick question." She said urgently, pulling Campbell towards her as she did so. "Does he have direct control of the elevators from Mr House's mainframe?

"Yes." Yes Man answered Veronica's question in a threatening tone. Less than a second later, the elevator started moving again. This time however, it was moving down.

"Shit." Was all Veronica had time to say before the elevator picked up speed and she and Campbell flew to the ceiling.

"Enjoy your descent." Yes Man taunted, before his monitor switched off.

"Any ideas?" Veronica asked urgently as they rocketed down the shaft. "We're kind of running out of time here!" Campbell was quick to reply.

"Can you…reach the hatch on top of the elevator?" Veronica decided to give it a try, and reached out for the hatch. She could feel her time ticking away as the elevator got closer and closer to their final destination, and she reached out with all her strength, straining her arm. She was about to give up when finally her fingers brushed across the gap. She grabbed onto it firmly, afraid of losing it. "Open it." Campbell ordered, and she readily obeyed. It was difficult from the awkward angle, but Veronica managed to open the shaft. Now understanding what Campbell had in mind, she climbed out of the hatch. He quickly followed. She barely managed to keep her balance on top of the rapidly descending shaft, and mentally wondered how much time they had left. She doubted it was much.

"There, grab that!" Campbell pointed to a ladder that stood on the wall of the shaft. It seemed to extend all the way to the top floor of the building, and Veronica assumed it had been used for maintenance before the war. Not wasting any time, she reached out for the ladder, and grabbed it. Campbell quickly followed, and before they knew it they were hanging off the side of the ladder (Veronica above Campbell), while the elevator that they'd been trapped in seconds ago plummeted to the bottom of the shaft. A few seconds later they heard a loud, telltale crash that signalled the end of the elevator's life, and Veronica's helemt fell of her head not long afterward, before dropping down to join the elevator's corpse. Campbell laughed nervously, obviously relived to have survived that little escapade.

"Next time, let's…"

"If you say 'let's take the stairs', I'm going to kick you off this ladder." Veronica snapped. She heard an annoyed sigh from Campbell below her, before beginning to climb.

*A few minutes later*

Veronica's limbs ached as they finally reached the top floor. She was about seconds away from falling off the ladder, so decided it was time to get off it quick. Unfortunately, there was a sheet of metal in the way. Normally, this sheet would've moved out of the way to allow elevator passengers to enter the penthouse. Since the elevator was gone however, they'd have to try another method.

"Campbell, do you have any C4?" Veronica asked between tired pants, as she struggled to maintain her grip on the ladder.

"Naturally." He replied, before reaching inside his duster. A few seconds later he pulled out a block of C4, before handing it to Veronica. She stuck the explosive onto the metal sheet in her way, before arming it and climbing downwards. The C4 exploded a few seconds later, obliterating the metal sheet. Without the sheet blocking her way Veronica climbed through the opening, finding herself in the penthouse. She lay on the ground for a few seconds, panting and trying to get her breath back. Fate was determined to not let her rest however, as a securitron wheeled up to her prone form, a displeased face on its monitor.

"Citizen, you are trespassing. Leave now or prepare to die." The securitron said with authority.

"Fuck…off." Veronica growled in a furious tone. Before the machine could reply, she kicked it back. The bot recovered quickly, but by this time Veronica was on her feet, introducing her electric knuckle to the bot's screen. The securitron went down after one hit, and Veronica groaned as she saw three more securitrons behind it. "GOD…DAMMIT." They warned her to surrender. She refused to heed their warnings, instead rushing them. The bots tried to ready their weapons, but Veronica was far too fast for that. She let out a swift barrage of punches, and when Campbell climbed out of the elevator shaft a few seconds later, he found Veronica surrounded by wrecked securitrons.

"Having fun?" Campbell asked sarcastically.

"I'm getting REALLY fucking sick of these goddamn machines." Veronica said, visibly shaking with rage.

"Then we'd better get to that terminal quickly." With that they proceeded further into the penthouse until they found themselves in the main area. They stood on a balcony, with a living room below and a perfect view of New Vegas in front of them. Campbell looked down into the living room below and quickly saw House's terminal, though now it had Yes Man's face on it. The living area was swarming with securitrons, though none of them seemed to have noticed Veronica and Campbell yet.

"You can't hide from me." Yes Man's screen said from the main terminal below them. "I'm patched into all of Mr House's security cameras, as well as the listening devices he had placed all over the building." Yes Man's voice deepened and loudened again as he continued. "**I SEE AND HEAR EVERYTHING.**"

"I preferred him before the NCR got their hands on him, back when he was overly friendly and passive aggressive." Campbell grumbled as several securitrons wheeled their way up the stairs towards the duo. As they neared, the bots readied their 9mm SMGs and opened fire. Campbell ducked behind the balcony railing to dodge the shots, while Veronica leapt over the balcony and dropped down to the securitrons below.

She landed on an unsuspecting securitron, and proceeded to punch its lights out with her zap glove. Another opened fire with its gatling laser from behind her, and Veronica used the securitron she'd just short circuited as a 'human' shield. The second the attacking securitron stopped to reload, Veronica rushed it and felled it with a strong haymaker.

Campbell meanwhile used the railing as cover to avoid SMG fire, all the while readying his pulse gun. The second the shooting stopped he popped up out of cover and fired. He took out a single securitron and it fell down the stairs, but many more kept coming. Campbell cursed the pulse gun's slow firing rate as he took cover, right before being perforated by more SMG fire. The bots were now reaching the top of the stairs, and Campbell was still pinned down. Fed up of this, he reached inside his duster before pulling out a pulse grenade. Wasting no time, he armed the grenade before rolling it down the stairs. The grenade detonated midway down the stairs, short circuiting most of the bots and causing them to topple downwards. The still active securitrons stopped firing, and Campbell took this opportunity to break cover. He deactivated the securitron closest to him with a swift shot from his pulse gun, before using the machine as a 'human' shield as the other bots finished reloading. They opened fire on their comrade, but couldn't continue up the stairs because he was in the way. The second they stopped to reload, Campbell kicked the securitron down the stairs. This caused a domino effect, making all the other securitrons fall down with the first. While the securitrons lay in a big pile at the bottom of the stairs, struggling to get up, Campbell tossed a single pulse grenade their way. A second later they were all deactivated and he casually walked down the stairs.

Veronica meanwhile sweep kicked a pair of securitrons, hurting her foot but downing both machines, and allowing her to end them with her zap glove. Another bot rolled up to her, before opening fire with its Gatling laser. Veronica rolled under the fire, before firmly grabbing the bot's arm. As three more securitrons wheeled towards her, she pointed the still firing Gatling laser in their direction. While the three bots were distracted, Veronica drew a pulse grenade that Campbell had given her earlier and tossed it in their midst. As the Gatling Laser stopped firing, Veronica let go of the arm before delivering a crushing punch to the bot's screen, downing it instantly. As she stopped to take a breather, Campbell ran past her, not out of breath in the slightest.

"No time to stop now!" He said quickly, while throwing her his pulse gun. "More securitrons will show up while I hack into the mainframe to install the virus. Hold them off!" Veronica didn't need to be told twice, and readied the pulse gun as more securitrons rolled into the penthouse. _If the elevator's gone, then where the fuck are the bastards coming from? _Veronica mentally wondered, before going prone to avoid a barrage of Gatling laser fire. _Probably best to think about that when I'm NOT being blasted. _ As Veronica stood up and opened fire with the pulse gun, Campbell threw her a bandoleer covered with pulse grenades, the bandoleer he'd been using. She wrapped it around herself before rushing the first securitron to reach the bottom of the stairs.

A rapid zap glove punch dealt with the first securitron, and Veronica stepped over its corpse before firing up at the other securitrons that were currently descending. She took out the first with a blast from the pulse gun, before throwing a pulse grenade to down four more. She leapt back to dodge a barrage of Gatling laser fire, before blasting another securitron above her using the pulse gun. _God I hate guns._ Veronica thought in annoyance as she fired again with the pulse gun and hopelessly missed her target. _THIS, is what I like._ She thought with a bit more happiness as two securitrons reached the bottom of the stairs and she punched out the both of them using the zap glove.

A large group of securitrons came from a door to Veronica's right, and she promptly rolled into the middle of them. While they were trying to determine how to hit her without hitting each other, she lashed out with a roundhouse kick from her crouched position that smashed the one of the bot's screens. She immediately armed a pulse grenade, before putting it inside the hole left by the screen's absence. A few seconds later the pulse grenade detonated, leaving Veronica unharmed but short circuiting all the securitrons in her midst, including the one that she'd placed the grenade inside of.

"HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE?" She yelled at Campbell, while firing the pulse gun at approaching securitrons with one hand and throwing a pulse grenade with the other hand.

"Do you have any idea how difficult this is?" He shouted back. "This computer has like, a hundred firewalls, each requiring twenty digit codes to get past! This could take forever!"

"WE DON'T HAVE FOREVER! GET A MOVE ON!" With that Veronica used the small pile of 'dead' securitrons that had amassed as cover, crouching behind them to avoid the volley of small arms fire coming from the vast securitron force that was currently approaching. She threw two pulse grenades over the corpse pile, and heard them detonate a few seconds later. She didn't see how many they killed though, going out there would mean getting eviscerated by a massive barrage of SMG fire. The second the machines stopped firing, she leapt into action. Literally. Leaping over the pile of corpses, Veronica landed on her stomach in the middle of a group of reloading securitrons. She rapidly got to her knees before punching the one in front of her. The bots around her prepared to fire, but she was too fast. She fought like a woman possessed, spinning and dodging and punching with striking agility. She was getting tired though. There were far too many of them. As yet another securitron fell to her punches, Veronica felt her energy reaching its limits.

"Campbell…for the love of God…"

"Almost done! Just one more code to crack, then I can install the virus."

"Hurry…" Veronica barely had enough energy left to speak as she took cover behind the corpse pile again.

"I'm close! Just a little more…" Before Campbell could finish his sentence, a securitron navigated past the corpse pile, and found itself face to face with Veronica. Face to face being the appropriate term, since this particular securitron had Yes Man's face. His angry one.

"Campbell…" Veronica began as the Yes Man securitron wheeled itself closer. "This bot looks like Yes Man…"

"He can download his personality into any other securitron at will."

"Perfect." Veronica said, exasperated.

"You can't win." The Yes Man securitron taunted her as it wheeled closer. "Your death is inevitable."

"Have you seen that securitron corpse pile behind you? One more will make no difference." Before Veronica could strike however, one of the securitron's pincers lashed out and grabbed her hand; the hand that wore her zap glove. Veronica tried hard to break free, but the securitron's robotic strength was too much for her. After a bit of struggling she managed to wriggle her hand out of the zap glove, freeing it, but was quickly struck in the stomach by one of the securitron's pincers. She stumbled back, but quickly recovered before drawing her pulse gun. The bot promptly knocked it from her grasp with a single swipe of its pincer, before striking her throat. The blow knocked Veronica on her back and caused her to cough and splutter, but she got to her feet before readying a pulse grenade. To her annoyance however she was once again disarmed by a simple strike from the machine. It then ripped the pulse grenade bandoleer from her before throwing it to a random corner of the room. Veronica was now officially disarmed.

"Any time now!"

"Just a few…more…minutes." Veronica roundhouse kicked the Yes Man securitron in the face, but it did not react at all to the blow. It immediately struck Veronica with the back of its pincer, far too quickly to dodge. The blow knocked her back slightly, but she quickly recovered before aiming another kick at the bot's wheel. It grabbed her leg with its pincer however, before lifting her over its 'head', and throwing her behind it. Veronica landed painfully on the securitron corpse pile, and the Yes Man bot turned to face her before readying its gatling laser. Thinking fast, Veronica climbed the pile to gain height, before using the elevation to jump over the securitron's head. She landed behind it, and tripped it with a sweep kick before it could turn. While it tried to get up, she ran towards Campbell.

"Campbell…I'm done." She panted as she reached him, before dropping to her knees. "I'm spent, all my energy's gone. Please…please tell me you're done." Campbell was typing furiously, and didn't even look at her.

"Almost. I'm on the last code. One more digit."

"**YOU CANNOT STOP THE MIGHT OF A MACHINE!**" Yes Man boomed from behind them, and Veronica turned just in time to see the Yes Man securitron get up and fire its Gatling laser in her direction. She knew she had no energy left to dodge and just stood there, waiting for the blast to turn her to dust. Seconds before it did however, she felt a hand on her arm. She looked to her side and saw Campbell, seconds before he pushed her out of the way of the securitron's fire. No sooner had she hit the floor than Campbell screamed as the laser fire hit him right in the chest. As he hit the floor, a pulse grenade rolled out of one of the pockets on his duster. "**DIE.**" The Yes Man securitron said simply as it wheeled towards Veronica and the injured Campbell, Gatling laser at the ready.

"You first." Veronica said in a voice filled with hate as she scooped up the pulse grenade and climbed to her feet. Before the bot could react, she armed the grenade and threw it. The Yes Man securitron didn't even have time to taunt her before the grenade detonated, short circuiting it. "Campbell!" She said in a concerned tone as she knelt next to the injured merc. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said weakly. "It's just…a flesh wound. You have to install the virus."

"What? How?"

"I've cracked the code, and gained access to the mainframe. The virus is waiting to be installed. All you have to do…is press…that button." He pointed to a blinking red button on the console, and Veronica quickly got to her feet. _Why is it always the red button? _She thought absentmindedly as she hit the button. The second she did so, she turned around only to see a small army of securitrons wheeling towards her, all with Gatling lasers at the ready. Before they could fire however, something happened. The screen of every securitron present suddenly went blank, and all the bots stopped moving. The virus had done its job; Yes Man was gone.

"Thank…fuck." Veronica thought as she slid down the side of the console, and sat on the floor next to Campbell. Even as she watched, the merc was already applying a stimpak to his laser burn.

"That'll leave a scar." He thought out loud as he examined his wound, before turning to Veronica. "So…you want to climb down your suite and get your stuff right away?" Veronica waved a hand to disconfirm that notion.

"No, not yet. Let's just…sit here for a bit…and rest." Campbell nodded in agreement.

"That's probably the best idea you've had all day." He said as he made himself comfortable on the floor. "Much better than your 'go through the front door' idea."

"Oh yeah, because 'rhubarb' was a stroke of genius."

"Shut up." He said playfully, and they both laughed.

*Later*

"We're back!" Veronica yelled as she and Campbell walked into the presidential suite at The Tops, carrying a staggering amount of luggage between them. Campbell was dragging a wheeled suitcase behind him and carrying two large bags, while Veronica had an oversized rucksack over one shoulder, and was carrying a huge suitcase with both hands.

"How much stuff do you two own?" Campbell groaned as they dropped the luggage into the living room.

"Hi." Veronica was surprised to hear Layla's voice, and turned to see her friend standing behind the bar in the corner of the room, fetching herself a bottle of whiskey. She'd taken the compress off her black eye, and it seemed to be healing nicely. "How'd it go?"

"Let's just say, I've developed technophobia which will probably last until the end of my life." Veronica replied, exhausted. "And I'm a scribe, so that's saying something. Hey…I thought I told you to stay in bed!"

"Veronica, I'm fine." Layla assured her. "Besides, I was just getting myself a bottle of whiskey."

"She looks fine." Campbell commented, only for Veronica to turn to him, an annoyed look on her face.

"Shut up." He obediently kept his mouth shut as she turned back to Layla. "Alright, let's get you back in bed."

"Just a second" Layla said as she continued to search for a whiskey bottle. When she finally found one, she looked up to see the luggage Veronica and Campbell had brought in. "I see you found our stuff. Did you get my sword?"

"It wasn't there." Veronica said sadly, causing a disappointed look to appear on Layla's face.

"Oliver has it." Campbell interjected. "He took it as a trophy after you were captured. I think it currently sits on the wall in his office in Hoover Dam."

"And you couldn't have mentioned this earlier?" Layla snapped.

"I'm sorry, it just slipped my mind." Campbell apologised. Then, his expression brightened as he seemed to remember something. "Ah, that reminds me." Before either girl could wonder what Campbell was talking about, he reached into the bag that he carried on his back. Layla's eyes widened as she saw him take out a long, thin object.

"Is that what I think it is?" She asked, obviously flabbergasted.

"Yes, it is." Campbell said with a grin, as he rested the sheathed weapon on the coffee table in the middle of the room. He then removed the weapon from its scabbard, exposing the katana for all to see.

"Holy crap." Layla said, eyes wide and mouth agape as she walked across the room towards Campbell. As she reached him, she couldn't help but marvel the amazing weapon. It was incredibly finely made, and gleamed as it reflected the light from the nearby lamp. It was well and truly beautiful, and Layla couldn't stop gawking at it.

"This is an authentic Japanese katana, the kind they used before the war. Don't let its age fool you, it's still deadly." To emphasise his point, Campbell raised the deadly weapon over his head, before slashing it horizontally at the lamp that rested on the coffee table. The katana cut through the lamp like it was made of butter, easily cleaving it in two. With that done, he returned the katana to its scabbard, before handing the sheathed weapon to Layla.

"Wait, you're giving it to me?" Layla asked, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"It's a gift" Campbell said with a wide grin. "Since you no longer have your sword, I thought I'd get you this. You know, as a temporary replacement until we get your sword back. Consider it my get well soon present."

"My present was better." Veronica grumbled, though even she seemed visibly impressed by the weapon.

"Campbell I…I don't know what to say." Layla struggled for words as she took the sword from Campbell. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Don't worry about it." Campbell said, casually shrugging off Layla's gratitude. "Just enjoy it." Layla's smile threatened to burst off her face as she looked over the weapon in her hands.

"Look at it later, time for bed." Veronica interrupted, shoving Layla towards the bedroom.

"Okay okay." Layla muttered as she let Veronica drag her off to the bedroom. After putting the katana in the corner of the room and making sure Layla was asleep, Veronica went back to the living room to see Campbell at one of the pool tables next to the bar.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she still loves the flowers you got her." He said reassuringly. "I didn't mean to outdo you."

"Shut up." Veronica moaned, though with a small smile on her face as she joined Campbell at the table.

"You're not going to hit me again are you?" Campbell asked, concerned for his safety.

"Why would you think that?" Veronica asked with mock innocence.

"Because whenever you stand that close to me, it's usually because you want to hit me."

"I'm not going to hit you." Veronica assured him as she picked up a pool cue from the rack next to the table. "I just wanted to…thank you." Campbell looked confused.

"For giving the gift to Layla?"

"No you idiot." Veronica sighed irritably. "For what you did back there, in the penthouse. You know, pushing me out of the way and taking the laser shot?"

"Oh yeah." Campbell replied as he realised what she was talking about.

"You saved my life, even though you owe no allegiance to me. I just wanted to say…thank you."

"Oh don't worry about it." Campbell patted her on the back as he lined up a shot on the pool table with his cue. "I'm with you and Layla for the long haul now." Veronica smiled, before patting Campbell on the back too, but deliberately hard, causing him to miss his shot. She laughed as the cue ball rolled right into a corner pocket. "You did that on purpose."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She replied with a crooked grin. "But I believe it's my turn."

"You play pool? I wouldn't think a Brotherhood Scribe would have a lot of experience with pool tables."

"What can I say Campbell? I'm a very talented lady." Veronica's grin widened as she lined up her shot.

"I guess I've got my work cut out for me." He commented as an equally wide grin appeared on his face.

"It would seem so." Veronica replied cockily, as her well aimed shot sank two balls at once. Campbell's eyes widened as he looked at her handiwork.

"This should be interesting."

"Watch carefully, you might learn something." Veronica winked at him as she lined up another shot.

**I've been up nearly all night writing this, so you'd better bloody appreciate it. If not, then have a good reason. I have a good reason for everything I do, inlcuding taking ages to update. For example, this chapter took ages to write because I'm at UNIVERSITY, and those who go to UNIVERSITY, usually have work to do. Such was the case this week, which explains the delay. Shut up, it does explain it.**

**Anyway, could Campbell and Veronica be the best new action duo of this generation? Probably not. I think at the very least they deserve their own buddy cop TV series though, with a typical 70s style theme tune. Yeah, I can see it now. Ahh...you've got to love tiredness induced daydreams.**

**Have you got an opinion? A comment? A death threat? Then review! Please? Oh come on, it won't kill you! (Disclaimer: It might)**

**P.S: Anyone catch the movie reference? Let me know!**


	42. Reflection and Remnants

_**The 2**__**nd**__** of the R+R Saga. More talkie in this chapter, but also a bit of punchy for all you violence enthusiasts out there. For you Campbell enthusiasts (Should any exist, which I doubt), this chapter provides a bit of an insight into his character, as well as some planning for the future and some gushing over firearms. Guaranteed fun for the whole family!**_

Reflection and Remnants

Somewhere on the very edges of the Mojave, a hooded figure entered a small town. The town was tucked deep into the mountains, and was far enough out in the middle of nowhere that very few had ever found it. Indeed, the town sat just on the border of the Mojave, and few who lived in the desert ever travelled that far.

The town was simply a straight line with buildings on either side, and the city hall at the very end. There wasn't much in the town, and the hooded figure quickly found what she was looking for. Loud music filled the figure's ears as she stepped into the town's saloon, pre-war tunes played by a rusty jukebox in the corner.

Several eyes fell on her as she entered but she ignored them. She had bigger fish to fry. Without slowing her stride, she approached the bar, ignoring the smells of foul liquor and vomit as she did so. It seemed only semi mindless thugs occupied the bar, some engaged in drinking contests, some shouting loudly at each other, some exchanging drunken blows, and some so drunk that they were flirting with each other. The figure couldn't help but smirk as she saw two particularly burly fellows slur flirtatious comments to each other, especially since one of the men had 'I Luv Pussy' tattooed on his arm.

"Howdy stranger." The barkeep said in a friendly tone as the hooded figure sat down. She wore a hooded cloak that completely concealed her figures, and whatever she wore under the cloak concealed her mouth, meaning only her brown eyes were visible. "What can I do you for?"

"I'm looking for something, and I hear you can tell me where it is." The girl said seriously, looking the barkeep dead in the eyes as she did so.

"Maybe I can, and maybe I can't." He said cockily, cleaning a nearby glass as he did so. "What's in it for me?" In response, the girl discreetly pulled a small bag out of the inside of her cloak and deposited it on the bar. Caps immediately poured out, causing the barkeep's eyes to widen. "We have ourselves a deal!" He said with a grin as he greedily pulled the bag of caps towards him. The girl's hand quickly grabbed his however in a firm grip. She was much stronger than he would've guessed.

"You get the caps, after I get my info." The girl said forcefully as she let go of the man's hand. He rubbed the hand for a second, and couldn't help noticing that her other hand was tucked inside her cloak. In fact, she hadn't revealed that hand at all since she'd walked in.

"Okay, what do you need to know?"

"Have you heard of the Enclave?" At that question, the man visually shuddered. He dropped the glass he was cleaning as he did so, causing it to fall to the floor and shatter to pieces. He didn't take any notice whatsoever.

"N…never heard of them stranger." He said unconvincingly as he turned his back to her. "You'd be better off asking somewhere else."

"You're lying." The girl said darkly. "I know you know about the Enclave, and I'm not leaving until you talk." The barkeep immediately turned back to face her, a very serious expression on his face.

"I'm going to ask you one last time. Leave. You don't want to be asking those kinds of questions around here."

"I think I do." The girl's voice took on a threatening tone as she grabbed the barkeep by his collar and pulled him closer. "Tell me everything you know about the Enclave. Now."

"Let him go stranger." An unfamiliar voice said from behind her. The girl turned slightly on her stool, and saw that every thug in the bar was currently making their way towards her. Some had guns, others had melee weapons; all looked angry. A particularly large, bald man was the one who had spoken. He held a rusty plasma rifle in one hand. "We've been hiding here from the NCR for decades stranger, and we're not going to let you expose us."

"I don't want any trouble." The girl said, in a less threatening tone.

"Well you asked for it as soon as you mentioned the Enclave." The barkeep said, now pointing a laser pistol against the girl's cheek. "Nobody can know that we're here girl. You have to die."

"That's a shame." The girl said sadly as she shook her head, before tightening her grip on the barkeep. Before anyone could react she placed another hand on his collar, before tossing him behind her with all her strength. She did this; she got to her feet and dived behind the bar. She landed behind the bar just as the barkeep crashed into the large bald man. The scene quickly erupted into chaos.

Several bullets impacted the bar as the girl landed, but none of them managed to penetrate the wood. The girl got into a crouch behind the bar, just as a thug jumped onto the bar above her. He stood on the bar, holding a hunting shotgun, and pointed it downwards towards her. Before he could even think about firing however her foot shot out, and kicked him in the balls. He immediately fell off the bar, dropping his gun in the process. The girl caught his gun, before rising to her feet and firing at the thugs. One thug was blown apart by the hunting shotgun, while the others rolled over tables and crouched behind them. The thugs armed with melee weapons charged forwards, and the girl climbed over the bar to meet them head on. The thug who she'd kicked in the balls struggled weakly to get to his feet, and she promptly stuck the barrel of the hunting shotgun in his mouth before firing.

She dropped the shotgun to the floor, feeling much more comfortable with her hands, and got into a fighting pose as the first thug rushed her, a black man with a nail board. She swung clumsily at her, and she immediately darted to the side to dodge. She kicked him quickly in the ribs, before aiming an uppercut at his throat. He stumbled back, dropping his weapon in the process, before trying to punch her in the face. This proved to be a futile endeavour. She batted his fist away with one hand (Her other hand was still tucked inside her cloak), before letting loose a barrage of rapid fire kicks aimed at his stomach and shins. He lost his balance slightly, allowing her to leap into the air and down him with an aerial roundhouse kick to the face, her cloak billowing dramatically behind her all the while.

She landed on her feet a few seconds later before calmly adjusting her cloak. A short, scrawny thug tried to stab her with a machete. She calmly kicked a nearby chair at his torso, knocking him to the floor. Meanwhile another thug, this one armed with a fire axe, came up behind her and swung at her face. She ducked low to dodge, before sweep kicking him to the floor while still in a crouch. Before he could get up, she rose to her feet and stood on his throat. While she choked him with her foot, the machete thug got up and rushed her again. She swayed to the side to dodge his clumsy slash, before punching him in the face. Before he could react, she struck him in the jaw with her forearm, before raising her knee up to meet the bottom of his chin. He was knocked off his feet, while the thug beneath the girl's foot grabbed her leg. He managed to push her off him, before getting to his feet, axe once again at the ready. He brought the blade of the axe crashing down, but she easily sidestepped the blow, causing the axe to become imbedded in a table. While he tried fruitlessly to get it free, she climbed onto the table so she could be eye level with him, before kicking him in the jaw.

As he dropped like a sack of brahmin shit, she sat down on the table. A nearby thug leaned out from behind the toppled table he was using as cover, before aiming at her with his revolver. She immediately grabbed a bottle of vodka off the table she currently sat on, before throwing it in the thug's direction. The bottle flew with great accuracy, hitting the thug right in the face and knocking him out instantly. The other gun wielding foes quickly came to their senses, before leaning out of cover and firing at her wildly.

She ran towards the nearest thug, before leaping right over his toppled table. He tried to strike her with his 10mm pistol, but she moved her head to the side before kneeing him in the ribs. A simple chop to the throat finished him, and she grabbed his pistol before firing at the other thugs who were still in cover.

While she did this, the large thug with the plasma rifle from earlier got out of cover and fired. His shot hit the girl dead center, right in the chest, and knocked her straight to the floor. He smirked as he left cover, the rest of his men and the barkeep quickly following his example.

"You think she's dead Eli?" The barkeep asked as he fingered his laser pistol nervously.

"I reckon so." Eli said confidently as he picked up a bottle of scotch from a nearby table and took a drink. The three other thugs who were still conscious cautiously approached the girl, guns held at the read just in case. "Relax lads!" Eli slammed the scotch bottle down on the table next to him, all the while holding his plasma rifle back over his shoulder. "That bitch won't be getting back up again."

Almost immediately, the girl got back up again. She ripped off her cloak before throwing it over the three thugs near her, disorienting them. Eli gritted his teeth in anger as he saw the girl had been wearing light combat armour beneath her cloak; his shot likely hadn't gotten through. The girl had short, brown hair and her mouth was concealed by a brown scarf. The barkeep's eyes widened as he saw why she'd been hiding her other hand beneath her robes; she wore a power fist. She immediately fired her recently acquired 10mm pistol at the nearest thug's skull, before putting her power fist to good use by punching the head off a second. Only one thug was left, and as he managed to get the cloak off him the girl punched straight through his stomach with her combat fist. He coughed up blood, and she calmly kicked his dying body to the floor before firing a shot at Eli.

The large man growled in frustration as the girl shot the gun from his hand. To his surprise however she didn't just shoot him, instead dropping her gun to the floor and getting into a fighting pose. He sneered confidently before charging her. He was over 6ft tall, she was somewhere near 5ft, yet she didn't look deterred. He quickly found out why as she grabbed the cloak before sweeping it around his legs. She then pulled it forcefully, tripping him and knocking him to the floor. The barkeep tried to take aim but she just snarled at him, scaring him into taking cover behind an upturned table again. Eli swiftly ripped the cloak from around his legs and got to his feet, only to be greeted by the girl's boot hitting his face. He stumbled backwards, but didn't stay stunned for long, instead rushing her before unleashing a number of vicious blows. The girl swerved side to side to dodge each of them, before rolling underneath his legs. She got up behind him, before kicking him in the back. He stumbled forwards, before spinning around and grabbing her neck. She promptly punched his arm with her power fist. He gritted his teeth as his arm shattered, before grabbing a nearby bottle and trying to smash it over her head. She kicked the bottle mid strike, shattering it, before kicking the side of his leg. He tried to punch her but she ducked low, before punching him in the ribs with her power first. He staggered backwards, barely able to breathe, and she decided to end it. As Eli coughed and spluttered she charged forwards, before leaping off a chair. She flew towards Eli, before firing off a powerful punch. Her blow knocked his head clean off, and she landed in a roll behind his now headless body as his head flew across the saloon.

She promptly got to her feet and dusted herself off before walking towards the barkeep. As she approached his table, he leaned out from behind it. She promptly kicked him in the face, knocking him onto his back. As he lay there, dazed, she picked up his laser pistol before expertly disassembling it.

"How…how did you learn to do that?" The barkeep asked, barely conscious.

"I learned during my Brotherhood of Steel training." The girl said coldly, before dropping the pieces of the laser pistol to the floor.

"You're with…the Brotherhood?"

"I'm not here for them." She emphasised her point by standing on the barkeep's neck. At the same time, she pulled down her scarf to expose her mouth. "My name's Veronica Santangelo, and you're going to tell me everything you know about the Enclave Remnants.

*Layla*

A loud scream permeated the silence of the bedroom as Layla awoke from a horrible nightmare. Her hands shuddered as she flicked on the lamp on the bedside table, and her body was coated in a nervous sweat. Layla was of course no stranger to nightmares, not with all the psychological torment she'd endured during and after the Bitter Springs Massacre. For a year after the massacre she'd had bloodcurdling nightmares on a nightly basis. But this…this nightmare was different, more personal. This nightmare was filled with mocking laughter, electric shocks, and pain. Lots and lots of pain.

"Dammit." She cursed under her breath as she sat up in bed. She couldn't understand why the incident with Boyd had scarred her so. She'd been on the receiving end of plenty of beatings in her life, the majority of them painful and unpleasant. Yet Boyd's beating had shaken her to her core, and she couldn't for the life of her understand why.

She'd been having the same, frequent nightmares concerning that torture session for the past five days since Veronica and Campbell had cleared out the Lucky 38. They were still staying at The Tops because, according to Campbell, NCR personnel would be watching the Lucky 38 now that their AI was kaput. So in The Tops they'd stayed, but Layla had to admit, she was growing to like this suite. She had no idea how Campbell could've convinced Swank to let them use it.

She had no idea what time it was, since the implant that was healing her was also fucking with her sleeping patterns. She'd spent the past five days in bed at Veronica's request, and the implant had her sleeping for indiscernible amounts of time and waking up at random hours of both morning and night. Her black eye had healed a few days ago, and she rubbed it drowsily as she checked the Pip Boy on her wrist. She was annoyed to find that it was 5:32pm. _Goody._ She thought as she felt a mild headache.

She was feeling groggy, and desired a drink, so she got out of bed. She slept in the nude, and had no idea where Veronica had put her clothes after retrieving them from the Lucky 38, but luckily for her there were luxury bath robes in the ensuite bathroom. The robes were white, and had The Tops written on the collar in gold letters. Layla slipped a set of robes on, and found them to be pleasurably soft against her skin. Now fully clothed, she walked out of the bedroom and headed for the suite's main living area.

When she arrived, she found Campbell sitting on one of the sofas in the middle of the room, with a wide variety of guns on the coffee table in front of him, several of them disassembled. Campbell had been gone for about two days, said he was going to get 'supplies'.

"When'd you get back?" She asked as she approached the sofa. Campbell had been assembling a 12.7mm pistol when she'd spoken, and he ceased his ministrations to look up at her.

"Just got back about an hour ago. Thought I'd do some gun maintenance." He said with a friendly smile.

"Those are some nice guns." She stared at the guns, intrigued, as she sat down on the arm of the sofa next to Campbell. He grinned with pride as she complimented his collection.

"The guns you see here are probably the finest in my collection. The rest are the same garden variety firearms you'll see anywhere, but these are special."

"Even this?" She said dubiously as she picked up a particularly small pistol, that looked like it couldn't even kill a bloatfly.

"Hey, I killed my first gecko with that." He said defensively, and she smirked before putting the gun back on the table. "Every gun you see here has a story." He continued, with a dramatic wave of his hand. "Pick one, and I'll tell you its tale." Layla decided to play along, and motioned at a unique looking 9mm SMG at the edge of the table. The SMG was in perfect, pristine condition, and unlike most 9mm SMGs it lacked a stock, and had a drum magazine.

"What about that one?"

"Ah, that one's a beauty." He said with a grin as he picked up the SMG. "Have you heard of Vikki and Vance?"

"I think I heard someone in Primm mention them once."

"They were a famous criminal duo back before the war. While they didn't actually commit any major crimes, Vance carried around this gun. It was never fired, until I got it. Two thieves had stolen it from Primm, and I tracked them down. I persuaded them to hand the gun over, then flipped my coin to decide their fate."

"And?"

"Let's just say I got to test out the gun's effectiveness. Trust me, it's a hell of an SMG." Campbell put the SMG back on the table, before sitting back. "Okay, pick another."

"What about your two pistols?" Layla inquired, pointing at Campbell's trusty 10mm pistols as she did so. "Do they have a story?"

"Do they ever." Campbell said nostalgically as he picked up the two pistols. "These two were my first ever guns. I've had them for 25 years, ever since I first started wandering the wastes at the age of ten. I found them about an hour after I left, in the possession of two dead scavengers." The guns certainly didn't look their age; Campbell had obviously taken good care of them. "I call them The Twins. Back when I got these babies I couldn't shoot to save my life. I had them fitted with extended magazines so I wouldn't empty my clip so quickly. Ah…takes me back." He picked up the two pistols and spun them in his grasp, smiling nostalgically as he did so. "God only knows how many little tweaks and adjustments I've added to these two over the years. They're my personal favourites, and I don't ever go anywhere without them at my side."

"I know what you mean." She smiled slightly as she nodded in understanding. "I feel exactly the same way about That Gun. Found it back in Novac shortly after getting shot in the head, and it's been my favourite firearm ever since."

"I've seen it. It's a nice gun. Very heavily customised from the looks of it."

"Not by me. It was like that when I found it. Hasn't let me down yet." On thinking of the gun, a question appeared in Layla's mind. "Hey…where is That Gun? And the rest of my weapons? The last time I saw them was when the NCR…and you…captured us." Campbell looked slightly embarrassed as she mentioned that.

"Don't remind me. I'm starting to feel kind of guilty about that. Anyway, after you were dragged off, your guns were confiscated and taken to Camp McCarran as evidence. Fortunately for you, I broke in there yesterday and got them back." Layla smirked at this.

"So that's what you meant when you said you were going to get 'supplies'."

"I got supplies too. I just thought I'd get your guns while I was out. They're in the bag you normally use, next to the bar." He pointed behind Layla, and she turned to see her bag leaning against the side of the bar. "Still couldn't get your sword though, sorry. With any luck, I'll find some time later in the week to infiltrate Hoover Dam and…"

"It's fine." Layla replied with a smile, though it was a sad smile. "We have bigger things to worry about."

"Layla, the most important thing to a warrior is their weapon. Without it, it's like they're naked. I got you that katana as a temporary replacement but I assure you, I will get your real sword back."

"I appreciate the thought Campbell, but I don't want you getting yourself killed over it. When the Second Battle of Hoover Dam comes, we'll get it back. Until then, the katana will do nicely."

"If you say so." There was a brief silence after that, which Layla decided to break by asking about another weapon.

"What about the 12.7mm pistol?" Layla spotted the pistol in the corner of the table, though it had been mostly disassembled. She remembered he'd used the gun against her when they'd fought at Hoover Dam, and she'd had an uncomfortably close look at it when he'd pressed it against her eye.

"She's quite a recent addition to my arsenal." He smiled as he started to expertly reassemble the gun. "I worked for the Gun Runners a few years ago building guns, which is where I got most of my expertise in firearm maintenance from. One day I heard the higher ups were going to fire me, and I was pissed. This 12.7mm had just been made on special offer for a wealthy client, and was waiting to be shipped out. After a quick coin flip, I took the gun and just left the building. I got the chance to test it on the guard at the gate who tried to stop me. It's probably got the best stopping power out of all my handguns. A proper magnum would be better, but I don't use revolvers. Hate them."

"Me too!" Layla said, surprised that they had such a thing in common. "I hate the way they feel in your hand. Nothing like a good handgun." Campbell smiled at that, but his smile was surprisingly bitter.

"True, though I hate revolvers for a more personal reason." Layla was about to pry, but the look on Campbell's face told her it wasn't such a good idea. _Should I ask him? _She mentally asked herself. "Before you ask, I don't feel like telling you about why I hate revolvers, so I'd like if we could just drop it. Is that okay?" Layla nodded in confirmation. "Good. Now, I can tell you about one more of my firearms, but after that I've got to get back to my gun maintenance." Layla didn't take too long to decide which gun to inquire about next. If she could only pick one firearm, she might as well go for the most impressive.

"That rifle that you usually carry on your back." She pointed to the Ratslayer, which currently lay right in the middle of the table, sitting at the very center of Campbell's firearm collection. "What's the story behind that?" Campbell sighed wistfully as she asked that.

"I was kind of hoping you'd avoid the Ratslayer, but suppose I should've expected it. It's my most impressive gun after all." He stroked the handle of the rifle as he spoke, while his face took on an expression of sad reflection. "This gun belonged to my first love. Jenny, her name was. I met her in the arse end of nowhere when I was 15. Though I'd been wandering for five years, I still knew fuck all about the wastes. Her family had been surviving out there their whole lives, and she taught me everything I know about survival, which by the way is a lot. I was tempted to just stay there with her family, but the coin said it was a bad idea. I flipped to decide, and it told me to leave. But I didn't want to leave. I'd fallen head over heels for Jenny, and luckily she felt the same about me. Her parents were fine with it, and I stayed with them for another two years. I…lost my virginity to her." Campbell's expression brightened slightly as he said that, before fading back to sadness.

"Of course, it couldn't last long. Nothing good in my life ever does. You see, Jenny was the best sharpshooter in her family. Her Ma was half blind and her Pa had lost an arm to a deathclaw years ago after teaching Jenny to shoot. She was the only one in her family who could use a gun, so she always had to keep watch. One day however, I convinced her to skip watch duty and come with me to have some fun. We were both 17 at the time. We went for a walk, and ended up sitting by Lake Mead watching the sunset. It was beautiful, and as we watched it she laid her head on my shoulder, and I felt such an overwhelming sense of peace. It was quite possibly the most perfect moment of my entire life." Layla was shocked as she saw tears appear in Campbell's eyes. She was quite certain she'd never seen a man genuinely cry out of sadness before (She'd seen plenty cry out of pain).

"Do you know why I use the coin Layla? It's not just indecisiveness. I…I'm afraid to make choices. The incident that caused me to come into possession of the coin scarred me for life. It's the incident that left the bloodstain on the tails side of the coin, and it's the incident that made me unable to make decisions for myself. The incident happened when I was ten; it's what caused me to leave home in the first place. I let the coin make all my decisions for 5 years, too afraid to do it myself. But when I was with Jenny…I finally felt that maybe I didn't need the coin. It had told me to leave two years ago, but if I'd done so I never would've had that wonderful moment with Jenny. I'd defied the coin, and things had turned out for the better. I finally felt that I could make my own decisions without the damned coin, and I threw it into Lake Mead. As it sank into the lake's depths, I felt like…like a weight had been lifted." He laughed bitterly as he said that. "It turned out that that weight that had been lifted off me…had been dropped onto Jenny's parents."

"When we got back to her shack that night, we found it overrun with Cazadors. Without Jenny to stand watch, the beasts had overrun the shack and killed her parents. It was my fault; I was the one who'd tempted her away from the shack. If I'd just kept my damn mouth shut, then…"

"There was no way you could've known they'd show up. Don't blame yourself." Layla tried to be comforting, but it seemed to have little effect.

"Things only got worse from there. There were too many of them, so we were forced to flee. We holed up in a random cave and sealed the exit so the beasts couldn't get in. Unfortunately, there was no other way out. Even worse, the cave was heavily irradiated. We wandered around briefly, and found an area free of radiation. It also had some RadAway and Rad-X which we used to keep ourselves alive. We weren't alone in the cave however. That quickly became apparent the next morning. I was woken up by screaming, and ran to the source of the screams to see Jenny, as a giant rat bit her big toe off. We killed it quickly, but it wasn't alone. Before we knew it, we were up to our necks in those damn vermin."

"We found refuge on a radiation free ledge where somebody had set up a makeshift lab. I have no idea how long we stayed there. Days…weeks…months…it's all one big blur. We spent our days just sitting on that ledge, watching and waiting for any rats to show up and charge us, and ate dead rats to stay alive. Jenny spent every waking moment looking through the scope of the rifle, never sleeping, and kept a tally of the rats she'd killed on the stock. She took to calling the rifle the Ratslayer, and never let it leave her side. I don't know how it happened, but at some point the ledge we were living on became irradiated too. We used the RadAway to keep ourselves alive, but quickly found ourselves running low."

"I wasn't scared of that though. I wasn't cared of being trapped in that cave, hell I wasn't even scared of the fucking rats. I was concerned about Jenny. She hadn't said a word to me since we'd first trapped ourselves in the cave, and never once said anything during all those days/weeks/months we spent on that ledge. Not a damn word. Not even a murmur. It only got worse."

"To this day, I still don't know what caused it. Maybe it was the radiation, the blood loss from losing her toe, the irradiated rat meat we ate every single day, the recent trauma of losing her parents, or the constant, gnawing fear of being eaten by rats, hell I don't know. Whatever it was however, it caused Jenny to lose her mind. She stopped being that sweet, caring girl I'd fallen in love with, and became more and more deranged. I was scared to find that she laughed to herself every time she killed a rat, and had a glazed look in her eye. Eventually her mind just completely shattered, and I awoke one morning to find her shooting at invisible rats, all the while giggling loudly like a lunatic. At first she thought I was a rat, and I had to shake her, had to remind her who I was. When she realised it was me, she just burst into tears. For the first time since we'd been there, she spoke to me. She told me she was sick of being afraid, sick of the rats, sick of living in constant fear of being eaten alive. She started gibbering madly, saying there were rats everywhere, and begging me not to let them take her. She…asked me to kill her. She said it was the only way to be free of those damn rats." Layla was listening with full attention now. Her eyes had widened until they were the size of saucers, and they were starting to fill with tears like Campbell's

"What…what did you do?" She asked quietly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"I didn't know what to do. I wanted to flip the coin, to have it tell me, but the coin was at the bottom of Lake Mead. I'd seen to that in my own idiocy. The girl I loved had lost her mind, and was begging me to end her. God knows I didn't want to but…the pleading look in her eyes broke my heart. I couldn't let her suffer like that. So…I took the Ratslayer…and…" He couldn't finish the sentence, and Layla grabbed his hands supportively.

"You killed her?"

"Yes." There was a long silence after that, which Campbell used to free his hands from Layla's grasp and wipe his eyes clean. He did the same to her eyes before continuing. "Eventually I found a way out of the cave. I wandered the wasteland again, alone once more with only the Ratslayer to keep me company. About a month later, I ran into a scavenger. He said he'd found a load of valuable knick knacks in Lake Mead, and was willing to sell some to me. Among his wares was my coin. The coin I'd ignored and as a result killed my love and her family; the coin I'd thrown into Lake Mead like an idiot. I didn't stop to make a decision; I just drew the Ratslayer and shot the scavenger through the skull, before taking my coin back. I never disregarded its advice again, and I don't think I ever will." He fell completely silent after that, and a sad silence filled the suite. Layla had no idea what to say next; what could you say after being told a story like that?

"I'm sorry." She said eventually, annoyed that that was the best thing she could come up with. It was hardly something you said to someone after they told you a story about being forced to kill the woman they loved.

"We're quite similar you and I." He said quietly, with a wan smile. "We've both had our share of tragedies, like the one that caused me to come into possession of my coin in the first place. But that's a story for another time." Campbell leant far back in the sofa as he finished, closing his eyes and sitting still. "But enough about me." He said suddenly, opening his eyes and looking right at Layla, a friendly smile on his face and all sadness seemingly gone. "Let's talk about you." Layla was taken aback by his sudden change in demeanour.

"Wh…what?" She tried to ask, but Campbell quickly cut her off.

"You seem tired, have you been having sleeping trouble?" As surprised as she was by this sudden line of question, Layla decided to roll with it. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"You know after you captured me…when I was…you know…tortured…by that woman named Boyd?" Campbell nodded in understanding.

"Yes, I heard." He said, before beckoning for her to continue.

"Every night since we got here, I've been having these…really vivid…nightmares about it. I don't know what the fuck's wrong with me. I had all kinds of nightmares after Bitter Springs, but none of them ever affected me like…this." There was a brief silence, as Campbell seemed to mull over what she'd told him.

"You know what I think? I think you're scared of Boyd." Layla was about to interrupt him, but he stopped her. "I think, for the first time in a while, possibly the first time in your entire life, you're scared of another person. I think she's terrified you, and that simple fact has shaken you to your very core. You're not used to fear are you? Sure you've felt it in the past, but never like this. I think this unfamiliar fear is causing these nightmares, and I don't think they'll go away until you face your fear. Basically, I don't think the nightmares will go unless you face Boyd." Layla was flabbergasted. _How does he know all this psychological shit? _"I've had a lot of jobs in my life Layla." He said suddenly, as if reading her mind. "You pick up a few things." Layla shook the surprise from her and tried to focus on what he'd said.

"So you're saying, that unless I confront Boyd and eliminate my fear, the nightmares won't go away?"

"That's what I think, though obviously that'll be easier said then done."

"We'll see if we can do anything about it after I recover." She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she spoke.

"Actually, I think this might be affecting your recovery. You need to sleep, and if you don't you may not heal as well. I think we need to deal with Boyd as soon as…"

"NO!" Layla interjected, slamming her hand onto the table as she did so and startling Campbell. "I…I'm sorry." She apologised, looking away from him as she did so. "It's just…I don't think I'm ready. Maybe after I've recovered and I can fight again, but not before then."

"If you say so. It's your choice." Campbell said soothingly, causing Layla to smile.

"I…thanks for listening Campbell. I know I must bore you shitless with this but…it's nice to have someone I can talk to."

"Think nothing of it." He said kindly.

"Oh, just one thing. Please don't mention these nightmares to Veronica. The last thing I want is to give her something else to worry about." She waited for an answer, but Campbell just took his coin out. She eyed the coin with barely disguised annoyance as he flipped it, and it landed tails up in his hand.

"Heads I tell her, tails I don't." He explained, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Good." Layla smiled, then the conversation was interrupted as the suite's door (Behind the sofa) swung open. Veronica walked in, looking completely exhausted. "Hi." Layla said pleasantly as Veronica walked past.

"Hey." She said tiredly, taking off her hooded cloak and throwing it to the floor as she did so. She then took off the scarf she'd had wrapped around her mouth and tossed it to the floor too, before plopping down on the sofa across from the one on which Layla and Campbell sat. Veronica had been gone even longer than Campbell the past few days, and Layla felt very curious.

"Where've you been?" Layla asked, acting on her curiosity.

"I had some…business to attend to." Veronica replied cryptically as she sat back on the sofa, resting her tired legs. Layla didn't bother asking what kind of business; especially since Veronica didn't seem to be in any mood to elaborate.

"How'd it go?"

"It went…okay." Veronica looked away as she answered, before kicking her boots off and lying sideways on the sofa, feet up.

"Okay? Define okay." Layla said suspiciously.

"There was some…unpleasantness." As Veronica spoke, she took off her power fist, before putting it on the table. Layla could just see blood on the fist's knuckles. "Long story short, I was looking for information, and I found it."

"What kind of information?"

"You'll find out." With that, Veronica got to her feet, before walking out of the room. "I'm calling a group meeting. Meet me in the meeting room." With that she walked out of the room, leaving Layla and Campbell alone.

"A group meeting?" Layla asked Campbell dubiously. He merely shrugged.

"Since you're temporarily out of commission, she's sort of taken over the group. It seems to me like she's letting the power go to her head a bit. Don't tell her I said that though. She'd punch me in the jaw."

*A short while later*

A few minutes later they found themselves sitting in the suite's meeting room. The room was of medium size, and was dominated by a large mahogany table with chairs positioned on either side. Layla sat on one side of the table with her back to the wall, while Campbell sat on the other side with his back to the door. Veronica stood up near the end of the table, playing with a stray lock of hair.

"Thanks for coming." She said seriously as she batted the stray lock of hair away. "Let's get this meeting underway."

"Veronica, there's no need to be so formal." Layla said in a friendly tone. "We're all friends here."

"Sorry." Veronica said, looking fairly embarrassed. "It's just…with you injured I've been having to step up my game. I've been trying to act less…well…less silly you know, and start being more serious. It feels a bit weird."

"Being serious is overrated." Campbell remarked casually as he leant back on his chair, putting his feet up on the table as he did so.

"Anyway, the reason I asked you to come here is because we have some important business to discuss." Veronica said, sounding serious again.

"You mean about this information you went out to retrieve?" Layla asked.

"Well yes, but not just that." Veronica replied, earning a confused look from Layla. "Remember the week before Kimball's assassination, when you got some time off from the Legion and suggested we could go to Jacobstown for another holiday, but I couldn't because I had to run 'errands'?" Layla remembered. She'd ended up going to Red Rock Canyon instead, and before long she'd had Karl, the Legion's emissary to the Khans, out for her blood. "Those 'errands' were regarding the same thing that I'd been trying to find information about these past few days."

"Just spill the beans already." Campbell interrupted, sounding quite bored. Veronica flashed him a glare, before continuing.

"Have either of you two ever heard of the Enclave?" Layla shook her head, but Campbell wasn't as clueless.

"I've heard some rumours over the years." He commented as he twirled his coin between his fingers. "Aren't they basically a nastier, more insane version of the Brotherhood?"

"No." Veronica seemed visibly offended by the comment. "They may wear power armour and use energy weapons like the Brotherhood, but the two organizations are completely different. The Enclave is made up of supposed descendants of the pre-war United States government. Despite the fact that the United States are pretty much gone, they still claim ownership of this land, and they think most common wastelanders are mutants who should be put down like rabid dogs. Needless to say, they aren't very nice people, and the Brotherhood has been fighting them since the very beginning. They've won some good victories against the Enclave but, like stink on a brahmin, they just keep coming back."

"So…what? You've been out killing Enclave members?" Layla inquired. Veronica shook her head.

"No, the NCR have done an admittedly good job of wiping all traces of those bastards from the Mojave."

"So what do they have to do with anything?" Campbell asked, just as confused as Layla.

"I'm getting to that." Veronica huffed irritably before continuing. "You see, about a week before Layla killed Kimball, I learned that some of the Enclave had fled the main organization during the NCR's campaigns against them a few years ago. While the Enclave itself was destroyed, these 'Remnants' survived. At first I wasn't too bothered; I've never even met the Enclave, and since the Brotherhood's gone I feel no desire to hunt them down. What I learned next however, really interested me. Apparently, the Remnants took shelter in an old Vertibird refuelling station while on the run from the Enclave and the NCR. While hiding there, they stockpiled an ungodly amount of weapons and ammo. More energy weapons than you could shake a stick at, enough to outfit a whole army. I realised what a huge help this could be in the coming battle at Hoover Dam, so I began to do a little research."

"And that's where you've been all this week?" Layla asked. "Researching a Remnants weapon stockpile?" Veronica nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah. I would've just gone there earlier, but the place is really well hidden. Besides, I heard you need a code to get in. I didn't really manage to find any useful info until after we arrived here. I found a clue that led me to a small town on the outskirts of the Mojave. I asked about the Enclave, but it turns out all the residents there were former Enclave personnel, who'd ditched the organization around the same time as the Remnants. Because of the NCR's obsessive hunt of any and all Enclave personnel, the townspeople were extremely paranoid. They attacked me, I couldn't reason with them and…let's just say I had to get my fist dirty." Layla remembered the bloodstain she'd seen on the power fist's knuckles earlier. "There was still one guy conscious enough…and alive enough…to answer my questions. After learning I used to be with the Brotherhood, he blurted out enough information to fill an encyclopedia. Hell, I couldn't get him to stop talking at the end. Anyway, he told me that there were 5 Remnants, and each of them are still in the Mojave. He **couldn't **tell me where they are however, so I left him with a broken leg and came home." Veronica smiled cheerfully, while Layla and Campbell thought over what she had told them. Campbell spoke first.

"Wait, wait, let's see if I've got this right. You want us to go out and find all 5 of these 'Remnants' and force them to open the bunker so we can get some guns? Aren't there better things we could be doing? The NCR aren't exactly going to sit still and wait patiently while we do this you know." She shot Campbell an angry look, before turning to Layla.

"What do you think?" She asked the red haired one.

"I'm…not sure." Layla replied slowly. "Campbell has a point. The NCR are still hunting us relentlessly. I don't know if we have the time or resources to take a detour just to get some guns. Besides, we don't even know where these Remnants are, and finding them may take too much time."

"But…" Veronica looked slightly saddened that her proposal was being refused. "Think of what this could do for our campaign against the NCR! Those stupid bastards could only dream of possessing this kind of tech; we'd have them massively outclassed in terms of technology and weaponry.."

"I've…never really used an energy weapon." Layla admitted, embarrassed. "I've never been able to figure it out."

"I've used a laser rifle once or twice in dire situations, and I used a plasma rifle when I was a doorman for the Van Graff family a few years ago, but I've always preferred guns." Campbell commented.

"Okay, so you guys don't use energy weapons, but just imagine what the Legion could do with that kind of firepower. Remember, those guys will be our footsoldiers in the battle at Hoover Dam. Just imagine them scorching NCR fuckwits with lasers and plasma. The NCR haven't designed their armour to defend against that sort of thing, so they wouldn't stand a chance. This could be just what we need to liberate New Vegas from Oliver, and…" Veronica stopped, realising she'd gone too far. She hadn't told Layla that the NCR had taken over Vegas yet, thinking it would be best to tell her after her injuries had finished healing. She'd just accidentally spilled the beans mid rant, and Layla latched onto it like a life raft.

"Liberate New Vegas from Oliver?" Layla asked, suspicion filling her as she slowly got to her feet. "What are you talking about?" Veronica stayed silent, instead clasping her hands behind her back and looking guiltily at the floor. "Is there something you two haven't been telling me?" She passed her gaze over to Campbell next. He offered a much better poker face than Veronica, but Layla could still see through it. "What're you hiding? Tell me! Come on…whatever it is, I can take it." Veronica kept quiet, and Campbell sighed as he realised he'd have to tell her.

"Alright fine, I'll tell you." He said, conceding. "But you may want to sit down." Layla obediently sat down, and Campbell began. Over the next minute or so, he explained to Layla the current political situation in the Mojave; how Oliver had taken complete control of the city, and how most of the Mojave was now under his thumb. Layla didn't take it well.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" She yelled angrily as she darted to her feet, grabbed the chair she'd been sitting on and threw it into a nearby wall. Campbell was getting nervous now; he'd been on the receiving end of a few of Layla's angry rampages, and they were hardly pleasant. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were healing…we thought it might affect your recovery." Veronica said quietly.

"Besides, it just never came up." Campbell added.

"THE CITY'S BECOME A FUCKING DICTATORSHIP! THAT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY IMPORTANT THING TO FUCKING TELL ME!" Layla continued to rant and rave, then swayed a little on her feet. Before either Veronica or Campbell could help her, she moaned in pain while clutching her hand to her head, and flopped down in another chair, putting her head in her hands as her anger slowly dissolved.

"I'm sorry…" Veronica started, but Layla interrupted her.

"It's okay." She said, sounding quieter and calmer than she had been a few seconds ago. "You were just thinking of me; like you've been doing all the while I've been recovering. Seriously, it's okay." Her hands left her face, as said face took on a serious expression. "But now we have a bigger problem. We have to break Oliver's hold over Vegas, so we can move back into the Lucky 38 and stop living like fugitives."

"That's exactly why I want to find this weapon stockpile." Veronica explained as her expression brightened. "It could help us tip the tables in our favour. With so many laser weapons, the NCR would be powerless against us. Having better technology than the enemy is just as important as killing a lot of them. I vote we try to find the Remnants, so they can lead us to the stockpile."

"Your entire plan can only work **if** we can find the stockpile, **if** the Remnants would be willing to lead us to it, and **if** this mythical stockpile even exists." Campbell countered. Veronica cast an annoyed glance his way, but he continued before she could interrupt. "I don't know about you, but that's too many ifs for my liking. It's too dangerous to be going on adventures now that the NCR have most of the Mojave by the balls. Unless we have something concrete to go on, we can't just be wasting our time and resources while the NCR has their ear to the ground. I vote we forget the whole thing and just blow something up." Veronica and Campbell had cast their votes, which left the deciding vote to Layla.

"It's your call Layla." Veronica said seriously. "We'll do whatever you decide." Campbell nodded his agreement, and Layla sighed. It didn't take her long to think it over.

"I think Campbell has a point about it being incredibly dangerous to search for rumours now that the NCR has almost supreme power in the Mojave. I also think that the situation is probably the worst it's ever been, and if a mythical stockpile of weapons will get us out of that, then I'm willing to try anything. All in all, I think…we should find the Remnants." There was a quiet 'Yes!' from Veronica, while Campbell sighed.

"Okay. I'm right behind you boss." He said supportively.

"Now if you two will excuse me, I have a headache like a few thousand rippers are going off in my head, and I'm starting to feel sick. To solve this problem I'm going to go get a bottle of whiskey, chug the whole thing down, then return to my room and attempt to sleep." With that, Layla bid them adieu and left the room. Campbell was about to get up too, when Veronica walked over to him and pushed him back into the chair. Before he could object, she shushed him before walking over to the meeting room door. After making sure Layla wasn't nearby, she silently shut the door before turning to Campbell.

"Alright I want a full report. How is she?" Veronica asked with authority.

"Who, Layla?" Campbell asked, clearly confused. "Why don't you ask her yourself?

"I don't want to bother her, and she thinks I'm being too fussy anyway. How is she?" Campbell sighed, then summoned up all of his medical knowledge as he answered.

"She seems to be healing nicely. You might have noticed her black eye's gone, and her concussion seems to be on the way to recovery too. I don't think she can fight yet, but it shouldn't be too long now."

"Good." Veronica said, clearly relieved.

"There is something though." Campbell said seriously, remembering what Layla had confided to him earlier. '_Heads I tell her, tails I don't._' He'd said after flipping his coin, but that had been a lie. It had actually been: _Heads I keep it a secret, tales I tell her._ "Layla's been having some nightmares about Boyd that seem to be greatly affecting her both emotionally, and in terms of her recovery. I think Boyd's torture session really traumatised her." Worry filled Veronica's eyes, while her mouth curled into a snarl.

"That shouldn't have happened." Veronica said angrily, before turning round and punching the wall. "I'll beat that bitch Boyd to death with my bare hands."

"I don't think that'll help." Campbell said calmly. "Unless Layla faces this fear herself, I don't think she'll ever be rid of it. Quite simply, I think she has to kill Boyd herself, or she'll be scarred for life." Veronica was literally shaking with rage at this point, but as she turned to Campbell there was a glimmer of inspiration in her eyes, like she'd just thought of a brilliant idea.

"Alright fine. If we need Layla to kill Boyd, then that's what'll happen. And hopefully we can strike a serious blow against the NCR at the same time."

"What do you have in mind?" Campbell wondered as he raised an eyebrow.

"You know what you said earlier about blowing things up?" Campbell nodded. "That's the basic idea. How many explosives have you got stored away?"

"A hell of a lot."

"Get as many as you can. We're going to start a bonfire in New Vegas." Veronica said as a sadistic smile appeared on her face, a smile the spitting image of Layla's sadistic smile.

_**Well, it seems Veronica's becoming more and more like Layla. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I'll let you decide. There are two more parts of the R+R saga remaining, and in the next part Campbell will explain the event that forced his dependency on his coin. Yeah. You're interested now aren't you? It's the origin story I've been waiting ages to tell.  
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_**If you haven't given up on me for constantly keeping you waiting yet, I would...yeah, you guessed it...I'd love some reviews. I need to know how I'm doing, and if the non fighty bits are boring as fuck or not, so please, PLEASE, review. Thanks in advance to all 3 of the readers that will review (If that). **_


	43. Responsibilities and Revelations

_**Impatient readers, I am happy to present Part 3 of the R+R Saga. Boy oh boy, did this chapter take a while.**_ **_I had more than a little trouble with this chapter, to say the least. Writing this chapter was like putting out a large fire with a single bucket of water: it wasn't easy, it took a hell of a long time, and I probably annoyed people with how long it took. However, I'm quite happy with the finished result. It has a bit of everything: violence, character development, origin stories, emotion, revelations, foreshadowing, cameos, and a word count to scare off only the most diehard readers. Please...enjoy.  
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Responsibilities and Revelations

2 Years Ago

All was quiet around Cottonwood Cove. It was still early morning, and most of the Legionaries hadn't woken up yet. The early morning sun cast a red glow over the Colorado River, as a man walked out of it.

As soon as he was on dry land, he fell to his knees and began to cough up water, all the while breathing in sweet, precious air. He'd swum upriver for a few miles, and he was exhausted. He'd had to abandon his armour earlier after being attacked by a Legion patrol (Jumping into the river had saved his life), so now he wore just a white, V-neck T-shirt, along with black slacks, both of which were soaking wet and clinging to his skin. He carried a rucksack over one shoulder with all his equipment inside, excluding his abandoned armour. The rucksack was waterproof, meaning his equipment was protected, which was lucky because his trusty coin was in there.

By the time he'd gotten his breath back from the long swim, he heard footsteps coming towards him. Still on his knees, he looked up to see several Legionaries approaching. It didn't take them long to surround him, machetes and rifles at the ready.

"Fuck off guys." Campbell said hoarsely as he reached into his rucksack, before pulling out The Mark of Caesar. "I'm on Caesar's good side."

"Not any more you're not." An explorer countered, throwing spear grasped firmly in his hand. "Caesar has heard that you plan to betray him, and now he wants you dead." Campbell shook his head, sighing angrily as he did so.

"That's bullshit. Let me clear this up with Caesar."

"No" The explorer pulled his arm back, preparing to throw his spear. Just as Campbell was wondering whether he'd have time to reach for his pistols before the spear hit him, a Praetorian pushed his way to the front of the crowd, earning the attention of everyone there.

"Enough." The Praetorian boomed, causing the explorer to pause. "Caesar wishes to see this profligate immediately." The explorer nodded, then left. The rest of the crowd quickly followed, and the praetorian headed for the dock, not even waiting for Campbell to follow. The merc got to his feet and jogged after the praetorian, before sitting in the boat with him as Cursor Lucullus rowed them towards Fortification Hill. There was no conversation on the boat ride, so Campbell spent the journey twirling his coin between his fingers while thinking back over his employment with Caesar.

The master of the Legion had first taken notice of Campbell's skills after he'd killed a large camp of NCR soldiers for a land baron in New Vegas who had been seeking to use the land the camp was on to expand his empire. Impressed with the merc's skills, Caesar had sent Vulpes Inculta to present him with The Mark of Caesar. Campbell had flipped his coin, and it had told him to visit Caesar at the fort. They had chatted for a short while, then the master of the Legion had hired Campbell to do some work for him. His reach was far shorter than it had once been, since the Battle of Hoover Dam a year ago (Later to be known as the 1st Battle of Hoover Dam), so he needed Campbell to carry out some espionage and assassination jobs. They'd had a good working relationship for several months, until a Legion patrol had nearly killed him earlier. Campbell knew Caesar was hardly a reasonable man, so he desperately hoped he could convince the man to call off his Legion hit squads.

The journey didn't last much longer, and before Campbell knew it they were at Fortification Hill. He handed his rucksack over to the guard at the gate (Keeping his coin in a trouser pocket), before following the Praetorian up the hill and towards Caesar's tent.

He noticed several slaves on the way up to the main camp, and nearly tripped over a pregnant woman who was carrying an oversized pack on her back and keeling over from exhaustion. He didn't let her plight or the plight of the other slaves bother him, instead distracting himself by fiddling with his coin. At a young age, slavery had disgusted him, but he'd long since learned that there were some evils you just couldn't vanquish, and trying to was pointless. Slavery was one such evil, and he'd learned to live with it without feeling guilty. He didn't even bat an eyelid when an angry Legion slavemaster ran over to her and started to beat her mercilessly, all the while accusing the exhausted woman of laziness.

He followed the Praetorian into the main camp, past the arena (In which he'd fought numerous times), and up to Caesar's tent. The hot sun did wonders to dry his clothes as he walked, and they'd had almost completely dried by the time he approached the tent. The Praetorian stopped outside the tent, before gesturing for Campbell to enter. He wasted no time in obeying, and casually strolled into the tent.

There was a foreboding air of aggression inside the tent, and Campbell couldn't help worrying that one of the many Praetorians around him may just flip out and decorate the tent with his brains, causing him to start fiddling with the coin in his pocket again to alleviate his nervousness. The Praetorians all seemed loyal to Caesar however, meaning as long as their master wanted him alive, he was safe. Yet another reason to stay on the man's good side. At the end of the tent was Caesar himself, sat on his extravagant throne. The head of the Frumentarii, Vulpes Inculta, stood next to Caesar's throne, emotionless as usual. Campbell knew nothing about Vulpes, as the two hadn't exchanged a single word since Campbell had entered Caesar's service.

"You dare show your face here, after openly declaring your plans to betray me?" Caesar snarled at him as he approached the throne. The master of the Legion most definitely did not look pleased. "You've got balls, I'll give you that. Give me a reason why I shouldn't just have them cut off and fed to my mongrels."

"Indigestion?" Campbell quipped, earning an annoyed glare from Caesar. _Right. Don't annoy the angry despot who wants your head on a plate._ He thought to himself, before turning on the charm. He would've flipped his coin, but his only choices here were either fighting or negotiating. Since a physical battle seemed like a suicidal option seeing as he was surrounded by at least 8 unarmed specialists (Each wielding a ballistic fist), along with 2 mongrels, a verbal battle was his only option.

"Okay…first of all, I never openly declared I was going to betray you. Secondly, I have no intention to betray you whatsoever."

"Don't lie to me you snake tongued profligate." Caesar growled. "I know you have turned against the Legion. My spies have seen you heading into the Lucky 38 to communicate with Mr House, a man I specifically told you not to speak to. You have disobeyed me; therefore you have betrayed my Legion." _Shit. I've got to stop underestimating this lunatic's spies. _Campbell thought worriedly. He had indeed been to see Mr House earlier, as the ruler of New Vegas had been looking to make use of his talents, like everyone else on the Strip. He'd been hoping he could bluff his way out of this so that he could work for both Caesar and House at once, but that seemed impossible now. _Time to play up the loyalty angle a bit._

"Alright, fine. It's true that I've spoken to Mr House, but that doesn't mean I'm any less loyal to you. As long as you keep paying me, I'm your man." He said with a smile. Caesar didn't return it.

"Your lust for wealth sickens me." He spat. "That's all you've ever cared about. You're not loyal to my Legion; you're only loyal to yourself. Either you're now an agent for Mr House, come here to spy on me, or you're trying to play me for a fool while you work for both me and House at the same time. Either way, you are no longer loyal to my Legion." Before Campbell could object, Caesar stood up, and raised the volume of his voice dramatically. "Our arrangement is at an end profligate. You are now an enemy of the Legion. Prepare to die." _Fuck. _Was Campbell's only thought. Quite disappointing since he was about to die. He'd handed in all his weapons at the door, and his lack of unarmed fighting skill would make him no match for the numerous Praetorians surrounding him. As he tried in vain to think of a way to escape, he sensed an object flying towards him. Looking in its direction, he saw a flashbang land at his feet. He just had time to close his eyes and cover his ears before the grenade went off. A deafening boom and a blinding flash erupted from the grenade as it detonated, heavily disorienting everybody in the tent; everybody but Campbell himself.

He had no idea where that grenade had come from, but he seized opportunity where he could get it. He punched the nearest Praetorian in the jaw while he was disoriented, knocking the warrior out cold but hurting his hand too. Ignoring the pain in his hand, Campbell pulled off the Praetorian's ballistic fist before making a run for the tent's exit flap, sliding the gauntlet onto his fist as he did so. Unfortunately, the mongrels recovered strikingly quickly from the flashbang's effects, and they immediately ran after Campbell, barking furiously as they did so.

The tent flap opened in front of Campbell as he ran to it, and a skinny legionary entered, obviously investigating the dog's barking. Campbell didn't hesitate for a second, immediately punching the soldier in the face with the ballistic fist without stopping his run. The trigger plate on the fist's knuckles triggered the firing mechanism for the shotgun mounted on the gauntlet's wrist, causing the shotgun to fire precisely as Campbell punched the soldier, blowing his head apart. Campbell ran past the corpse even as it fell to the ground, snatching a throwing spear that was tied to the soldier's back as he ran past, holding the bladed instrument in one hand.

He burst through the flap and out of the tent, just as one of the mongrels dived through the flap after him. He sensed the mutt's presence, and immediately spun around before grabbing the spear firmly with both hands and driving it forwards. The mutt landed right on the spear as Campbell pushed it forwards, impaling the hound through the stomach and killing it instantly. The Praetorian that had escorted him to the tent was still standing outside the tent, and had watched the whole thing. Before the stunned warrior could do anything, Campbell dropped the spear that had impaled the mongrel to the ground, before punching the surprised Praetorian in the gut with his ballistic fist hand. The Praetorian immediately cried out in pain and horror as Campbell's ballistic fist punch blew a hole through his stomach.

He kicked the dying Praetorian to the ground before running forwards, as he heard the footsteps of Praetorian and mongrel alike right behind him. He ran to the edge of the cliff overlooking the arena before focusing all his body strength into his legs and jumping off, straight towards the arena. A fight was going on in the arena at that exact moment, with a Legionnaire and a captive NCR soldier engaged in a machete fight to the death. A single legionary was sitting on the arena wall watching the fight, and Campbell was currently flying right towards him. The soldier didn't sense Campbell's presence until the leaping merc smacked into him, and they both fell over the wall before landing in a heap on the ground in the middle of the arena.

Fortunately the legionary had taken the brunt of the fall, and Campbell was covered in bruises, but possessing no serious injuries as he climbed off the soldier's unconscious body. The frantic fight that had been taking place immediately stopped, as Legion and NCR soldier alike turned to look at the man that had just fallen from the sky and landed right next to them. As Campbell started to get up, his right hand stayed on the ground next to the legionary's unconscious body, and he spied a 9mm pistol on the soldier's belt. The legionary that had been, until Campbell landed, locked in a machete duel, began to approach the merc. Without hesitation, Campbell's right hand grabbed the pistol, and he raised his hand quickly, pulling the gun from the soldier's belt and allowing him to aim it at the machete wielder before him. Before the machete wielding legionary could blink, Campbell shot him twice in the face.

"Cause me a distraction would you?" He breathlessly asked the machete wielding NCR soldier as he ran past. Two more Legion thugs opened the gate in front of him, and rushed in, wielding cowboy repeaters and blocking his only exit. As they took aim and he ran closer, Campbell saw from their armour that they were recruit legionaries, the least skilled of Caesar's fighting force. This would be easy. Seconds before they could fire, Campbell kicked some of the sand covering the arena ground at them. The recruits lost their concentration as the sand hit them, lowering their weapons for a split second. That was all the time Campbell needed. He planted a bullet in each of their unprotected legs as he ran up to them. The soldiers both fell to the ground, and Campbell dropped the 9mm pistol before snatching one of their repeaters as he ran past.

The NCR soldier wasn't far behind, throwing away the machete and picking up the other repeater before firing all other the camp, causing an almighty ruckus and allowing Campbell to bolt out of the main camp. As he arrived on the cliff overlooking the main dock, Campbell saw the Legion slavemaster from before, still making the pregnant woman's life hell. Since he was running towards the brute anyway, Campbell couldn't resist shoulder barging the slavemaster as he passed. His barge knocked the brute back, sending him toppling off the side of the cliff. He screamed loudly as he fell down to the ground far below. The pregnant slave smiled gratefully at him as he passed her, and started to make his way down the path leading to the docks.

Unfortunately he found his way blocked by five heavily armed legionaries. These were prime legionaries, and Campbell knew he stood no chance against them in his lightly armoured, unarmed state. He was getting exhausted now after running for so long, and could only manage a short jog as he made his way back up the path, away from the prime legionaries. Fate added another scoop of dirt to his grave however, as the praetorians ran out of the main camp in front of him, with rifle wielding legionaries and bloodthirsty mongrels in hot pursuit.

Campbell swore loudly, before running to his right as he heard several guns fire in his direction. He could hear bullets fly past as he ran, narrowly avoiding being perforated. A throwing spear stabbed into the ground inches away from him as he ran, and some of the legionaries in pursuit continued to throw more spears after him, while the others fired their rifles. Campbell continued to flee, until he saw the edge of the cliff ahead of him. _Fuck._ He thought, mirroring his thought earlier when Caesar had ordered his death. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Behind him: the angry Legion horde; in front of him, an almost certainly lethal drop into the Colorado River. He didn't slow down in the slightest as he continued to run towards the cliff edge, instead drawing his coin from a trouser pocket and flipping it forwards. The coin flew ahead of him, but he ran beneath it and caught it before it hit the ground. _Heads: Legion; tails: cliff dive. _Campbell thought nervously as he looked at the result. The bloodstained tails said looked up at him as he neared the cliff's edge, as though daring him to go through with his promise.

"Sometimes I think you just like to screw with me." He whispered to his coin as he ran out of ground, and sprinted straight off the cliff's edge. He stopped his running motion as he ran out of ground to step on, instead plummeting directly downwards into the water below. "And I just got dry." He quipped nervously as the clear blue water below got closer below him. He just had time to hold his breath before he landed in the river and everything went white.

*A short while later*

Campbell lay coughing and spluttering on the beach, as he tried to force all the river water out of his body. It was a miracle that none of his bones had been broken from the fall. He had fallen unconscious on impact however, and would most certainly have drowned if Poseidon hadn't decided to be lenient. The river had washed him up on a beach a short while away from Cottonwood Cove. Despite its close proximity to the Legion camp, the beach on which he now lay was isolated enough that the Legionaries wouldn't be able to find him quickly. Still, he knew he had to leave as quickly as possible.

"Note to self…" He muttered as he slowly got to his feet. "…never…do that…again."

"Stop profligate!" _Fuck._ No sooner had Campbell got to his feet than he heard a voice behind him. He turned to face the intruder, and saw a prime legionary, pointing a hunting rifle at his chest. Campbell had lost his repeater rifle in the river, and was defenceless. "By the will of almighty Caesar, your life ends here!" The legionary barked, before taking aim at Campbell's head with his rifle. _Unbelievable. I escape from the Legion's camp, jump off a fucking cliff, and wash up on a beach, just to get killed by some random thug? _Campbell thought angrily as the legionary's finger neared the rifle's trigger.

"What are you waiting for?" He yelled at the legionary unflinchingly. "Go for it! Make my motherfucking day!"

"As you wish." The legionary accepted Campbell's bluff, and fired. At least he would've, if his body didn't suddenly go deathly still. His breath came out in pained whispers, and Campbell wondered what was going on. Then he saw a figure behind the legionary, standing in the shadow of a rock so that he was almost invisible. "Who…dares…" The legionary managed to choke out, and was answered with mocking laughter.

"Vale." The figure replied softly as the legionary breathed his last, falling face first into the sand in front of him. As the corpse lay on the sand, Campbell saw a machete sticking out of his back. Well, that explained how he'd died. The stranger pulled his machete out of the dead legionary's back, before wiping the blood off with a gloved hand, and sliding it into a sheathe on his belt.

"That word you said…vale…that's Latin." Campbell observed. "Just who are you?" The stranger didn't reply, instead walking out of the shadows so he could be seen. He was thin, and dressed entirely in black. A black hood concealed his face, and he pushed it back to reveal his features. Campbell felt a small amount of surprise as Vulpes Inculta smirked at him.

"You…" Campbell started, confused. "…Vulpes right? You're the leader of Caesar's frumentarii."

"Indeed I am." Vulpes replied in his soft, completely emotionless voice.

"I'm guessing you threw the flashbang earlier to help me escape. But why? Why save me?"

"Because Caesar wants you dead, while I believe you can yet be useful." Campbell's confusion only increased.

"I think your boss made it very clear that I'm not to work with the Legion anymore." Vulpes' smile widened, until it looked like it belonged on a canine; like a fox.

"You misunderstand me…I didn't mean you could still be useful to the Legion. I meant that you can be useful…to me." That statement didn't make things clearer for Campbell at all. If anything, things made even less sense than before.

"Wait a minute…so you want me for some independent purpose completely uninvolved with the Legion?" Vulpes' voice took on a cocky, almost patronising tone. Campbell wasn't sure he liked it; mostly because it was the kind of tone he himself used when dealing with idiots.

"The Legion isn't my whole life Campbell. I have my own goals…and I want you to help me achieve them. I can pay well."

"What, in Legion coins? Sorry, nobody accepts those. I'd be branded a terrorist by the NCR the second I tried to use them."

"No, in caps. Cold, hard caps, and plenty of them. I have associates in high places Campbell. Influential, wealthy associates, that could make you a very rich man." Before Campbell could voice his doubts, Vulpes pulled something out of a pocket in his robe. Campbell was expecting a weapon of some sort, and was surprised to see a small bag. Vulpes threw the bag forwards, and it landed at Campbell's feet. Caps poured out of it as it hit the sand. "Consider this a down payment. You will receive four more payments over the course of this job." Campbell failed to keep the pleased expression from appearing on his face as he picked up the bag.

"I must admit, I'm tempted." He said with a grin as he looked in the bag and started to count the caps. "But before I get involved with your 'goals', I need to know what I'm getting into. What exactly are we trying to accomplish here?"

"That is none of your concern." The cocky tone left Vulpes' voice as he replied, and his voice took on a much sterner quality. "You are not being paid to ask questions, you are being paid to do as you're told. If my motives are such an issue for you, then we can part ways now, and this will be the only payment you get. I may even accidentally alert the nearby legionaries to your presence as I leave." Campbell was beginning to trust Vulpes less and less, especially with that last threat. He was curious though, and the money seemed good, so he decided to humour the fox for now.

"Alright, fine. Just tell me what I need to do." Vulpes' cocky voice reappeared, all trace of his threatening personality now gone.

"Certainly." Vulpes smirked, before beginning his explanation of Campbell's task. "After today, you must leave here, and make sure you have no further contact with me or the Legion for the rest of the year. Sometime in the future, at least a year after this meeting, maybe more, I will contact you with further details of your task, before providing your second payment. You will follow these instructions to the letter. As you follow these instructions, your third and fourth payment will be given to you. Eventually, you will fulfil the last of your duties. Then, the last payment will be given, and you and I shall never have any contact ever again. Is that clear?" Campbell felt annoyed as his confusion resurfaced.

"Hold on, why are you going to wait over a year before contacting me? I didn't realise this job was going to be so long term." Vulpes' smirk disappeared, and his voice took on its ordinary, emotionless tone.

"Because I believe that Caesar will attack Hoover Dam again. I've done the math, and it is statistically certain that Caesar will launch another attack on Hoover Dam within the timeframe of 1 and 2 years, a Second Battle of Hoover Dam if you will. This will fit into my plan, and I need you to be in place before the battle. I'll try to contact you two or more months before Caesar's attack is due to begin. And before you ask, I'm not going to tell you anything else." Campbell sighed in annoyance, but he supposed he couldn't really complain. This was good money, and he wouldn't even have to do anything for at least a year. "Do you accept my terms?" Campbell didn't answer, instead drawing his coin from his soaking wet trousers. Vulpes' expression didn't change in the slightest as Campbell flipped the coin. The merc had to admit, the fox had one hell of a poker face, probably the best he'd ever seen. _Heads: I take the job, Tails: I decline. _Campbell thought as the coin landed in his hand. He waited barely a second before checking the result.

"Heads." He announced.

"I assume this result is favourable?" Vulpes asked, still showing no emotion whatsoever.

"For you it is. I'm in." Vulpes' fox-like grin immediately returned.

"Excellent." With that, he started to walk away. Before Campbell could say anything, the fox went behind the rock that he'd used as cover to ambush the legionary earlier. A few seconds later, he took Campbell's bag (The one filled with his weapons), out from behind the rock, before throwing it to the merc, who just managed to catch it. "Your equipment. You won't be very useful without it." Campbell didn't bother to ask how he'd gotten it from the gate guard in the fort. "This concludes our meeting. Leave now before the Legion find you, and I will contact you in due time." With that, Vulpes slinked behind the rock, before disappearing from view. Campbell looked at the bag of caps Vulpes had given him, and couldn't help wondering what he'd gotten himself into.

The Present Day

It was quite a slow business day in the Atomic Wrangler. With the NCR having a firm stranglehold on New Vegas, very few dared to leave their homes. The ghoul Hadrian would normally be doing his crappy stand-up act on the stage in the Wrangler's main bar right about now, but there was nobody around to see it so he was having an extra smoke break. There were about two people in the casino area (Both of them regular patrons and gambling addicts), and only one person at the bar.

The guy at the bar was a man, and he was the skinniest little runt you'd find in the whole of New Vegas. There wasn't an ounce of muscle or meat on his bones, and he was so short he could barely see over the bar when standing up. The raised stool he currently sat on helped though. The man was dressed in a smart looking orange suit and an old cowboy hat that had seen better days. He wore a pair of spectacles that were currently balanced on the tip of his nose, and was currently drinking the weakest drink they had in the whole bar (Which was still pretty damn strong) As the meek man sat drinking his drink, he didn't see a hooded man enter the bar behind him, twirling a coin between his fingers as he did so.

"As I live and breathe, Lenny the Nose." The man said as he sat on the stool next to Lenny, and the meek man tensed up like he'd just stepped on a rattlesnake.

"Oh shit." Lenny muttered to himself, while the man ordered himself a bottle of scotch.

"You're a difficult man to track down." The hooded gentleman said, grinning as he turned to face Lenny. "It's almost like you're avoiding me."

"Campbell look…I…I'm sorry about the whole thing with the Omertas alright? But…I…I'm not with them anymore! You…you've got no reason to kill me!" Lenny babbled nervously, while Campbell pulled his hood down as his scotch arrived.

"Relax Lenny." He said calmly. "My grudge with the Omertas ended a while ago, after I dealt with Nero and Big Sal. I've moved on since then." Lenny was apprehensive, and leaned back a little as Campbell ripped the lid off his bottle of scotch.

"Then…why are you here?" Campbell took a big swig from the bottle before answering.

"Information. That's what you're best as at after all isn't it? You're the biggest information dealer in the city. If anyone can tell me what I want to know, it's you."

"And what exactly do you want to know?" Lenny was getting quite impatient now, but didn't let that impatience overwhelm his caution. Campbell was as unpredictable as they came. Give him a reason to flip his coin, and there was no telling what might happen.

"Well you see, it's like this." Campbell placed the bottle of scotch back on the bar as he got down to business, then he took to fiddling with his coin again, doing idle coin tricks to keep his hands busy while he spoke. "Have you heard of The Red Blade Witch?" Being one of the most informed men in the city, Lenny answered quickly.

"Yeah, I've heard of her. Isn't she that crazy broad that's being making the NCR her bitch lately?" Lenny said, calming down slightly as he took another swig of his drink.

"Yep, and she's my current employer." Lenny immediately spat out his drink on hearing Campbell's words, dropping the glass to the floor as he did so. He didn't pay any attention as it shattered however, instead looking Campbell in the eye while sweating profusely.

"Shit, shit hang on a second! I…I'm not with the NCR! I've never even had any fucking business with them! Don't…don't…"

"Relax." Campbell said with a wide grin as he slapped Lenny on the back. "Like I said, I'm here for info. Nothing else. I assure you that this meeting won't end with me leaving your bloody corpse here as I walk whistling out of the bar. Okay?" Lenny calmed down slightly on hearing that, wiping his sweaty face with a handkerchief from his pocket as he did so.

"You've got some pretty big balls Campbell, I'll give you that." Lenny laughed. "The NCR have ears everywhere in Freetown. Hell, they've got ears everywhere in Vegas. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is coming down here and pretty much admitting you work for the fucking Red Blade Witch?"

"I'll take my chances." Campbell said confidently, still fiddling with his coin with one hand while picking up the bottle of scotch with the other. "Now…I need info on a group called…the Enclave Remnants." As Campbell took a swig of his scotch, Lenny started to panic again.

"J…Jesus fucking…Christ Campbell!" He hissed, lowering his voice to near inaudible levels as he did so. "First you mention that Red Blade chick, now you're talking about the Enclave? The NCR's opinion of them hasn't changed in the last few years you know; they're still paranoid as fuck about them. You mention the Enclave with a member of the NCR in earshot, and you'll earn yourself a nasty execution. And that's if you're lucky. If they think you know ANYTHING about those power amour wearing psychos, they'll break out the nipple clamps and car batteries straight away and torture you for a solid week, whether you tell them anything or not."

"Look, have you heard of the Remnants or not?"

"Y…yeah. Alright yeah, I've heard of them. Not much though, just murmurs and whispers, about a group of Enclave guys who ditched the organization shortly before it all went south, then perfectly integrated themselves into society."

"I need to find them. Do you know where they are?"

"Shit Campbell…what part of '_perfectly integrated themselves into society_' did you not fucking understand? Nobody knows where those bastards are, not even me. You'd be better of trying to find a patch of dirt not covered by shit in the middle of a brahmin field." _Dammit. _Campbell thought, filled with frustration as he slammed his bottle of scotch down on the bar. _If Lenny the Nose doesn't know, then nobody in Vegas will._

"Alright, if you don't know, can you direct me to anybody who will know?"

"Nope. Sorry. Can't help you there. I know more about nuclear physics than I do about the Remnants, and nobody in the city knows any more about them than me. Seems you're out of luck pal." Lenny had a pretty good poker face, arguably better than Campbell's own poker face, but he still had a tell. He started fiddling with the handkerchief in his hand as he told Campbell he was out of luck. He was lying. Fortunately, Campbell knew how to wring information out of this little weasel. He stopped fiddling with the coin in his hand, and held it up so Lenny could see.

"Well…if you don't know anything…" Campbell said with mock disappointment as his finger moved under the coin, ready to flip it. "…then you're not really much use to me. Shame really."

"C…Campbell…wha…what are you…" Before Lenny could finish his question, Campbell flipped the coin. Lenny's eyes immediately grew to the size of the cheap ashtrays that littered the Wrangler. "Holy shit! No Campbell…come on…don't do this." Campbell's face showed no emotion as the coin fell down to meet his outstretched hand. "I…I really don't know anything!"

"I believe you." Campbell lied without emotion as the coin landed in his hand, and he put the other hand up to conceal it. "Heads you live, tails you die. Are you a lucky man Lenny?" Campbell knew for a fact that he wasn't. Lenny was a shit gambler, and had a list of gambling depts longer than the Colorado River. There was no way he was going to entrust his life to Lady Fate, especially since she hated him, and he valued his own life more than anything else in the world.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!" He yelled as Campbell prepared to reveal the coin's result. "I **have** heard a rumour. A…apparently there's a guy…a doctor…he works in the Old Mormon Fort…I think he's one of the Followers. I…I heard he knows about the Remnants. He'd be your best bet. Apparently he keeps it under his hat though, so you may have to sweet talk him."

"That's what I do best Lenny." Campbell replied with a smirk. "What's his name?"

"From what I heard…he's called Arcade Gannon." _Weird name. _Campbell thought absentmindedly as he started to stand up. He still hadn't taken his hands off the coin. "You've been a big help Lenny, thanks."

"Yeah, yeah whatever. I expect my usual payment. 2000 caps. Pay up."

"Not so fast Lenny." All good cheer left Campbell's voice as he glared at Lenny, chilling the small man to the bone. "You've wronged me plenty of times in the past. I may not be gunning for the Omertas anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't still blame you for what happened during that mess." Lenny started sweating buckets again, and began to stutter once more as he begged for his life.

"Woah, woah wait a fucking minute here! Y…you promised…that you wouldn't…wouldn't…"

"Kill you?" Campbell finished for him. "You're right, I did. However, my coin made no such promise, and as you know, the coin makes all the decisions for me. If one of the coin's decisions happens to contradict a promise I made earlier, then so be it." Lenny's face was a mask of pure dread, and he looked like he was about to empty his bowels at any moment.

"C…Campbell…come on! You…you can't honestly blame me for that! The…the bitch would've died either way! E…even if I hadn't told the Omertas where to find her…they would've tracked her down eventually. When somebody wrongs them…they don't stop until…they track them down. You…you know that…better than anyone. If…if Cachino hadn't taken over the Omertas, they…they'd still be out for your…blood even as we speak. Be…besides…I had no f…fucking choice! The Omertas had me by the balls! They…they would've killed me!"

"It doesn't matter now." Campbell said coldly as he started to move his hand away, to see the result of his earlier coin flip.

"No! NO!" Lenny cried as he closed his eyes, too afraid to see the result. The tension in the air was almost suffocating as Lenny sat there with his eyes tightly shut, waiting for Campbell to tell him his fate.

"Well, well Lenny…" Campbell said with a small chuckle. Lenny still didn't open his eyes, afraid of what he would see. "It seems you are a lucky man after all." Lenny opened his eyes, not believing what his ears were telling him, and saw that the coin had landed heads up.

"Does…does that mean." His heart had jumped into his throat, making it pretty much impossible to ask his question.

"You're off the hook Lenny." Campbell said with a friendly smile as he returned the coin to his pocket and put his hood back up. He then dropped a bag of caps on Lenny's lap. "2000 caps. Stay out of trouble." With that he walked to the Atomic Wrangler's exit, and Lenny turned back to face the bar, before ordering another drink to replace the one he'd dropped. Before the drink arrived however, he had a mild fright as he heard Campbell's voice behind him. "Oh and Lenny…" Half expecting to hear the merc cock a gun, he was almost relieved when he heard the rest of Campbell's sentence. "…thanks for paying for my drink." Lenny turned around quickly to object, but the merc was already gone, the door still wide open. Swearing quietly, he turned back to face the bar as the wind outside blew the door shut.

*A short while later*

Campbell was humming a song he'd heard Mr New Vegas play recently (Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash) as he approached the Old Mormon Fort. He was on fairly good terms with the Followers, and he deeply hoped he wouldn't have to shoot anyone. He needed Arcade though. Veronica had set him the task of finding out where the Enclave Remnants were; it was his responsibility. He wasn't about to let her or Layla down. If Arcade resisted…he was fully prepared to shed some blood.

The streets were completely deserted, meaning nobody saw him as he prepared to enter the fort. Well, almost nobody. Before he could enter, a hand grabbed him from behind before dragging him into a nearby alley. He tried to escape from his mysterious assailant's grasp, only to have his leg swept out from under him. He landed on his back on the dirty floor of the alley, only to see a familiar man standing over him.

"Ave." Vulpes said in the emotionless voice that Campbell hadn't heard for two years. Well…almost two years. The fox had contacted him a few months ago; unbeknownst to him it was on the very same night that Layla was ordered by Caesar to eliminate the Brotherhood of Steel. That had been shortly before Oliver had hired him. That night Vulpes had appeared out of nowhere and set him his task, while also giving him his second payment. The task hadn't been what he'd been expecting, to say the least.

"What is it Vulpes?" He asked irritably as he got to his feet, wiping dirt from his jacket as he did so. Vulpes had so such problem, as the brown gambler suit and fedora he wore were impeccably neat. Campbell pulled down his hood to speak to the fox properly, confident that nobody would see his face while he was in the alley. "I'm busy. How did you even find me?"

"I'm a frumentarius Campbell; gathering information is my specialty. I simply wished to check how your task is going."

"Everything's going perfectly." Campbell said calmly, trying to get the fox to leave as soon as possible so he could resume his current mission for Layla.

"And nobody suspects my involvement?"

"No." Campbell was getting impatient now. "You have nothing to worry about."

"I don't worry." Vulpes said sternly. "But it never hurts to cover every angle."

"Is that all you came for?"

"No. I also came to deliver this." Vulpes took a familiar looking bag out of his suit jacket pocket, before dropping it at Campbell's feet. Sure enough, caps poured out of the bag as it landed. "Your third payment." Campbell picked up the bag before storing it inside his jacket. "Now then, I'll take my leave." Before Vulpes could make himself scarce, Campbell stopped him.

"Wait!" On that word, Vulpes stopped, before turning to face Campbell. "I have a question about your plan."

"I already told you that you don't need to know that." Vulpes used his stern tone of voice once again to emphasis his point.

"I don't want to know any intricate details or any of that shit; I just need to know one thing." Campbell took a deep breath before continuing. "This plan of yours…it has nothing to do with Layla, right?" If Vulpes was surprised by the question, he didn't show it. Hell, Vulpes could probably keep his emotionless poker face even if he'd just been stabbed in the balls. "Your plan won't negatively affect Layla or Veronica in any way right?" To Campbell's annoyance, Vulpes chuckled.

"Well, well, you've formed an emotional connection with them. How touching. Well you can rest assured that my plan has nothing to do with Layla or her pet scribe." A surprised look appeared on Campbell's face, causing Vulpes' fox grin to appear.

"You…you know Veronica used to be a Brotherhood Scribe?"

"Of course I know Campbell. I told you, I'm a frumentarius. Espionage, information gathering, these things are my speciality." _He could've told the Legion at any time, and Layla's relationship with them would've been ruined._ Campbell thought, dumbstruck.

"I don't understand. Why keep the secret for her? If the Legion knew she was associating with a member of the Brotherhood…" Vulpes chuckled again, preventing Campbell from finishing his sentence and earning his ire.

"It's quite simple. Like you, she is useful to me. Both of you have an important role to play in my plans." Before Campbell could ask anything else, Vulpes turned away from him. "I'll contact you again in the future with new orders. Good day Campbell." With that, Vulpes left the alley. Campbell sighed in annoyance. He was really getting sick of Vulpes' task, but as long as the money kept coming he didn't really have any reason to complain. He put his hood back on, then left the alley, before walking across the street to the Old Mormon Fort.

*Layla – A few hours later*

"Dammit." Layla cursed under her breath as her thrown knife missed its target for the fourth time in a row. She was getting frustrated. She was up and about, she could walk, she could run, and most of her injuries had gone, but she still couldn't throw a bloody knife straight. Her concussion seemed to be lingering, and it was annoying her as she tried to catch up on all the combat practice she'd missed while she'd been recovering.

She currently stood on the roof of The Tops, and was dressed in her old set of recon armour. It was quite late in the evening, and the Strip had already lit up with neon, but she had no desire to sleep. After being woken up at an annoying time again by her implant, she decided to forgo slumber, instead heading up to the roof for some combat practice. She was using an old mannequin she'd found in the suite as a practice dummy, and her bag sat behind her, filled with all her weapons. She hadn't thrown a knife, used a blade or shot a gun in over a week, and she wanted to get back in the habit. Being quite skilled at throwing knives, she'd decided to try that first, but what been a simple, reflexive action before being tortured, was now strikingly difficult. None of her knives flew anywhere near the dummy, even when she got closer to improve her aim.

"Come on…you can do this." She said to herself, before taking another throwing knife out of her bag. She held the knife in the way that her mother had taught her, and grasped the weapon firmly as she turned to face the target. She mentally worked out the precise angle of the throw as she stared at the mannequin, then moved her hand back, preparing to throw the blade. As she moved her arm in the throwing motion however, a dagger of pain flashed through her skull. It broke her concentration for a split second, and that's all she needed to mess up the throw. She let go of the knife at the wrong moment and, while it flew fairly accurately towards the target, it flew handle first. The throwing knife hit the mannequin's forehead handle first, bouncing off the dummy before clattering to the floor. It had been her closest throw of the night, but she had still missed quite badly. "Fuck!" Layla yelled, causing her head to hurt even more. In her frustration, she spun around and kicked her bag, causing it to topple over and spill weapons and ammo across the floor.

She sat down for a second to let the pain in her head die down, resting her face in her hands and groaning in frustration as she did so. _Why is this taking so long?_ She thought angrily, as she pondered her ongoing recovery. She'd had serious injuries before, and had lengthy recovery periods before too, but never like this. Never before had she just lain in a bed, waking up at random hours and doing nothing whatsoever, never before had she found it so difficult to do things that had once been so easy for her, never before had she felt so…weak.

"Out of bed I see." A familiar voice said, and Layla moved her hands away from her face to see Campbell looking down at her. "Practicing?"

"Trying to." She said grumpily, slowly climbing to her feet as she did so. "Even the simplest things are so fucking difficult." She gestured at the completely unharmed mannequin as she spoke, along with the various throwing knives that surrounded it. "I used to be able to throw those things easily. I could hit a guy in the skull from across the room, and it would be as difficult for me as pouring a glass of whiskey. Now, I can't even hit a mannequin from three feet away."

"Sounds like you're getting quite frustrated." Campbell observed, rolling his coin between his fingers as he did so.

"No shit. Any other brilliant observations?" Layla snapped, as she turned back to her bag, and pulled out the katana he'd given her, still in its scabbard. Seeing the gift made her feel a little guilty for biting his head off. "Sorry." She said, turning to face him as she did so. "It's just a pain in the ass, being unable to do anything."

"You're still recovering." He said soothingly, leaning against a nearby rooftop air conditioning unit as he did so. "There's no need to rush things. You'll be ready for action again before you know it."

"But I want to be ready now!" She said, clearly exasperated. She slowly pulled the katana from its scabbard, before dropping the sheath to the floor and holding the thin blade with both hands. "God, I sound like a fucking brat don't I? It's just…you and Veronica are out there every day, doing so much for me, while I stay here, either asleep or sitting on my arse doing fuck all. It's driving me insane."

"You'll be able to do whatever you want soon." Campbell replied, smiling supportively. "Your concussion will be gone soon, and then your full mental faculties will return. Your recovery will be finished in just a few days."

"I know, I know…I was just hoping to keep myself sharp by practicing with some of my weapons. Didn't realise my concussion was going to make that more difficult." Her gaze focused on the fine blade in her hands as she spoke. "Do you realise I haven't even had a chance to use this baby yet? I've been wanting to use it on some NCR bastard all week."

"It won't be like using your old blade you know." Campbell said wisely as Layla continued to stare at the katana in her grasp. "Your old blade was big and heavy, you had to put all your strength into each and every strike, and it took a great amount of effort to even lift the bloody thing. The katana is smaller and faster, so you don't need to put all your strength into every blow. You don't need to focus on long, sweeping swings with the blade like you normally do. The katana's better suited to fast, well placed strikes, as opposed to simple brute force."

"And since when did you become such an expert on swords?" Layla asked, looking at Campbell and raising her eyebrow slightly as she did so. "Last time I checked, you were about as effective in melee combat as a bloatfly."

"I gave you a run for your money." He retorted, before returning to his wise tone of voice as he explained. "I may not be very good at close quarters fighting, but I still know a fair bit about it. I've read a fair few books in my time Layla; a few of those books were about melee techniques and sword skills. I know the theory behind melee combat; I just struggle at the practical aspect." He pulled a bottle of vodka out of one of his jacket's numerous interior pockets as he finished his explanation, before putting his coin into one of his trouser pockets, freeing up his other hand to rip the bottle's lid off. "Want some?" He asked after taking his first swig, waving the bottle at her as he did so.

"I'm good." She replied as she tried a few practice slashes with the katana. The sword still felt alien, it's natural speed unusual to her, as she'd always specialised in heavier weapons. As she tried a downwards slash, she realised this sword would take quite a while to get used to. _I'll probably be better off trying this after I recover. _She reluctantly admitted, before walking over to where she'd dropped the blade's scabbard.

"Can I ask you something?" Campbell inquired suddenly, surprising Layla and causing her to nearly drop the katana. "It's probably a personal question, but it's something I've been wondering for a while." Layla was about to tell him to ask away, when she stopped herself as she had a brainwave. She could use this to ask a question about Campbell.

"I'll make you a deal." She said as she picked up the katana's scabbard and sheathed the blade once more. "You can ask me one question, any question you want, and I'll answer it. It doesn't matter what the question is, I'll answer it truthfully and honestly." She returned the sheathed katana to her bag, before reaching into the bag and pulling out a bottle of whiskey. "But once I've answered your question, I get you ask you a question, and you have to answer it." As she said that last part, she ripped the lid off the whiskey bottle before taking a long swig. "Interested?" She asked with a mild grin as she finally removed the bottle from her mouth.

"A little." Campbell admitted, as he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out his coin. Layla rolled her eyes as he flipped it. "Heads: I accept the deal, tails: I don't." The coin landed in his outstretched hand a few seconds later, with the heads side pointing to the heavens. Layla grinned as she saw it, while Campbell returned the coin to his pocket, then took another swig of vodka before speaking. "Alright, I guess you have yourself a deal."

"Good." Layla asked, trying to stop her eager smile from spreading as she did so. "Go ahead. What's your question?" Campbell put his free hand back into his trouser pocket as he answered, no doubt messing with his coin in order to keep his hand busy.

"Alright, I know that you're hell-bent on destroying the NCR, and I'm fine with that. I don't like the NCR any more than you do, and I'm more than happy to help you wipe them out. What I want to know though, is what you're going to do after you've wiped out the NCR. Once they're gone from the Mojave, what then?" There was a brief pause, as Layla mulled the question over.

"I…I don't really know." She said eventually, before walking to the edge of the roof. As she stood on the roof's edge, looking down on the glittering neon lights that decorated New Vegas, she elaborated. "For three years, ever since the NCR destroyed my home and killed my family, I haven't allowed myself to focus on anything but revenge. Destroying the NCR and avenging my parents has been my only goal, seeing the republic shattered and their soldiers dead beneath my boot has been my only dream. It's become a part of my very being; hell, I can't remember what it was like before, what it was like not to be filled with hate towards the NCR every second of every day. I guess…I never really thought about what I'd do after I won." Campbell stopped leaning against the air conditioning unit, and slowly walked up to Layla as she took a swig from her whiskey bottle. By the time he reached her, she'd finished. He stood next to her, and motioned for her to continue.

"If I ever fully wiped out the NCR, if the Mojave was finally freed of their influence forever, then I guess…I'd just…live my life. When my quest for justice is complete, my parents will finally be able to rest easy, and I can finally just live, free from the hate, and free from the overpowering urge for vengeance. I suppose I'll just settle down, maybe in the Lucky 38, and just live easy for the rest of my life."

"Could you really do that though, if the Legion rules?" Campbell asked, raising an eyebrow as he did so.

"I don't give two shits about the Legion." Layla said vehemently as she mentioned the organization she'd found herself working with. "They can rule the Mojave if they want, or they can leave it and move on, it's not my problem. They're just a means to an end. Besides…I doubt they'll last very long without Caesar around to lead them." She felt like slapping herself as she realised she'd pronounced Caesar's name as Kaisar, like members of the Legion did. Those bastards were rubbing off on her, whether she liked it or not. Regardless, she continued. "Give it a year, and the Legion will probably have dissolved into a bunch of hostile tribes. They won't be able to conquer the Mojave." Layla sat down as she finished talking about the Legion, before hanging her legs off the edge of the roof. "When all this shit is finished, the Legion can have their fun. I'll stay in the Lucky 38, living the easy life, the good life, the life I've been denied for three years."

"Is there room for anyone else in this early retirement plan of yours?" Campbell asked.

"Well yeah, sure. You can stay if you want, and Veronica can stay too, obviously. I'd be more than happy to live out my days with my best friends at my side." Campbell seemed surprised.

"You…you consider me a friend?"

"Obviously." Layla smiled warmly. "If it wasn't for you, Veronica and I would still be locked up in Camp McCarran. Hell, I probably would've been executed by now. All the things you've done for me these past few weeks, you didn't need to do any of it. As far as I'm concerned, you're a true friend, and you're welcome to stay with Veronica and I for as long as you want." Campbell seemed touched, and he smiled as he sat down next to Layla.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." She grinned, before taking a swig from her whiskey bottle.

"I hope you don't mind, but I have another question."

"Shoot." Layla replied as she removed the whiskey bottle from her mouth. Campbell took a quick swig of vodka before asking.

"This whole relationship with Veronica…you're friends right?"

"No, I've actually sworn a vendetta on her." Layla answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she did so. "Yeah, we're friends."

"And…is that the extent of your relationship? Or is there…more?" Layla stiffened up slightly as he asked the question, and drank from her whiskey bottle for almost ten seconds before answering.

"It's…complicated."

"I'm good at complicated things."

"That makes one of us." She took a deep breath, then proceeded. "Alright, you see…Veronica has romantic feelings for me. Strong romantic feelings. About a month ago, right after I fought Boone for the first time, she told me she was in love with me. I was a little surprised, as I've never been able to see her as anything more than a friend. At the most, I thought of her as the sister I've never had. I had no idea whether I felt the same way, so I asked Veronica to wait. I said that we should wait until the NCR is wiped out, and our quest for vengeance has come to an end. Then, when there are no more distractions, we can truly decide on our feelings. I guess this links in with your first question; after the NCR has been eliminated, I'll probably have to decide whether I care for Veronica romantically, or just as a friend."

"And Veronica was okay with this decision?" Campbell asked. Layla recognised his tone of voice; it was the tone he used when he was judging someone's mental state, and preparing to provide counsel. He'd used the same tone of voice after she told him about her Boyd-related nightmares.

"Oh yeah, Veronica was fine with it. She agreed with my suggestion, and we both decided to wait until the NCR was dealt with before bringing up any romantic feelings."

"Are you sure she was fine with it?" Layla raised a confused eyebrow. She had no idea what he was getting at.

"Why…do you have reason to think she's not okay with it?"

"Well…not as such, no. However, I do have a theory, if you'll indulge me."

"I'm listening." Layla had a serious look in her eyes, and her tone had a bit of an edge to it. He doubted she would like his theory. Regardless, it had to be said.

"Okay, hypothetically speaking, let's say that Veronica went along with your suggestion because she didn't want to pressure you into making a romantic decision and mess up your friendship. Let's also say, that she didn't actually like your suggestion all that much, but pretended to for the sake of your friendship, and repressed all her romantic feelings so that they didn't bother you. Next, let's say that, over the course of your adventures, as more and more traumatic things happened to her, and she repressed her frustration of the events, that she began to grow more and more sexually and romantically frustrated. I'm no expert on things like this, since I've never really been in many serious relationships, but I'm guessing Veronica was deeply scarred by these events. In these situations, I hypothesise that she wanted the comfort and support that only a lover could provide, but couldn't get such comforts because of her promise to you. I believe that, on top of all the other angers and frustrations that were appearing, being unable to show her true feelings to you and the growing sexual tension between you both, caused the most anger and frustration of all. I'm not saying that her recent emotional trauma and your influence aren't both major factors in her transformation, but I think that her frustrated romantic feelings for you are the biggest factor of all, and that these feelings are the main cause of her new violent personality." There was a long silence as Layla tried to understand what Campbell was telling her. He filled the time by having another drink from his bottle of vodka.

"So…" Layla eventually said. "…long story short, you think that the new angry, violent Veronica is a direct result of the romantic feelings for me that she had to supress after I suggested we wait before deciding our feelings?"

"Pretty much." Layla was clearly dubious.

"I don't know…that sounds a little farfetched to me. I don't believe that hiding her feelings for me could've turned Veronica into…well…into me. It just doesn't seem possible."

"Alright, suppose you're right. Suppose the other traumatic factors in her life are causing her anger. In that case, I overreacted and romance has nothing to do with it. Everyone's happy. However, suppose I'm right. Suppose that it is suppressed romantic feelings that are causing this. If something isn't done about it quickly, Veronica will keep getting angrier and angrier. Eventually she might form some kind of pathological hatred for you, or even worse: she might develop a serious psychological problem. Look, I don't know if I'm right or wrong about this; like I said, it's just a theory. However, I think you'd better find out the truth as soon as possible. Here's what I suggest: after you've recovered, after we've found the Enclave Remnants, and after we've gotten the weapon stockpile from their bunker, sit down with Veronica, and talk to her about this." There was a brief pause, as Layla mulled over Campbell's words.

"I'll consider it." She said eventually, still unsure whether his theory was probable or not.

"That's all I ask." He said diplomatically, before allowing the conversation to go quiet, while they both took a drink from their respective bottles of alcohol. Eventually, he decided to move the conversation along. "Anyway, you answered my question. Hell, you answered both of my questions. As per our deal, you can now ask me any question you want, and I'll answer it." She brightened up a little at that.

"Okay." She said with a small smile. "Though I have to warn you; you'll probably not like the question."

"A deal's a deal Layla." He said reassuringly. "Go ahead, ask me anything."

"Okay." She began. "You know how you told me that you got that coin 25 years ago, in an event that created your dependency on the coin and forced you to wander the wastes?" Campbell nodded slowly, clearly aware of where this was going. "My question is this: what happened? How did this whole thing with the coin start in the first place?" Campbell sighed.

"I should've known you'd ask me that. If I was in your shoes, then I'd probably be curious too."

"If you don't want to answer…"

"No…no, it's okay. We had a deal, and I always stick to my deals. Besides…I guess it's about time I told somebody." He smiled wistfully. "You know, I don't think people get to be as crazy as we are without having some kind of fucked up origin story. We aren't normal people Layla, normal people don't do the things that we do, and normal things don't happen to people like us. I think we were normal once…well, maybe not me, but still…I think we were normal, but then we both suffered some kind of terrible tragedy, which turned us into the lunatics we are today. We really are two of a kind aren't we? But…enough stalling. I said I was going to tell you what happened all those years ago, and that's what I'm going to do." Layla began to listen intently, and Campbell took a deep breath before beginning his tale.

"My fucked up origin story starts with my childhood I guess. I spent my childhood on a farm in the arse end of nowhere with my Mum and Dad, taking care of brahmin and such. Mum was nice enough, though was mostly apathetic towards my growth and development. Dad was worse. He thought very, very little of me, and got very pissed off at me with only the slightest provocation. When he got pissed off, two things usually happened: He would yell for a while, then he'd whip out his belt and slap the crap out of me a bit. It was quite hard to escape that fate. I woke up too late: Dad would get the belt. I missed a spot when wiping the floor: Dad would get the belt. I asked a stupid question: Dad would get the belt. What pissed him off the most though, more than anything, was when I couldn't make up my mind. You see Layla, as a kid I was very indecisive. I struggled to make even the most basic decisions, afraid that I'd make the wrong one and Dad would belt slap me. Of course, being unable to make a decision pissed Dad off anyway, meaning I'd still get a belt slap. Regardless of Dad's less than fatherly behaviour, I was happy. It wasn't an easy life, but it was still a good life. Then of course, it all went to shit, because what kind of a fucked up origin story would this be if all was fine and dandy? It all came to a head on that day 25 years ago. I was ten at the time, and my indecisiveness caused the failure that would scar me for the rest of my life.

25 Years Ago

The boy who would come to call himself Campbell smiled as he looked up at the sun outside his farm. It was a beautiful day, and he'd finished all his chores early, so the day was now his. Even better, his Dad seemed to be in a good mood too, so there was little chance that he'd have to meet Mr Belt today too. That was good. The less meetings he had with Mr Belt, the better.

Sometimes, when Dad was in an especially good mood, he'd let the boy play with his lucky coin for the afternoon. The boy greatly admired that coin; he thought it was truly magnificent. According to Dad, that coin had been around for over 200 years. Dad had apparently found it in the middle of the desert, long before the boy had been born. The coin captured the boy's imagination; for such a small, seemingly insignificant object to survive for over 200 years…he knew it had to be special. Dad carried the coin with him all the time; in fact, the boy couldn't remember a time when his father wasn't carrying the coin, apart from when he was shooting things with his shotgun…or getting out Mr Belt.

The boy currently sat in the dirt outside the shack that served as his home, leaning against the fence separating the brahmin from the rest of the word and listening to the wind. Not only was it a beautiful day today, it was also peaceful. The wind was the only sound that day. Hell, even the brahmin were quiet. He hadn't heard a single moo all day. He enjoyed the silence, welcoming the chance for silent contemplation and relaxation. However, the silence that had been present today unnerved him.

He couldn't for the life of him figure out why, but the sheer silence of the area made his skin crawl. If he'd been older (And marginally more articulate), he may've said that this silence felt like a calm before a raging storm, and it gave him the feeling that such a storm would soon descend upon his home, bringing untold tragedy. But as it was, his thoughts on the matter were nowhere near as poetic as that, and a sudden moo from one of the brahmin on the other side of the fence shook the thoughts from his head.

He laughed as the mutated bovine pressed its heads up against the fence, looking at him strangely. How was he the strange one? He wasn't the one who had two heads. The boy smiled, and lay back as the midday sun shone down on him. He winced a little as his back touched the dirt, the numerous scars that littered his back sending out stinging sensations due to the physical contact. He couldn't press his back against anything these days thanks to those scars. Mr Belt sure left a mark…that much was certain. As the boy lay back, allowing the sun to warm his face, he spotted a figure on the horizon. That was strange…pretty much nobody ever came out this way. The only visitors him and his family ever had were bloatflys or the occasional gecko, which Dad easily dealt with. It was very rare that they actually saw people out here.

Far too curious too ignore this, the boy jumped to his feet and ran to the very edges of the farm. He tried to look for the figure he'd seen earlier, but the sun shone in his eyes, obscuring his vision. He shielded his eyes with his hand to help him see better, and managed to spot the figure again, though it was much closer to the farm this time. The figure was a man, and looked to be midway through his thirties (Not that the boy could tell such a thing). The man was tall and gaunt, and wore a long, black coat with a black collared shirt underneath. He wore a black, wide brimmed cowboy hat (Known to most as a desperado cowboy hat) and seemed to be carrying something in one hand, though the boy couldn't quite make out what it was. The stranger wasn't alone however, there were two other figures following slightly behind him, though they were too far away for the boy to examine.

"Hey there, boy!" The stranger shouted, freezing the boy to the spot. "We've been travelling for a long time. Can we stop at your home for a quick drink of water?" The boy didn't know what to say. His parents had told him never to talk to strangers, but what did you do if the stranger spoke first? And what if the stranger was walking towards your home?"

"I'll have to ask my Dad!" The boy shouted back, before turning to the shack. He started to run back to it, when he noticed his Dad in the doorway. The boy's father was a serious figure: large, muscled, and sporting a very bushy moustache on his face that almost hid his mouth from view. The boy was surprised to see that Dad was carrying his shotgun, and had an angry look in his eyes. He didn't have his trusty coin on him, telling the boy that he was very serious.

"Boy, get your ass back inside right now!" He shouted seriously, chilling the boy to the bone.

"Those…those travellers want to…"

"They aren't travellers boy, now get your ass back inside this fucking instant!" Dad only swore when he was really, really angry, and the boy had never risen his Dad to such a state of rage before. Something was very…very wrong. At that moment, the boy heard hurried footsteps behind him. He spun around to see the stranger from earlier. He was much closer now (Within spitting distance, his Dad might say), and close enough for the boy to realise what he was carrying. It was a baseball bat. He got a much closer look as the stranger struck the bat in a wide arc, hitting the boy right in the face. He heard sadistic laughter, and was unconscious before he hit the ground.

*Later*

Everything was black, and the boy's head felt like there were hundreds of sticks of dynamite, constantly exploding inside his skull. He couldn't open his eyes, and his skull felt strangely damp, like somebody had poured stew all over it. As he slowly came back to his senses, he heard voices nearby. They were muffled though, and felt like they were coming from miles away. Slowly, the boy managed to focus, and the nearby voices became clearer and clearer, until he could make out words.

"You goddamn chicken shit son of a whore! I swear to God I'll make you regret coming after my family!" The boy recognised his Dad's voice anywhere. There was mocking laughter after Dad spoke, followed by a sharp smack, which sounded like somebody had just been hit with a blunt object.

"How many times do we have to tell you to SHUT THE FUCK UP, huh?" That voice belonged to the stranger, the one that had hit the boy in the face with a baseball bat. Waves of pain swam through his head as he remembered the memory. "You're really getting on my nerves with your constant horseshit Farmer John, so you might want to shut your damn mouth, before I decide to take out my frustrations on your wife here." Loud sobbing could be heard after that, which the boy assumed was coming from his mother. There was another sharp smack, but the sobbing didn't stop. "Would somebody gag that fucking whore? She's really pissing me off." A few muffled cries followed, then the sobbing stopped. By this time, the boy's brain had regained most of its faculties, and he managed to open his eyes.

He was in the main living area of his shack, though he'd never seen it in such a state; the room looked like a group of super mutants had stomped through it. Most of the furniture had either been toppled over or was in pieces, several of the floorboards had been pulled up, and bullet holes littered the walls. The boy was in middle of the room, sitting on one of the dining chairs, and as he tried to move he found that his hands were tied to the back of the chair. His head still felt damp, and as he saw a red droplet drip from his head to the floor in front of him, he realised that his head was covered with blood. His parents were faring no better. They too were tied to chairs, and their chairs were positioned slightly in front of him. His mother had a dirty rag in her mouth, and her eyes were wet with tears. Tears ran down her cheeks, and her head was stained with blood too. Her long, brown hair covered half of her face, so the boy couldn't see the full extent of the damage (A fact he was thankful for). Dad was faring even worse. He too was tied to a chair, but it seemed he'd been beaten worse than either the boy or his mother. One of his eyes was swollen shut, the other was a bloody red colour. His nose was clearly broken and blood ran down his face from a bloody cut on his bald head. The left leg of his overalls was stained red (Probably from an unseen bullet wound, though the boy had no way of knowing that), and as Dad gritted his teeth in anger, the boy saw that several of them were missing. The boy's heart skipped a beat; he'd never seen his Dad in such a vulnerable state before. As he saw the most powerful figure in his life, battered, bloody and bruised, the true severity of the situation hit home. _I'm going to die here._ The boy realised, as tears began to flow from his eyes.

"Well, well, look who's awake. Hope you had a nice rest there boy, because it's the last one you'll ever be having." The stranger with the bat was looking at him now, grinning with a sadistic glee that made the boy's blood run cold. The stranger held the bat lazily, balancing the blood-soaked instrument on one shoulder. Now that the stranger was closer, the boy could see that he had long, dark brown hair, his face was covered with stubble, and he had a madness in his eyes that could scare the dead back to life. The lunatic wasn't alone however, as his two accomplices leant against the wall behind him. One was very tall, somewhere around six feet, and was a solid wall of muscle. He was completely bald, and had an angry look on his face. The other accomplice was of medium height and build, and wore an eye patch over his right eye. He had short, dirty blond hair, and was currently smoking a cigarette.

"Oh but where are my manners?" The stranger asked cheerfully, addressing the entire family this time. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. You folks may call me Blackjack. My large friend is named Fist, and the gentlemen with one eye is known as Patch. Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's get down to business. This is the current situation: my accomplices and I have turned your house upside down, pulled the floorboards up, and have found every last item of value in this shithole. We have placed these goods outside, with your brahmin, which we are also stealing. Now that the looting is done, there is just one last item on our agenda: killing the three of you." The boy's blood ran cold, and Blackjack burst out laughing as he saw the family's reactions. "Now before you ask: no, your deaths will not be quick, and they most certainly will not be painless. We intend to take our time, and enjoy ourselves"

"Fuck you, you fucking lunatics!" Dad shouted, clearly enraged. "There's no way in hell that you're going to…" Dad was cut off midsentence, as Blackjack suddenly struck him in the gut with the bat, almost giving the boy a heart attack. Dad spat blood out of his mouth, staining the floor in front of him. More blood began to pool up in his mouth, before slowly running down his chin and staining the collar of his overalls.

"What did I fucking tell you farmer? WHAT THE FUCK DID I FUCKING TELL YOU?" Blackjack shouted, all good cheer now gone from his voice. "Speak WHEN YOU'RE FUCKING SPOKEN TO, not before. GOT IT? The next time you say a fucking word without my say so, your wife is the one who will suffer, understand?"

"Fuck…you." Dad said, clearly tempting fate. Blackjack shook his head, a disappointed look on his face, before turning and striking the boy's mother in the leg with his bat. She tried to scream in pain, but the gag prevented that, so settled with crying more intensely than before, as more and more tears started to stain her cheeks. The boy couldn't stop himself from looking at his mother's leg. The limb was bent at an unnatural angle, and was clearly broken.

"Understand NOW?" Blackjack asked, turning back to Dad as he did so, and waving the bloody baseball bat in the man's face. The boy's father nodded slowly. "Good." Before Blackjack could say anything else, Patch, his accomplice with the eyepatch, sauntered over, dropping his cigarette to the floor as he did so. The man with one eye walked close to his boss, before whispering something into the bat wielding lunatic's ear. Whatever was said, Blackjack seemed to like it, as his face lit up, a wide smile covering his face that gave the boy a very bad feeling. When he was finished, Patch walked over to where he'd been standing moments ago, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket as he did so. As he lit up a second cigarette, his boss spoke.

"Lady and gentlemen!" Blackjack began, addressing the family in a jovial tone. "My associate Patch here has suggested something wonderful to me. The bad news: Your deaths will be quick; none of that lovely torture we'd been looking forward to. The good news: we'll still get amusement out of them." Before the boy could wonder what the psychopath was talking about, said psychopath walked up to him. "Let me ask you something boy: if you had the chance, you'd save your parents right now, wouldn't you?" The boy nodded frantically, desperation in his eyes. "What if, you could only save one of them?" The boy was confused. Unfortunately, Blackjack was only too happy to elaborate. "Listen kid, here's what I'm going to do." Blackjack reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a revolver. "I am going to use this gun to kill one, and only one, of your parents. However, I'm not going to decide which one to kill…YOU ARE." The boy stopped breathing, as his head began to spin. All breath left his lungs, and he thought he was going to suffocate. "Bottom line: choose which of your parents I kill, and the other shall live. But choose quick kid…I have an itchy trigger finger."

The boy just sat there, mouth wide and agape. He couldn't believe this…he had to choose which one of his parents died? How could he even begin to make such a decision? Even an adult would have trouble making such a choice, and he was just a kid. Dad tried to say something, but Blackjack pointed his bat right against the boy's mother, causing the patriarch to remain silent. He sat there, a serious expression on his bruised face, and he looked his son in the eye as his hand went into his pocket, no doubt to grasp his trusty coin. The decision was made all the more difficult, since the boy could rarely if ever make even simple decisions. He was always afraid of making the wrong choice and angering his father, thereby earning the ire of Mr Belt, so he struggled with almost any decision he had to make. His indecisiveness had earned his father's wrath on multiple occasions, which just served to make him even more indecisive. He hated decisions, he hated being relied on to make choices, especially when making the wrong choice would halve terrible consequences. And now here he was, stuck with the most difficult decision he'd ever had, and the wrong choice would bring the worst consequences he could imagine.

"Hurry up Farm Boy…I'm losing my patience." Blackjack said with a cocky sneer as he spun the revolver on his finger. The boy's heart began to beat faster and faster, reaching breaking point as he desperately and frantically tried to make a decision. His Dad was the logical choice, seeing as he was always cruel, and not to mention the belt. Yet…the boy loved his father. Sure the man was cruel, short tempered and violent, but he was still the boy's father. His mother was mostly a background figure in his life, barely interacting or socialising with him and seemingly existing only to make his meals…but she didn't deserve to die any more than her husband did. Even with his simple young mind, the boy knew that it was better to have one live parent than two dead parents, but he just couldn't decide. Angry tears flowed down his cheeks, and he stomped the floor in sheer frustration. It wasn't fair...why should he have to choose? Why should the responsibility fall to him? WHY? He would've shouted his frustration to the heavens, but he could barely breathe. He looked at his parents, an expression of sorrow and apology on his face. Their expressions didn't brighten.

"Well boy, time's up." Blackjack said, somewhat gleefully. "I don't suppose you've made a decision have you?" The boy angrily shook his head. "Aw, that's a shame. I'd give you more time, but unfortunately…" Blackjack stopped spinning his revolver, pointed it, and fired, all in the blink of an eye. "…I'm a very impatient man." The boy felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces as his mother's chair toppled backwards, a matriarch's forehead now decorated with a neat little bullet hole.

"YOU BASTARD!" His Dad shouted, though it sounded like his voice was coming from miles away. "THAT WAS MY WIFE! YOU KILLED MY FUCKING WIFE!"

"I know." Blackjack replied with a grin, before turning to the boy's father and kicking him in the chest. The sudden, strong kick knocked the chair back, causing it to fall hard to the floor. The patriarch swore as he hit the floor, eyes scrunched up in pain as he did so. Since his eyes weren't open, he didn't notice the fall cause the coin to roll out of his pocket, and onto the floor. For once in his life, the boy didn't notice the coin at all. "I wouldn't worry though farmer…since you'll be joining her soon." The boy couldn't believe what he was hearing. He tried to protest, tried to say something, anything…but all that came out of his mouth was a sad whimper. Said whimper caused Blackjack to explode into a torrent of laughter. "Oh, didn't I tell you kid? Sorry, it must've slipped my mind in all the excitement. You see, I gave you a choice: Either your Ma dies, or your Pa dies. You failed to make that choice…so now I'm going to kill both of them. And best of all…you get to watch, knowing that it was ALL…YOUR…FAULT." A mad, sadistic grin covered Blackjack's face, as he stood over the boy's father and pointed the revolver downwards, right between the man's eyes.

"YOU STUPID, STUPID BOY!" Dad shouted, causing the boy's already shattered heart to shatter into even more pieces. "This is all your fault!" Blackjack laughed like a maniac, as his finger tightened on the revolver's trigger. "Why? WHY COULDN'T YOU MAKE ONE FUCKING DECISION?" Those were the last words the boy's father said to him before Blackjack fired, ending the patriarch's life in the blink of an eye. Blood flew from his father's skull as the bullet hit, towards his father's coin, which lay on the floor, tails side up. The blood splattered over the coin, drenching the tails side in blood. The boy couldn't cry anymore, and there was nothing left of his heart to break, so he just sat there, staring at the two corpses that had once been his parents…staring at the two people whose deaths he'd caused. Blackjack meanwhile roared with laughter, clearly finding the whole horrific ordeal absolutely hilarious.

"Well, it's been fun kid, but we must be going. Fist! Are we done?" The huge brute lumbered into the room (The kid hadn't even seen him leave the room) before nodding to his boss. "Okay kid, here's the thing. Fist has broken your oven, so now the whole house is filling up with gas; quite quickly as a matter of fact. We're going to leave, and ignite the gas from outside. You're a farm boy, so you probably don't know this but: gas plus fire equals BOOM. Good day kid, it's been fun." With that, Blackjack tipped his hat at the boy before walking out the front door. Patch (Who had finished and crushed his cigarette a while ago) and Fist soon followed after him. Before the boy could even begin to feel dread, his eyes began to sting, and his nostrils were filled with the smell of gas. Less than a second later, a lit cigarette lighter flew through the open front door, as the door slammed shut less than a second later. The boy had just enough time to say two words before the gas ignited.

"I'm…sorry."

Now

"The explosion blew my entire shack to shit with little difficulty, and knocked me out cold in the process. To this day, I have no idea how I survived the explosion. But somehow, I did. I surely would've died in the resulting inferno, had there not been a group of scavengers passing by. They rescued me from the blaze, and managed to fix me up. They'd searched the wreckage of my home, but the only thing they'd found was my father's coin. Doubting they'd be able to sell it due to the blood on the tails side, they gave it to me instead."

"What did you do then?" Layla asked, surprised at how similar their two stories were.

"Well, I had no home, no belongings, and no parents, so I did the only thing I could do. The morning after I left the camp, I bid the scavengers farewell, and began to wander the wastes. An hour later, I found two dead scavengers, both armed with a 10mm pistol. I took the pair, those pistols came to be known as the Twins and…well…you know the rest. I spent 5 years just wandering, surviving just by the skin of my teeth, then I met Jenny. You know how that turned out. With the shooting skill I'd learnt from Jenny, I was able to set myself up as a mercenary. I've had a ridiculous amount of jobs during my 35 years of life: caravan guard, doorman for the Van Graffs, cage fighter in The Thorn, bodyguard, card dealer in Gomorrah, hunter, scavenger, repairman, private detective, hacker, chef, doctor, and even a teacher for the Followers. But my two most frequent jobs were as a mercenary and a private assassin. It's been an interesting life, to say the least.

"Of course, it wasn't my choice. If it had been left up to my choice, I never would've left the scavengers who saved me at the age of ten from the wreckage of my home. After the last choice I'd made had resulted in the deaths of my parents, I didn't want to make another difficult choice ever again. So I turned to Dad's coin. I flipped it, and it told me to leave the scavengers, so I did. From then on, I used Dad's coin for every major decision in my life, in order to remove all responsibility for myself. You see now Layla, why I have to use this coin? It's because my own decisions only cause pain and misery. I couldn't decide which of my parents lived, so they both died. I decided to abandon the coin to stay with Jenny, and her parents died while she went crazy, forcing me to kill her myself. The coin knows what the right decision is; I don't. That's why I use it, and that's why I can't abandon it." There was a long silence after that, as they sat together on the edge of the roof, looking down at the neon below.

"I'm sorry." Layla said, annoyed that the only thing she could think of to say, was the exact same thing she'd said after hearing his story about Jenny. _I might as well face it: I am just plain terrible at comforting people._ She thought to herself. "I know that it isn't easy to talk about this stuff. I had to tell Veronica about the events of Bitter Springs after all, and that sure as hell wasn't easy. But after you tell the first person, it gets easier. Trust me; I haven't had any problem mentioning Bitter Springs since then. Hell, I mention it to pretty much every important NCR bastard that I intend to kill." Campbell smiled at that.

"Thanks Layla, but it's okay. Really, I'm fine with it. It was 25 years ago."

"My parents died 3 years ago, and it still feels like yesterday." Layla said sadly, before turning to look Campbell straight in the eye. "Does it ever get easier? The pain, I mean. Even 3 years later, it still hurts, you know? I still…miss them." Her eyes began to go damp and she angrily wiped them before tears could form.

"Well, 25 years is a hell of a time to get over it." Campbell smiled wanly. "Of course, you knew your parents for 18 years, while I only knew mine for 10, so your pain would clearly be more intense. But still, time heals all wounds. I'm not saying the pain fully goes away; you'll never stop replaying their deaths in your mind, and you'll never truly stop missing them. But with time…the pain gets easier to deal with. If enough time passes, you stop bursting into tears whenever you think of them, it hurts less to talk about it, and if you wait long enough, then the pain becomes little more than a dull ache in your heart…an ache you learn to live with." To Campbell's surprise, Layla wrapped her arms around him, in an affectionate hug.

"Thank you for telling me this." She said against his neck. "And thanks for…for telling me it'll get easier."

"Don't mention it." He said nervously as she released the hug. He hadn't been hugged too many times over the course of his life, and it felt a little weird. She smiled warmly at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. Neither could think of what to say next, so they just turned, and looked down at the lit up Vegas below them. Neon bathed the street in vibrant light, and the city's gamblers and guests walked the streets, living their normal lives, none of them having any idea just how easy it would be; how one life event could turn them into maniacs like the duo that looked down at them. They had it so easy; no traumatic childhood, no urge for vengeance, no violence, no bloodshed. Layla envied them, yet at the same time, she pitied them. She doubted they had friends like Veronica and Campbell, she doubted they'd ever be anything more than sheep; content to live blindly under the NCR's tyrannical rule and never amount to anything. While she wished every day that her parents hadn't died…maybe her current life wasn't so bad after all. She smiled, and leant against Campbell's shoulder as she looked down at the streets below.

*Campbell – A short while later*

They'd sat like that on the roof for a while, just admiring the view. Eventually Campbell had left, explaining that he had work to do concerning the Enclave Remnants. Layla had stayed on the roof to train, while Campbell had gone back to the suite. He now sat in the suite's living room, thinking, with his bottle of vodka sitting on the table in front of him. He really did care for Layla and Veronica, and they clearly thought of him as a close friend now, if not family. Their acceptance should've been making him feel warm and fuzzy inside, but instead, it just made him feel sick, because this whole thing was a sham.

A few months ago, he'd been a mercenary in Freetown, still looking for work, and he'd completely forgotten his allegiance with Vulpes. Then, on the same night that Layla had been tasked by Caesar to wipe out the Brotherhood of Steel, the fox had visited Campbell. The merc had been surprised to say the least. Vulpes had given Campbell no time to get over his shock however; he'd just given Campbell his second payment, and his first task: get General Oliver of the NCR to hire him, and act as an agent on the inside. When he asked why Vulpes wanted this, the fox only replied 'I like to know the moves of every player, as it makes the game much easier to win.' The task had proven easier than Campbell had expected, as Oliver was desperate to see Layla dead, and was willing to hire anyone who could achieve that end. So he'd worked for the NCR for a while, trying to kill Layla and reporting to Vulpes every so often about the NCR's plans.

Then, right after Layla had finally been captured, and Campbell's employment with the NCR had come to an end, Vulpes had tracked him down again. The fox had set him a new task, a task Campbell currently hated himself for accepting: defect to Layla's side, and win her trust while doing damage against the NCR. He'd told the fox that Layla and Veronica would never accept him, so the fox had suggested he engineer a situation where they had no choice but to let him join. That had led to him heading to Camp McCarran in order to bust Layla and Veronica out, only to run into them during their own escape. He'd adapted to the situation quickly, faking a coin flip to explain his sudden defection to Layla's side. They hadn't accepted him right away, and Veronica had hit him a few times, but once he'd shown his worth and his loyalty, they'd quickly become the friends they were today. He still felt guilty however, that their whole friendship was based on a lie. Vulpes had told him that the plan wouldn't affect Layla at all, and yet…he just couldn't remove the guilt that was tearing him up inside. He cared deeply for the two girls, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt them.

"Hey." A sudden voice knocked Campbell out of his thoughts, as Veronica walked out of the elevator behind him. "I've finished doing recon on Camp McCarran." She plopped down on the sofa next to him, before looking at him seriously, albeit tiredly. She hadn't slept in days, and dark bags were starting to form under her eyes. Taking on Layla's responsibilities was really starting to wear on her. "How'd things go on your end?"

"I've got the explosives ready; they're in the meeting room." Campbell replied seriously, after taking a swig of vodka. Veronica seemed surprised.

"How the hell did you get several tons of explosives past the guards in the casino entrance? I can barely get my power fist by them. Surely a bribe wouldn't be enough to make them look the other way while you bring in enough bombs to destroy this whole casino and half the strip with it?"

"You should've learnt by now Veronica: I'm amazing." She rolled her eyes in response

"Great. Any luck on finding the Enclave Remnants?"

"Yes…and no." Campbell's reply caused a confused expression to appear on Veronica's face, so he elaborated. "After talking to my contacts, I found out that a member of the Followers might know more. His name is Arcade Gannon."

"Weird name." Veronica said, mirroring Campbell's reaction on learning the man's name.

"I thought so too. Anyway, I went to the Old Mormon Fort, and spoke to their leader, Julie Farkas, but she told me that Arcade had recently left the fort without explanation, and she had no idea where he'd gone." Veronica didn't look pleased.

"Damn." She kicked her boots off as she voiced her displeasure. "Have you had any luck finding him?"

"I got Arcade's description from Julie, then I called in some favours from some old friends of mine in the NCR. Both of these guys monitor a different gate in Freeside, and I currently have them checking their records to see if anyone matching Arcade's description left Freeside recently. Until they come up with something, all I can do is wait."

"Fair enough." Veronica didn't look pleased, but it was clear that she knew Campbell had no other choice. "How's Layla?"

"Oh, she's fine. We just had a chat up on the roof, and she's doing some combat training up there now. Most of her injuries have healed, but her concussion is still affecting her combat skills a little. Regardless, she should be fine by the end of the week."

"Good." Veronica seemed pleased. "Okay, since you've got nothing to do until you get word from your NCR buddies, we'll put our plan into operation tomorrow."

"That's…a little soon."

"It's all the time we've got. I was in the main building wearing my NCR disguise today, and I heard that Boyd is getting transferred to Hoover Dam the day after tomorrow. If we want to get her, it has to be tomorrow." Campbell sighed, and rubbed his temples as he thought for a second.

"Okay. It won't be easy, but I should be able to get the bombs in position by then."

"Good." Veronica smiled. "Tomorrow that bitch gets what's coming to her."

"Or, we get caught and end up going out in a sea of flames as we set off the explosives to avoid being caught."

"Or…that." Veronica rolled her eyes, before getting to her feet." I'm going to go see Layla. I'll meet you in the motel across the street from Camp McCarran tomorrow." Campbell nodded, and with that Veronica walked to the elevator, before taking it to the roof, leaving Campbell alone with his thoughts and his vodka.

*Meanwhile*

Business was still slow in the Atomic Wrangler, even though it was now night, and most of the NCR soldiers that had recently started patrolling Freeside were in the Gomorrah getting drunk. Lenny the Nose was still there however, having no social life to speak of. He wasn't rich enough to get into Vegas, and thanks to the NCR's harsh stance on prostitution, he couldn't spend what money he did have on anything that interested him. As he ordered yet another drink from the barman (Weakest in the house, as usual), he didn't hear someone approaching from behind.

"Lenny the Nose, I need to have a word with you." A gravelly, emotionless voice said from behind him. He didn't turn around, instead snorting derisively.

"Sorry pal, but I'm not working at the moment. Come back at a decent hour." He didn't hear any footsteps, so the man clearly hadn't left. Quite annoyed, he turned on his stool to face his guest. "Look pal…" He stopped midsentence as he saw the individual who stood before him. More specifically, he saw the beret on the man's head, and recognised the logo. "Oh, OH, you're with the…the NCR. My apologies my good man. Please…tell me what I can do for you."

"You spoke to a man named Campbell earlier. I need you to tell me exactly what you talked about, and what you told him." Craig Boone said, a serious look on his otherwise emotionless face.

_**Wow, there's a lot of information to take in, in this chapter. Campbell is secretly working for Vulpes, Arcade has gone on the run, Veronica's new violent personality may be due to her frustrated sexual/romantic feelings regarding Layla, Veronica and Campbell are going to Camp McCarran tomorrow, and Boone is about to find out about Layla's interests in the Enclave Remnants. But the biggest reveal here (And the hardest bit for me to write - took 2 months) was Campbell's 'fucked up origin story' (His words). I hope that sufficiently explains his coin dependency, and I hope the character development in this last few chapters has been satisfactory. The next chapter is the last part of the R+R Saga, and will contain quite a bit more violence than the other R+R Chapters. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long...but you never know with these things.**_

_**Anyway, please send me death threats for my crappy updates in the review space, or (If you're mentally damaged) find some reason to compliment my tale. Your choice really.**_


	44. Razing and Retribution

_**Here it is, the highly anticipated (And long awaited) final part of the R+R Saga. This chapter marks the end of Layla's recovery period, and after this one, she'll be back in action once again. But just because Layla won't be in fighting form until after this chapter, don't think I'm skipping on the bloodshed. This chapter contains plenty of violence, so sit back and enjoy the show. **_

Razing and Retribution

Private David Crenshaw (Or Davey as he preferred to be called), was currently leaning against a long abandoned fighter jet on one of Camp McCarran's runways, a lit cigarette in his hand. He didn't actually smoke, but pretended to so he could get smoke breaks. He'd even bought a lighter and actual cigarettes in order to make the lie more convincing. As far as the other soldiers on the base were concerned, he was a chain smoker. He grinned as he imagined how pissed off they'd be if they learnt he'd been lying this whole time; it would be hilarious.

Depending on who you asked, Davey was two different things. If you asked him, he was a prankster, and a skilled one at that, who livened things up on the base and amused people with his antics. If you asked anyone else, he was an annoying little prick who pissed off everybody with his 'jokes', and didn't understand the concept of taking a joke too far. While Davey admitted he did sometimes go too far with his pranks (His last prank had involved a juicy steak, a teddy bear, shaving cream, and some dynamite, and had put a fellow soldier in traction), they were absolutely hilarious, and anyone who didn't find them funny simply didn't have a sense of humour. Of course, as great as his pranks were, the last one had caused him to be demoted to patrol duty, which was why he was out here in the first place. Not just patrol duty though; he'd been assigned to patrol the rear wall, which was the most dead end patrol route a solider in Camp McCarran could hope to get. He'd been pissed at first, but had quickly realised that it was extremely easy to slack off, since he was the only one patrolling the runways these days.

As he leant back against the jet fighter, holding the lit cigarette aloft so that it looked like he was smoking, and shielding his eyes from the sun, he saw a figure approach. A female figure. Like him, she wore an NCR uniform, though unlike him she wore the face wrap uniform, covering half of her face. The other half was obscured by the helmet she wore, which was tilted downwards to conceal her features. Actually, with her face concealed and the bulky armour hiding her figures, she might have been a man for all he knew.

"Hi." A female voice said brightly as the figure approached, removing any doubts about her gender from his mind. For a girl, she had quite short hair, as he couldn't see it beneath her helmet (Not that it bothered him too much). She tilted the helmet upwards and pulled down the face wraps as she approached, showing she had quite cute features, bright eyes, and a friendly smile. Honestly, Davey wouldn't have cared if she'd had the face of a burn victim; he was a virgin, and at 22 years old he was eagerly looking to change that. If he played his cards right, he might have his chance.

"Hey." He said, trying to sound as cool as possible. "The name's David Anthony Crenshaw, but you can call me Davey." The girl flashed him a quick grin as she stopped to stand next to him.

"I'm Christine." She suddenly leaned close to Davey, before whispering in his ear and causing him to break out in a nervous sweat. "You can call me whatever you want." Trying desperately to keep his cool, he wiped the sweat from his face before engaging her in small talk.

"So…you patrolling round here now?" He asked as casually as possible.

"Yeah, just got transferred here from Camp Forlorn Hope." She replied as she fiddled with one of the straps on her uniform.

"Wow…what kind of crap did you pull to get stuck at this dead end post?" Davey asked, clearly curious. Christine giggled lightly before answering.

"Well…I got caught having sex with a fellow soldier in the barracks." Davey's head damn near exploded as she answered. So…bottom line…he was now sharing his route with some kind of cute, friendly nympho? How lucky could a guy get? Still trying to remain calm, he tried to steer the conversation in a direction that would result in the two of them knocking boots.

"Sorry…we're the only two who patrol back here. Guess you won't be having sex with a fellow soldier any time soon." He put on a sad expression, which the girl immediately copied.

"Aw…" She said, pouting cutely as she did so. "That sucks."

"Yeah. Unless…" He turned to face her, before raising his eyebrows suggestively. "I'm…technically a fellow soldier." _Damn I'm good. _He thought to himself, his ego rising dramatically as the girl shot him a flirty look.

"So you are…" She said seductively as she stepped closer, before grabbing his belt. _Damn! She works fast. _He smiled widely as her hand grasped his belt, but was surprised when she didn't pull it down, instead bringing her hand away. Before he could ask what she was doing, he saw something in her hand that made his blood run cold: the pin for the grenade that hung on his belt. "So you are…" She repeated, though this time with a sadistic grin as she kicked him to the floor. He hit the tarmac painfully, and didn't even have enough time to scream before the armed grenade on his belt detonated.

*Meanwhile*

All was quiet in Camp McCarran's terminal building, as Colonel James Hsu sat in his office, filling out paperwork as usual. He was the main commander of Camp McCarran and one of the highest ranking members of the NCR in the Mojave. However, ever since General Oliver had taken over, he'd been reduced to a mere desk jockey. Not that he'd do anything about it; complaining just wasn't in his nature. Like his mother and father had always told him, complaining won't get you anywhere, sometimes you just have to grin and bear it. And that was exactly what he was doing now. Even if he didn't like being exiled to a desk, and even if he thought Oliver was a mad tyrant, and even if he completely disagreed with the good general's attempts to make New Vegas a dictatorship, he wasn't going to waste time whining about it.

He was just writing a personnel report about a soldier who'd had his arms and legs blown off by a child suicide bomber (Christ, the Legion made him sick), when a random soldier burst into his office. The man was of quite a high rank, and seemed to be concerned about something.

"Sir, some of our patrols have reported hearing an explosion outside. Sounded like a grenade going off." Hsu immediately put down the report he was filling out, and focused all his attention on the soldier in front of him. His brain immediately switched from bureaucratic mode to commander mode in the blink of an eye.

"Tell some of the patrolling soldiers to investigate immediately." He said with authority as he got to his feet. The soldier nodded, and got out his NCR radio before repeating the colonel's order to the men outside. Colonel Hsu quickly walked out of his office, with the soldier in pursuit. As they reached the terminal building's main lobby, the soldier got a reply on his radio. "Report." Hsu said seriously, and the soldier immediately obeyed.

"A group of patrolling soldiers found the corpse of an NCR soldier…what's left of it anyway…by the base's rear wall. The soldier was clearly killed by an explosion, which explains what they heard earlier. They found ID on the soldier identifying him as Private David Crenshaw." Hsu was familiar with Crenshaw; he was a well known miscreant and a nuisance that most of the men despised. Still…he was just a kid; he didn't deserve this.

"Is there any sign of what caused the explosion?" Hsu replied stoically.

"All evidence point to equipment malfunction sir; Private Crenshaw's grenade detonated prematurely and killed him in the resulting blast. No sign of foul play." Hsu remained silent, turning away from the soldier as he did so. "Should I order the men to return to their posts sir?"

"Yes, but tell them to be on high alert. I'm not convinced this was a simple accident." Before the soldier could follow Colonel Hsu's order, loud frightened chatter sprung up over his radio. The soldier put the radio to his ear to hear what was being said, and his eyes widened as he listened to the chatter.

"What is it?" Hsu asked.

"Sir…the men are saying that the air control tower just exploded." Hsu could hardly believe what he was hearing, but being an experienced military man, he managed to remain calm.

"Have some men head over there immediately to investigate the cause of…" Hsu was suddenly caught off as he heard several loud explosions nearby, coming from right outside the terminal building. He hurriedly took the radio from the soldier, before putting it to his lips. "This is Colonel Hsu, what is going on out there? Report!" The soldiers were quick to reply.

"Sir, this is Major Dhatri. We have a serious fire on our hands. All the tents outside the main terminal building are ablaze. Everything's going to shit out here." Hsu knew Dhatri; he was an experienced NCR soldier, and had been through a lot of bad situations in his career. The fact that he sounded worried about the situation outside didn't fill Hsu with reassurance. Something was definitely wrong. Regardless, Hsu kept his worries under control, and replied calmly and competently to Dhatri.

"Dhatri, get whatever unharmed men you have to get any survivors out of the flames. Any personnel in the vicinity of the control tower should go investigate it immediately; search for any survivors and try to find a cause for the fire. Any patrolling soldiers who aren't near the tower, head to the tents to assist Dhatri. The rest of you, those in the guard towers and in the main terminal building, be on high alert. Something caused these explosions, and until we find out what, nobody is leaving this base. You all have your orders, now get to it." He heard several confirmations over the radio, before handing it back to the soldier. Though he hid it well, he was as unnerved by these events as anybody. _Private Crenshaw's grenade detonating…the air control tower exploding…the tents being set ablaze…if somebody is doing this purposely, then we're dealing with a professional._ He thought to himself, but kept his cool as he started issuing orders to the men around him. He couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgement…not if they had a mad bomber on the loose.

*Meanwhile*

"I saw the explosion from here Campbell…nice job." 'Christine' said into her NCR radio as she hid behind an NCR supply truck near the base's main supply shack. She knew this building led onto the base's concourse, which led directly into the terminal building. She couldn't just walk through the front door, since only authorised personnel were allowed in the terminal building, and she didn't have time to steal an ID.

"What can I say Veronica, if there's one thing I take pride in; it's my talent with explosives. Did you see the tents out by the front of the base? It's a fucking inferno down there. I'm feeling quite proud." Veronica smirked, before looking around to make sure the coast was clear. It was, so she slowly backed into the supply shed. The NCR radio she was using had been modified by Campbell so that it operated on a frequency that the NCR couldn't detect. This allowed them to converse safely without worrying about anyone overhearing their conversation.

"I've got to say Campbell, you're fitting the mad bomber archetype to a tee. It's cute." She said jokingly. Campbell retorted quickly.

"Not as cute with you fake flirting with that guard. I heard the whole thing 'Christine'. You almost sounded…into it."

"Shut up." She said irritably. "I got the idiot to blow himself up, and it caused the guards in the supply shack to abandon their posts. Now I can sneak onto the concourse, and into the terminal building. No problem."

"Yeah, except we know things are never that easy." Campbell said pessimistically.

"Just keep blowing shit up, and they'll be far too distracted to focus on a single private making her way into the terminal building."

"Roger that."

"By the way…where are you anyway?"

"One of the…hang on." Campbell went quiet for a second, and Veronica heard a quiet 'fwip' a second later, followed by a light thump, as though something had fallen to the ground. "Sorry about that, a surprise guard walked in. I'm in one of the guard towers that surround the base. I've got a perfect view of my bombs from here."

"Excellent. I'll let you know if…" Veronica was suddenly cut off, as a man in a large brown jacket (Veronica recognised it as a roving trader outfit) stepped out from behind a pile of supply crates, before pointing a 9mm pistol at her head.

"I heard everything bitch. Say goodbye." The man said in a threatening tone, even though he clearly wasn't a combatant. Veronica only sighed in response.

"Hang on a second Campbell." She said perfectly casually, before taking off her helmet and throwing it at the man. The man was surprised by the unusual attack, and the sturdy helmet hit him right in the forehead. Veronica immediately charged, before kicking him in the knee as soon as she reached him. He stumbled slightly as he was knocked off balance, allowing her to strike him in the face with her left elbow, before swatting the pistol from his hand. He tried to punch her, but she simply ducked low, shaking her head at his sloppy technique as she did so, before rising upwards and uppercutting him in the chin. His head shot back, and she grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. She headbutted him in the face, before spinning around to face the pile of supply crates that he'd been hiding behind earlier. She let go of his collar as she turned, tossing him towards the crate pile. He cried out as he flew, but went silent as he hit the pile, and all the heavy crates collapsed on to him. A few seconds later the pile was in disarray, and only the man's legs could be seen beneath all the crates that buried him.

"Sorry about that." Veronica said conversationally as she dusted herself off and picked up her helmet. "Some prick held me up at gunpoint. He's under a pile of crates now. Maybe he's dead." She shrugged, before putting her helmet on and tilting it to conceal her face. "I have no idea."

"And nobody heard a pile of crates loudly collapsing?"

"Relax, the shack is isolated from the rest of the camp. The only ones who could've heard it are the soldiers on the concourse, and they're probably too busy enjoying their breaks to be bothered about a racket in the supply shed."

"Makes sense. By the way, inform me when you're off the concourse will you?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to blow it up. I've placed bombs all over the concourse, and blowing it up should make these bastards really sweat.

"Fine. It shouldn't take me more than a minute to pass through the concourse anyway. I'll update you in a bit.

"Roger." With that, the radio went silent, and Veronica stepped into the concourse.

*Hsu*

"What's the status outside?" Hsu asked Dhatri using the NCR radio the soldier had given him.

"Things are calming down out here sir. We've recovered most of the soldiers and civilians caught in the fire, and most of the flames have been put out."

"Sir, I just spoke to one of the soldiers that was investigating the control tower." The soldier who had first entered Hsu's office said from behind the colonel. "They can't find exactly what caused the explosion, but have determined that it doesn't seem to be natural. A bomb was probably used." Hsu immediately returned to speaking to Dhatri.

"Dhatri, have you found any source of the blaze, anything that could've caused the fire?"

"Nope…nothing. Well, one of my men found a black, powdery residue in one of the tents…the kind left by an explosive. I suspect somebody did this on purpose." Hsu stiffened visibly.

"Keep helping survivors Dhatri, inform me if anything changes."

"Yes sir." With that, Hsu threw the radio back to the soldier before focusing on his thoughts. _Shit. We clearly have a mad bomber on the loose, and there's no telling where he might strike next._ As if on cue, the soldier shouted urgently to Hsu. The colonel turned to face the soldier, and saw that he was visibly shaken.

"Sir, we have more reports of explosions."

"Where?"

"The guard towers sir."

"There are a lot of guard towers soldier. Which ones?" There was a pause before the soldier answered.

"All of them sir. Every single guard tower has exploded. All the men in those towers are dead, and our perimeter is gone." Hsu could barely believe what he was hearing. Every single guard tower in the base had exploded? How? How had somebody managed to place so many bombs around the base without anybody noticing? _Just who the hell are we dealing with here? _"Sir?" The soldier asked, clearly concerned that the colonel hadn't responded. Hsu recovered quickly.

"Contact the men who were investigating the guard tower."

"Should I tell them to go to each of the towers and investigate?"

"No." The soldier seemed surprised.

"But sir…surely we should try and investigate…"

"There's no point. Every single explosion has taken place outside, far away from this building. These bombs have all been distractions…whoever's doing this wants us to divide our forces, have our men split up to investigate the explosions, while leaving the terminal building undefended."

"What should we do sir?"

"Contact every soldier not assisting in the fire, and tell them to help guard the main terminal building. I want this place locked down tight; whoever planted the bombs was able to get into restricted areas, so they must have an NCR disguise of some sort. Lock down the whole building; nobody enters or leaves without authorisation."

"Yes sir." Hsu felt a cold sweat trickle down his neck. He had no idea if locking the terminal building down would help find the mad bomber, or even stop his next attack, but he couldn't take his chances. This was a serious situation, and it was his responsibility to make sure his men survived it. He wouldn't let them down.

*Veronica*

"Woah." Veronica's mouth hung open like a trap door as she watched every guard tower in Camp McCarran explode at exactly the same time. She stood in the concourse, next to a large window which showed the runways outside. From there, she had a good view of the guard towers being blown sky high.

"Impressed?" Campbell asked smugly over the radio.

"Okay, even I have to admit…that was pretty damn impressive." Veronica replied, still staring at the flames rising from the ruined guard towers.

"I try. Where are you now?" Veronica looked around to make sure there was nobody nearby, then replied when she was certain the coast was clear.

"I'm in the concourse, just looking at your handiwork through a large window. I'm nearly in the terminal building now."

"Well you'd better hurry; I'm seeing a lot of soldiers heading back to the terminal building as we speak. Pretty soon that place will be more heavily guarded than a White Glove's bank account."

"Damn…alright, I'm heading in now."

"Just let me know when you leave the concourse, so that I can fuck with these pricks even more."

"Roger that. Over and out." With that, Veronica returned her radio to her belt before walking briskly down the concourse, heading for the main terminal building. Many soldiers occupied the concourse, but they were too busy making the most of their breaks to pay any attention to her, and she walked past them without incident.

As she entered the terminal building, she saw that this would obviously be a hell of a lot more difficult than she'd been hoping. There were NCR soldiers all over the place, with at least one soldier guarding every door in the building. She wouldn't be able to do so much as fart in here without at least ten guys knowing about it. As a group of four soldiers passed by, she stepped back onto the concourse, and headed to a corner where nobody could hear her.

"Campbell…I may have a problem." She said into the radio. The merc replied immediately.

"Tell me about it; there's NCR soldiers all over the terminal building."

"I know. Can you do anything about it?"

"I can, but you'll have to stay in the concourse while I do it." Veronica was about to say that she could do that…when she saw that almost every soldier on the concourse was suddenly finishing their break. It would look highly suspicious if she was the only soldier not to go back on duty.

"Shit. Everybody in here's going back on duty; I'll have to follow them otherwise I'll stick out like a sore thumb. Can you get rid of the soldiers while I'm in the terminal building?"

"It won't be easy…but yeah, I think I can do that. You'll need to take refuge in the area where they keep the prison cells. You know…the place where you and Layla were locked up?"

"I remember." She replied curtly, and Campbell quickly moved on.

"Yeah, well…anyway, if you stay there, you should be safe from my surprise. The NCR soldiers won't be."

"Let me guess…this surprise is another bomb?"

"You'll see." Veronica didn't push the issue, instead signing off and following the crowd back into the terminal building. The second she saw her chance, she drifted off towards the cell block. Though she'd tried to forget the day when she'd had to break Layla out, she called on those unpleasant memories now to help her remember where the cell block was. It didn't take her long to find it, but there was an unforeseen complication when she arrived.

"Stop right there." A young NCR soldier said, as he stood guard outside the room. "We're in lockdown; nobody can enter the cell block without permission from Colonel Hsu himself."

"I have urgent business in there." Veronica said impatiently, but the guard wasn't buying it.

"Sorry, but…" Veronica didn't let him finish, instead pushing him into the room midsentence. She was in a rush, and had no time to think of a lie to get past this idiot, so she decided to let her fists do the talking. The guard flew through the door, and landed inside the room, on the floor in front of the cells. Veronica quickly followed, and shut the door behind her before approaching the young soldiers, fists clenched. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked angrily as he started to get up. He got to his knees and looked in her in the face as he continued to whine. "You'll be reprimanded for this you…" Veronica was in no mood for his prattling, and simply punched him in the face. To her surprise, that one punch was enough to knock him unconscious, and he toppled backwards before lying still on the floor.

"Wow." She said with disbelief, clearly unimpressed. "They really don't make NCR soldiers like they used to." No sooner had the words left her lips, than she heard footsteps behind her. She spun around, only to see a very tall, very muscular soldier walk into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Then again…" The soldier didn't hesitate, immediately trying to punch her in the face with one of his great, meaty hands. She sidestepped the strong blow, before returning the favour and punching the brute in the face. Her punch hit him square in the jaw, but he showed little reaction to it, instead just smirking at her before pushing her into one of the cell doors. "Well…that's different." Veronica remarked as the brute strode closer, and she decided to change tactics.

She took off her helmet as he reached her, before using it to strike him in the face. This blow did a lot more damage, bloodying his forehead and causing him to stumble backwards, clearly dazed. He recovered quickly and tried to punch her once again, but she swayed under his blow before aiming a straight kick at his chest. It hit him dead on, knocking him back against the wall. She threw her helmet at him before he could recover, but he caught it, before dropping it and charging forwards. He tried to tackle her into the cell door but she rolled to the side, before grabbing the straps of his NCR chestplate and using them to pull him back. She used them pull him back against the wall, before kneeing him in the stomach. He headbutted her in response, before grabbing her by the throat with both hands and lifting her off the floor. She struggled to escape his grasp, but his grip was far too strong, and he sneered as the air started to leave her lungs. Consciousness tried to leave her but she hung on, struggling to make words leave her lips.

"Fucking…" Veronica tried determinedly to get the words out, while the thug leaned his head closer so he could hear what she was saying. "…let…" He looked like he was about to burst out laughing, but she ended that by striking out with one of her legs, kicking him in the balls in the process. "…GO!" The soldier cried out in pain, dropping Veronica before leaning back against the wall, holding his injured crotch as he did so. She grit her teeth angrily, before stomping on the brute's foot with her heavy combat boots, breaking his toes. He howled in pain, and tried to reward her with a punch to the face. She sidestepped the punch however, before slamming his head back against the wall. He looked dizzied, and she decided to end it by taking another shot at his groin, this time with her fist. Unable to take any more pain, he dropped face first to the floor, and Veronica breathed a sigh of relief before leaning against the cell door.

"What's going on?" Campbell asked through the radio, and she quickly answered.

"Nothing…" She wheezed, still struggling to talk properly after being choked by the soldier. "I got into the cell block, but I had to fight some fucking ogre in the process."

"I assume you won?"

"Why don't you ask him?" She rolled the brute over onto his back with her foot, before placing her radio against his lips. Since he was still unconscious, he didn't say much…until she stomped on his balls with her heavy combat boots. A sharp cry of pain immediately emanated from his lips, and she smiled sadistically as she brought the radio back to her own lips.

"What the hell did you do to him?"

"Let's just say he won't be having kids any time in the foreseeable future." She laughed, before kicking the brute in the face to knock him out again. "Anyway, I'm in the cell block…what now?"

"Now all to need to do is wait. Just stay hidden, I'll deal with the soldiers."

"How will I know when it's safe to go out there?" She heard a chuckle from the other end of the line.

"Trust me…you'll know." Campbell replied, clearly excited.

"Roger." She answered, before putting the radio back on her belt. Less than three seconds after she did so, she heard a loud explosion coming from outside the room. There were screams, some loud bangs, then more explosions, then more screams. "More bombs? Fair enough I guess." Veronica said to herself, having expected something a bit more…grand. Then smoke seeped through the door. Black smoke. Curious, she opened the door a crack, only to see the entire building ablaze. "That's more like it." She said, a wide smile on her face…which only widened as she heard a nearby soldier scream out that his crotch was on fire.

*Hsu*

It had all happened so fast. One second, Hsu had been issuing orders to his men, then a deafening explosion had echoed across the building. Hsu had quickly deduced that the mad bomber had just detonated bombs inside the building, but was confused that he hadn't seen the explosion. Then his eyes had widened as he'd realised the truth…the explosion had been above them. _The crafty bastard placed bombs in the support beams . _He realised too late, as the heavy iron girders that held up the ceiling started to drop. He heard a loud scream, and looked in its direction just in time to see a soldier crushed by a girder. He was the first of many. The soldiers began to panic as girder after girder dropped down on them, and terrified screams filled the building. Then more explosives went off in the ceiling, and more girders started to drop.

Hsu tried to rally his men, to get them to evacuate the building safely, when more bombs went off. These bombs weren't in the ceiling though…they were all around him. They weren't ordinary bombs either…they were incendiaries. He was knocked back by one explosion, and passed out for what seemed like a fraction of a second. When he came to, the entire building was a raging inferno.

It was in the middle of this inferno that he now stood, shouting and trying to control his men, while flames danced all around him, his vision was obscured by choking black smoke, and heavy girders continued to fall from the ceiling above. He jumped back as a girder suddenly landed next to him, narrowly avoiding being crushed. He landed on his feet dangerously close to nearby flames, and stepped away from them to avoid being set ablaze. His well contained fear was starting to break free now…he could hardly believe that one maniac had done all this. _One crazy bastard…how is it possible? _Though he was afraid, he tried to pull himself together. He couldn't break down now, his men needed him. He shook his fearful thoughts away, and started to look around for any survivors. Then he heard a voice.

"Hi, you must be Colonel Hsu." He spun around as he heard somebody mention his name, and could just make out a figure approaching through the smoke. "I've heard a lot about you; you have a very impressive track record." The smoke cleared slightly as the figure approached, revealing himself to be a man in an NCR uniform. Despite the uniform he wore however, it was quite clear he was no soldier. "I'm Campbell…maybe you've heard of me?"

"Yes, the insane mercenary that Oliver kept on a very short leash." Hsu replied immediately, as his hand drifted towards his 9mm pistol. None of what he'd heard about Campbell was good, and if the merc was behind the bombs, then he wasn't taking any chances.

"Oh good, you have heard of me. I'm flattered." Campbell spoke with a surprising amount of civility, but Hsu had met enough con artists to know that it was all an act.

"What are you doing here mercenary?" He asked seriously.

"I'm here to see a friend of mine: Lieutenant Carrie Boyd. Short black hair, kind of surly...maybe you know her?" That surprised Hsu; Boyd wasn't really that important in the NCR…not as important as himself anyway. Why was she his target?

"I do know her, and I know that she does not associate with psychopaths like you."

"Psychopath?" Campbell looked offended. "Now that's hurtful. I prefer to think of myself as…unique. I'm not boring like a lot of people you'll meet in the Mojave."

"You're a lunatic. Tell me what you're doing here. Now." Hsu said it more forcefully this time, as his hand firmly grasped the gun on his holster. He didn't want to draw it yet and risk angering the merc, so he waited for the right moment.

"Oh but Hsu, I already have. I'm here to see Boyd, remember? Do you know where I can find her?"

"What's your interest in her?"

"She's a friend of a friend. Well…she's the heartless bitch who tortured a friend, and I just want to make sure said friend can return the favour." That didn't narrow it down very much…Boyd had tortured a hell of a lot of people since Oliver had made it legal. Campbell's 'friend' could be any number of people. "Now, could you please tell me where the lovely lady is? I'd be ever so grateful." Campbell's request was incredibly polite. Hsu's reply wasn't.

"No."

"I can't decide if you're being impolite, or just obtuse. Oh no, I get it…you're trying to be noble by not telling me where she is. And since you're so experienced, am I safe to assume that you won't crack easily?"

"That's right. I won't tell you a damn thing."

"Hmm…a shame, that." Campbell looked disappointed, but he brightened up quickly. At that precise moment, a random soldier stumbled out of the smoke nearby; a private from the looks of him. This fact didn't go unnoticed by Campbell. "Oh well, I can't force you I guess; wouldn't help. However, I doubt your men are as immune to force as you are. Let's ask this guy shall we?" Before Hsu could respond, Campbell rapidly drew a 12.7mm pistol from a pocket on his NCR armour, before pointing it at the private. The inexperienced soldier immediately froze, a terrified expression on his face. "Hi…do you know who I am?"

"You…you're Campbell…the…the insa…the mercenary." The private was stuttering, and looked like he was dangerously close to having a heart attack. Campbell just grinned.

"I am indeed. I'm guessing you know what I do to people who annoy me?" The private was much too terrified to respond, so he just nodded quickly. "And knowing that, I can't imagine you want to annoy me." The private shook his head. Campbell's grin suddenly disappeared, and all emotion left his voice. "Then don't annoy me…tell me where that fucking bitch Boyd is, so I can be on my merry way. And…tell me quickly; there's only so long I can hold a gun before I get the urge to paint a wall with somebody's brains."

The private looked like he was about to drop dead from fear, while Campbell's expression was impossible to read. There was one thing Hsu could tell however: Campbell wasn't bluffing. His emotionless expression, the casualness with which he'd threatened the private's life, these things told Hsu that Campbell was 100% serious. Hsu was an experienced soldier, and was greatly skilled in resisting interrogation. He could ignore any threat, and would never give an enemy any information that could help them. Unfortunately, the private was nowhere as skilled as him.

"She's upstairs in the interrogation room! She hasn't left all day!" Please, please, please don't kill me!" The private spoke as quickly as he could, before falling to his knees and bursting into tears. _Poor kid. It isn't easy to face lunatics._ Hsu thought as Campbell's expression brightened considerably.

"There, now was that so hard? I thank you and your men for such gracious hospitality Hsu. Good day." Campbell turned to leave, only to be confronted with a large group of NCR soldiers. They all moved in to surround him, and before Campbell knew it he had 8 service rifles pointed directly at his head. "Ah." He seemed surprised, but not worried in the slightest. Hsu drew his 9mm pistol, and pointed it at the merc's head along with the service rifles.

"You're not going anywhere. Drop your weapon…now." He said forcefully, but Campbell did not seem at all threatened. In fact, he seemed almost amused.

"Now, now Hsu, can't we settle this peacefully?"

"Yes…if you surrender, and hand over your weapon." Campbell laughed at that, earning Hsu's ire…not that he let it show.

"One question…which weapon?" Campbell asked, before removing his chestpiece and opening his tunic. Hsu was surprised to see an ungodly amount of guns and explosives, all stored in holsters that had obviously been personally built into the tunic by Campbell. Handguns, SMGs, grenades, C4; Campbell had more guns than the ten soldiers that surrounded him (Hsu and the private included) put together. There were also several strange black objects, which Hsu realised were components. Were they for a firearm?

"Every weapon. Now."

"Ah...that might be a problem. You see, I have this rare anxiety disorder. I get panic attacks if I don't have at least one gun on me at all times."

"Drop all your guns right now or we will put you down." Hsu wasn't in the mood for jokes. Campbell smirked, but it quickly disappeared, as did all the good cheer on his face. When he next spoke, his expression was neutral and his tone was serious. Deadly serious.

"Alright…all jokes aside; I'm going to be serious here for just a second. You don't want this Hsu, trust me. This will only end badly. You know my reputation…you know what I'm capable of. If these men fight me, they will all die. There is zero chance of this turning out differently. Do the wise thing here, and get the fuck out of my way." Hsu was not shaken, and he stood his ground as his fingers tightened on the trigger of his handgun.

"Drop your guns Campbell; this is the last warning I'm going to give you." Campbell still didn't comply…he just sighed in annoyance.

"Whatever…I already gave you your last warning anyway. Say goodbye to these men Hsu, because in the next few minutes, they'll all be dead." Hsu was about to respond, when he noticed that Campbell was holding something, in the hand that wasn't holding his 12.7mm pistol. Hsu recognised the object, and his finger moved to the trigger of his gun as he tried to fire before Campbell could use it. He was too slow however, and the last thing he heard was the merc's laughter as he detonated the flashbang in his grasp. Hsu's senses were immediately overwhelmed, his sight and hearing both disabled in the blink of an eye. Having been the victim of a few flashbang grenades during his time in the field, Hsu recovered before the other soldiers. His sight returned first, and as his eyes slowly opened, he saw that the merc was gone.

"Shit." He cursed, seconds before one of the blind, deaf soldiers fired his service rifle, clearly trying to hit Campbell. Even if the merc had still been standing in the exact same place, the disoriented soldier's shot would have missed. The shot was random, but it damn near hit Hsu in the face. The colonel's hearing returned precisely as the bullet flew right past his face, inches away from scoring a lethal headshot. The soldiers slowly recovered as Hsu looked around, trying to see some sign of the merc. He saw none. _Dammit. How did he slip away so quickly? I couldn't have been stunned for more than a few seconds!_ Hsu thought angrily, before turning his attentions to the soldier that Campbell had threatened. The private was still kneeling on the floor, and was currently bawling his eyes out.

"Sir, I…I'm sorry!" The soldier cried as Hsu stepped closer. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's water under the bridge soldier. Shape up and help us catch this bastard." Hsu said sternly, though not unkindly. The soldier nodded, a serious expression on his face as he wiped away his tears and got to his feet.

"I won't let you down sir!" He said brightly as he stood to attention. Those were his last words, as a bullet flew right through his eye a second later, killing him instantly. The private's blood splattered over Hsu's face, as the corpse slumped to the floor. Hsu was shaken, but reacted immediately.

"Sniper!" He yelled to his men, who immediately starting looking around, combing the area for the unseen sniper. Hsu meanwhile crouched down to inspect the private's corpse. There was no doubt that the poor sod was dead, but before Hsu could get up and help his men, he heard chatter coming from the private's radio. Curious, he picked the radio up, and heard a familiar voice.

"I warned you Hsu." Campbell said over the radio, his voice filled with a cold indifference that made even the experienced colonel shudder. "You should've just let me leave."

"You just sealed your fate." Hsu replied, using the most threatening tone he could muster. "I will not let you leave this place alive. I hope you like this building mercenary, because you'll be dying here."

"Unlikely." Was Campbell's only response, and as Hsu waited for more, a soldier walked up to him.

"There's no sign of the sniper sir. We're going to split up and…" The soldier never finished his sentence, as a bullet flew right through his chestpiece a second later. He didn't even have a chance to cry out, before he became a dead man and fell face first to the floor. Hsu swore under his breath, before making his way over to the corpse and examining it. Further examination revealed that the bullet had penetrated the soldier's chestpiece easily, and flown right into his heart. The man had died instantly.

"I told you Hsu, all these men will die. When you're standing over their bullet ridden corpses, just remember: you could've averted their deaths by getting the fuck out of my way." Hsu tried to change the channel of the radio, but it was no good; Campbell's voice taunted him on every frequency.

"Sir, the merc's talking on my radio!" A nearby soldier announced, looking very flustered as he frantically cast his gaze about, searching for any sign of the merc in question.

"Mine too!" Another soldier added, as his face became a mask of fear. The realization hit Hsu like a sledgehammer to the face. _Campbell's hacked our radio frequencies…his voice is on every possible channel. That son of a bitch has singlehandedly eliminated communications for the entire base._

"I've got another of your men in my sights Hsu…say your goodbyes now." Campbell icily informed Hsu over the radio. The colonel got to his feet, shouted out, but it was too late. Hsu was fast…but Campbell's trigger finger was faster.

*Campbell*

"Idiot." The merc said to himself as he fired his Ratslayer. One of Hsu's men dropped dead, the third to die in less than two minutes. The second his flashbang had gone off he'd run for the escalators, shot up them and hidden in a convenient spot on the top floor. From up there it had taken only a few seconds to assemble the Ratslayer from the components he'd been keeping in his tunic, then begin sniping Hsu's men.

Even though it was just a distraction, Campbell had to admit that he was having fun. It had been too long since he'd actually had a chance to snipe people with the Ratslayer, and using it again was simply invigorating. Of course, he couldn't use the Ratslayer's scope, since it was a night vision scope and the entire building was ablaze, but he managed just fine without one. The smoke made things tricky, but he'd sniped without a scope under worse conditions. Once he'd had to snipe a group of guys in the middle of a rainstorm with two broken legs while blind in one eye. What a weekend that had been.

"Campbell, what's going on?" Veronica asked from his radio. Campbell put the radio to his lips and responded.

"Nothing much…I'm currently causing a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?"

"The kind of distraction where several NCR soldiers die."

"I approve." Campbell laughed, before remembering what Hsu had told him.

"Boyd is in the interrogation room. It's right across from the holding cells. You can't miss it."

"Got it. I'm heading over there now."

"Roger that. Oh, by the way. I placed a bomb in the interrogation room. Just say the word and I'll blow that bitch to hell."

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll call you again when I've got her."

"Good luck." With that, Campbell returned his radio to his belt, before taking aim at another of Hsu's soldiers. "Are these idiots actually trained at all?" He wondered to himself as he blew the soldier's head off with a well-aimed shot.

*Boyd*

"Please…I don't know anything about the Legion, I swear!" Boyd stood in the interrogation room with a cigarette between her lips, listening to the prisoner in front of her beg for mercy. He was a middle aged man, and was tied to a wooden chair in the middle of the room. He was covered with all manner of scars and bruises, and one of his eyes was swollen shut.

"You said to a group of NCR citizens that you had 'powerful friends' in the Legion, and threatened to send a Legion assassination squad after said citizens." Boyd replied as she took a long drag from her cigarette.

"It was a lie!" The man managed to wheeze out a response, though the damage Boyd had inflicted to his chest made talking difficult. "I was talking bullshit! I only said those things so that I could get those bastards to stop beating up my sister! Those pricks kicked the crap out of her daily just because she wasn't a citizen of the NCR, and I said I knew the Legion to make them back off. I…I've never even seen a member of the Legion before! Please…please just let me go." There was a long pause as Boyd enjoyed her cigarette, seemingly ignoring the prisoner. Eventually she took the cancer stick from her lips, before responding.

"Do you enjoy it James?" She asked the prisoner, throwing the cigarette to the floor and stomping on it as she did so.

"Do…do I enjoy what?" The prisoner replied nervously as she stepped closer.

"Lying to me. You do it so damn much that I figure you must love it. I bet it's your favourite fucking pastime isn't it? You get hard from lying to me don't you James?" The prisoner didn't know how to respond to that, so he just started whimpering as Boyd approached.

"P…please…I have a family; a wife and two kids."

"My heart bleeds for you." Boyd said sarcastically as she lit up another cigarette. "Seeing as you're such a fucking compulsive liar, we're going to have to try other methods." Before James could wonder what she was talking about, she pressed her recently lit cigarette against his neck, burning it and causing him to hiss in pain. "I've got five packets of cigarettes in my pockets James, and if you don't start speaking honestly, then I'll burn you with each and every one of them." Before James could whimper out a reply, his head turned to the side, seemingly having seen something out of the corner of his eye.

"Wh…who is that?" He asked as he looked towards the hole in the wall to his right. Boyd followed his gaze, and saw a figure sitting in the chair on the other side of the wall, protected by the bulletproof glass. The figure seemed to be a girl, though her face was almost completely covered by her face wrap armour and the helmet she wore. Boyd had no idea who this girl was, but she certainly wasn't supposed to be watching this interrogation. She was about to go outside and bite the girl's head off, when the girl suddenly got an NCR radio out of her pocket. She spoke into it for a few seconds, before returning it to her pocket and taking off her helmet. She pulled the face wraps down at the same time she removed her helmet, fully exposing her face. Boyd was sure she'd seen that face before. Said face looked directly at Boyd, then flashed a scarily sadistic smile her way. Boyd had less than three seconds to take this in before a large explosion filled the room.

Her ears were still ringing when she managed to open her eyes. She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious, but the room was filled with black smoke. She was lying spread eagled face first on the floor, and immediately started to get up. Her hearing started to return as she got to her feet, and she heard herself cough as the smoke attacked her lungs. She looked around to get her bearings, and saw that one quarter of the room was ablaze, which explained where the smoke was coming from. The chair that her interrogation subject had been sitting on was toppled over, and the subject himself was nowhere to be seen. _The little shit must've escaped while I was out. _She thought angrily as her wits returned to her. Then she remembered the girl, how the bitch had flashed her a sadistic smile before the room had exploded. She must've planted a bomb. Boyd looked over to the hole in the wall, but saw that the glass was cracked, and there was nobody sitting in the chair on the other side. She was fully prepared to leave the room and find that whore, when she heard a voice behind her.

"You hurt her." The voice said. It was cold, accusing, and made the hairs on Boyd's neck stand on end. She immediately spun around to face the voice, only to see that she was alone. In the direction the voice had come from, there was nothing but smoke and fire. "You made her cry." The voice spoke again, and this time it was coming from behind her once more. Boyd gritted her teeth in anger before spinning around once more. She was still alone. She briefly wondered if she was going crazy.

"Show yourself!" She shouted, desperate to prove that she wasn't alone in the room.

"You broke her." The voice spoke up again, seemingly ignoring Boyd. "You broke her…and I'm going to put her back together again." Boyd's eyes frantically scanned the room, but there was still nobody in sight. This time, the voice seemed to be coming from all around her. "To do that, I'm going to let her break you…but not until I've had my fill." As Boyd looked around, something fell onto the ground next to her. She realised with a small amount of surprise that it was a ceiling tile, and immediately looked up. She was rewarded with a boot to the face.

She was struck with a quick kick the second she looked up, and sent sprawling backwards. She recovered quickly however, before drawing her 9mm pistol and firing wildly at the ceiling. She was disappointed when she looked up again, and saw that there was nobody there. Most of the ceiling had been blown off by the explosion, and dark rafters loomed overhead. _That's where the bitch was hiding. _She realised as she reloaded her pistol. As she added a new clip to the pistol, she heard footsteps behind her. She spun around immediately, just in time to receive a hard kick to her chest. The kick knocked her off her feet, and sent her sprawling across the room. She landed on her back right next to the fire, and the NCR beret on her head immediately set ablaze.

Her heart stopped in her chest and she panicked, immediately removing the beret before throwing it into the blaze. She stood there for a time, looking into the fire and trying to get her heart to start beating again, when she remembered her attacker, and spun around. The girl was there this time, and Boyd wasted no time in pointing her pistol at the girl's head.

"Who the fuck are you?" Boyd yelled, an expression filled with rage on her face.

"I'm Veronica." The girl replied simply, and without emotion. Her helmet and face wraps were gone now, exposing her face completely. "Layla's my friend. You beat her to within an inch of her life. I'm going to make you cry, then I'll take you to her, and she'll beat you too…only she won't spare the inch." As the girl spoke, her hands clenched into fists, and more and more emotion filled her voice. By the time she finished, she was shaking with anger, and her voice was filled with hate. "For what you did…to the one I love…you're going to pay." Normally, Boyd would've laughed such a threat off, but this time she couldn't stop fear from leaking into her heart. The look in Veronica's eyes chilled Boyd to the bone, and completely rooted her to the spot.

"Fuck…you." Boyd replied eventually, before firing. By the time she'd fired however, the girl had already moved. She rolled to the side as the bullet flew past where she'd been standing moments ago, and she rushed Boyd. Boyd tried to fire again, but the girl was a phenomenally fast runner. Boyd's brain had only begun to send the message to fire to her hands before the girl reached her. Boyd adapted quickly, trying to pistol whip the girl in the face. The girl dodged the attack with effortless speed and grace, before locking her hands around the pistol. Her hands moved with striking speed, and it took Boyd a full three seconds to process what was happening, before she managed to pull the gun away. Tired of this bullshit, she raised the gun level to the girl's face and fired. The girl simply smiled, as Boyd's pistol clicked, telling her it was empty. Before Boyd could wonder what the hell was wrong with her gun, the girl held up the pistol's magazine. She then threw it behind her, before punching Boyd in the face. Boyd blocked the blow with her pistol, before trying to pistol whip the girl again. This fared as well as it did the first time. The girl grabbed the pistol by the barrel mid whip, before kicking Boyd away. Boyd stumbled back a few steps, but lost her grip on the gun, while the girl still held onto it by the barrel. She threw the gun into the fire behind Boyd, before cracking her knuckles. Boyd growled in anger, before reaching into one of the pockets on her armour.

"You think you can fuck with me?" She shouted as she pulled out some brass knuckles. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"You're out of your league." The girl replied emotionlessly, her eyes narrowed in anger. "When I'm done here, you're going to be crying. Your eyes will be red from crying so much, and you'll be begging for me to have mercy. You'll be apologising for what you did, promising you'll never hurt another living soul again. I won't listen."

"Listen here…Veronica, is it? I'm not going to be beaten by some worthless little whore like you. You're right that I broke your friend, and you know what? I loved every fucking minutes of it." She sneered as she held up her brass knuckles. "See the dried blood on these knuckles? Some of that is Layla's blood, and there's quite a bit of skin and hair on there as well. Your fuck buddy was a hell of a bleeder, let me tell you. I wonder if you're the same?" Veronica's fists clenched tighter and tighter, and she wore no gloves, so eventually her nails stabbed into her palm, drawing blood. Her face was a mask of pure rage. "Aw, did I hit a nerve?" Boyd asked mockingly. She immediately wished she hadn't as Veronica snapped.

She rushed Boyd in a blind fury, before raining down blow after blow. Boyd tried to block, but Veronica was relentless, and most of her strikes got through to Boyd's face. Veronica screamed in anger as she struck, her eyes wide with fury.

"I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU I'LLKILLYOU!" Veronica roared as she struck, eventually forcing Boyd to drop her guard. She roundhouse kicked the woman in the face, knocking her to the floor, before kicking her downed form again and again. Boyd was terrified; she was defenceless, and Veronica had clearly lost her mind. Kick after kick rained down on her, causing great pain to her ribs even through her chestpiece. When the kicks started moving to her neck and face, everything started going fuzzy. Just as Boyd was about to black out, the kicks suddenly stopped. Confused, she shook her head to restore her vision, and saw that Veronica was no longer standing over her. She stood a few feet away with her back to Boyd, looking at her hands. As Boyd slowly got up, she saw that the girl was shaking, and she sounded like she was crying too.

"Layla…what the hell are you doing to me?" Veronica muttered. Her mind was clearly elsewhere, and Boyd took advantage of this opportunity without hesitation. Ignoring the pain in her torso, neck and face, she snuck up behind Veronica, before letting loose a powerful punch with her brass knuckles hand to the back of the bitch's head. Veronica was not caught unawares however, as she swayed to the side to dodge the blow, before turning to face Boyd and grabbing her wrist, all in one fluid movement. Boyd had just enough time to notice that Veronica's eyes were filled with tears before Veronica bent the wrist back. Boyd was immediately overcome with pain, and she tried desperately to break free. It was hopeless however; Veronica was stronger than she'd expected, and the pain made it difficult to focus. "Congratulations Boyd, you did something that I thought impossible." Veronica said in a threatening tone as she bent the wrist further and further back. "You made me hate you even more than I already did when I woke up this morning."

Boyd was helpless, but Veronica wasn't finished yet. As the pain forced Boyd to her knees, Veronica kneed her in the face. She let go of the wrist as the knee struck, and Boyd was knocked flat on her back. She slowly got up, massaging her wrist as she did so, before drawing a combat knife from a pocket of her armour. Veronica just rolled her eyes as Boyd tried to stab her in the throat. With expertise putting Boyd's to shame, Veronica weaved out of the way of the blow, made her way behind Boyd, and sent a painful chop to the back of her neck. Boyd staggered forwards, dazed, while Veronica leaned forwards. Boyd had no idea what was going on, until she felt a great pain in her shoulder. _THAT BITCH DISLOCATED MY SHOULDER! _This angry thought was the only thing she managed to think as pain overcame her. She knelt on the floor, writhing in agony, while Veronica calmly walked around her, before stopping and standing still in front of her face. Boyd was in agony, but more than that, she was enraged, especially when she saw that Veronica was smirking.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Boyd roared. "I'LL…" Veronica silenced her with a swift roundhouse kick to the face.

"You won't be doing anything ever again." Veronica said darkly as Boyd fell onto her back. "Layla and I will make sure of it."

"Layla? Ha…do you really think that bitch will ever recover? Like you said, I broke her…she'll never be the same person she once was. She's just an empty shell now, and she will NEVER wipe out the NCR. You and her are going to fail, the NCR is going to stomp the both of you, and she's finally going to get the gruesome death she deserves. You'll be thrown into a cell, made to watch while a group of NCR soldiers has their way with your psychotic little fuck buddy, one at a time, until she's begging them to kill her." Boyd's words seemed to cut through Veronica like a knife, as her cocky expression disappeared, to be replaced by one of intense hatred. "Aw, I hit a nerve again didn't I?" Boyd said mockingly, ignoring the pain that filled her shoulder as she did so. "Are you going to cry more? Would you like a hug?" To her surprise, a happy smile appeared on the girl's face.

"Let me tell you something Boyd…" Veronica began, sounding eerily cheerful as she leant close so that her face was inches away from Boyd's. "While you're throwing taunts at me and acting like a pissant little shit, I am fighting a battle of wills in my mind. I am filled with so much loathing and scorn for you that I can't stand it, and every fiber of my being is telling me to kill you, to punch you and keep punching you in your worthless little face until your head is little more than a pile of blood and brains on the floor. However, if I give into these desires and kill you like I want to so much, Layla will never recover. As impossible as it is for me to believe, you were actually right…Layla is a shell. You scarred her Boyd, you ruined her, and the only way for me to return her to normal is to have her do the same to you. Let me tell you, I would set the entire world alight to help Layla…so dragging you to her and letting her kill you is something I am more than happy to do. That's why you're still breathing…that's why I'm not talking to a corpse right now…THAT'S WHY I HAVEN'T BLOWN THIS ENTIRE BASE TO FUCKING SHIT! IT'S BECAUSE I AM USING EVERY OUNCE OF MY CONCENTRATION TO CONTAIN MY ANGER AND AVOID KILLING YOU! DO YOU WANT ME TO LOSE IT? DO YOU WANT ME TO FUCKING KILL YOU? **KEEP TALKING YOU WORTHLESS FUCKING CUNT AND I'LL DO JUST THAT!**" By the end of her tirade, all cheer was gone from Veronica's voice and she was pretty much screaming at Boyd. She spat all her bile, all her malice at Boyd, and by the end of it she was uncontrollably shaking with fury.

Boyd just sat there, having no idea how to respond. Veronica was seemingly similarly frightened by her outburst, as she stared at her hands with a look of horror on her face. After a few seconds, she stopped shaking, and the look of horror disappeared, to be replaced by a smirk.

"It's amazing what you bring out of me isn't it?" Before Boyd could come up with some sort of witty comeback, Veronica punched her in the face. Then she punched her again…and again…and again. Boyd's vision began to swim as Veronica's fist constantly collided with her face. "What do you deserve?" She almost whispered as she grabbed Boyd by the collar and dragged her to her feet. Despite the question being directed at Boyd, Veronica almost seemed like she was talking to herself.

"What do you deserve?" She asked a little louder as she unleashed a torrent of punches to Boyd's face. Boyd could barely see, but she **could** feel the blood running down her face, and she could feel the pain that filled her body. Just as she managed to get her vision back under control, she coughed up blood as Veronica kneed her in the stomach. "What do you deserve?" Veronica's voice was getting louder now, as she bombarded Boyd with punches and knee strikes. Just as Boyd was about to lose consciousness, Veronica gripped her collar tighter and pulled her closer so that their faces were inches away from each other. "WHAT DO YOU FUCKING DESERVE?" Veronica shouted in Boyd's face. Boyd couldn't answer even if she wanted to; she could barely even breathe. As she hung onto her consciousness, filled with pain, she felt moisture on her eyes. _No._ She thought, not believing what she was feeling, as liquid began to run from her eyes and down her face. _No…I'm not…I'm not fucking crying._ But she was. Boyd was crying. Veronica burst out laughing, clearly finding the whole thing hilarious.

"You know what…it doesn't matter what you deserve, because you're a meaningless little speck, a worthless little monster that I wouldn't even wipe my boots with. You're nothing. It doesn't matter what you deserve…what matters is what Layla deserves. She's the most important person in the world to me, and what she deserves…is the chance to make you suffer. What kind of friend would I be if I killed you now, and denied her the retribution she deserves? Well…I'd be a pretty shitty friend wouldn't I? Congratulations Boyd, you get to live a little longer. But still…here's a little something to remember me by." Before Boyd could respond, Veronica slammed her face forwards and hit Boyd with a powerful headbutt. Consciousness left Boyd like passengers escaping a sinking ship, and she was out cold in seconds.

*Hsu*

Hsu jumped back, barely dodging a falling girder, before continuing to look around for Campbell. Five soldiers in total had been killed by Campbell, leaving Hsu and four others left, and there was still no sign of the merc. As Hsu's eyes happened to scan the upper floor, he saw a figure standing there, and his heart almost skipped a beat as he recognised Campbell. The merc wasn't holding a rifle though…he was holding two 10mm pistols. He waved briefly at Hsu before running forward. To Hsu's amazement, he then jumped off the upper balcony and down towards the floor below. He'd clearly thought this through however, as he landed on his feet on a girder that had recently fallen from the ceiling.

"Hi again." He said pleasantly, before opening fire. Hsu immediately took cover behind the girder that he'd dodged a few seconds ago, and three of his soldiers took cover in various nearby places. One soldier wasn't so lucky, as his skull was blown apart by a concentrated burst of fire from Campbell's pistols. The second the gunfire stopped, Hsu leant out of cover and prepared to fire his pistol, only to see that Campbell was gone.

"Where the fuck…" Hsu started, when he heard somebody cock a pistol behind him.

"Stealth boy." He heard Campbell whisper into his ear, and felt a pistol press into the back of his skull. He knew he was seconds away from having Campbell but a bullet in the back of his skull…but that meant he had nothing to lose. He was dead either way; might as well go down helping his men.

"He's here!" He shouted to his nearby men, only to feel the hard smack of a gun barrel hitting the back of his skull. He fell to the floor, his head swimming, and heard footsteps running away as he started to black out. _No…my men need me._ Determined not to pass out and leave his men to Campbell's mercy, Hsu shook his head to wake himself up, and got to his feet. He felt blood soaking his hair beneath his beret, but shrugged it off as he grabbed his pistol and searched around for Campbell. His men seemed fine…then he heard a gunshot.

A soldier that had been taking cover behind a nearby support column fell dead to the floor. Campbell stood over the soldier, his stealth boy no longer on. Another soldier ran at Campbell, combat knife at the ready. The merc returned both his pistols to his belt, before drawing his ripper and blocking as the soldier tried to stab him. Hsu tried to take aim with his pistol, but Campbell put the soldier between Hsu and himself, making it difficult for the colonel to get a shot. Campbell moved side to side to dodge each of the soldier's knife attacks, before turning on his ripper. The ripper had barely roared to life before it found itself planted in the soldier's neck. The ripper stabbed straight through the soldier's neck, spurting blood everywhere.

Campbell casually flicked the volatile weapon off as the soldier's corpse fell to the floor, before grabbing the dead soldier's service rifle. Without the soldier in the way, Hsu had a shot. Before he could fire however, Campbell threw another grenade to the floor. Hsu's last live soldier crept up behind Campbell, just as his grenade detonated and coughed forth a cloud of smoke. Hsu swore under his breath as Campbell and the soldier were obscured by the smoke, before waiting for any sign of the merc. He heard no signs of battle, and no gunshots within the smoke, which meant both Campbell and the soldier were still alive. He could still save one of his men. He waited, and eventually he saw a human form walking towards him through the smoke. He saw his chance, and immediately fired his entire clip at the figure. Every bullet hit his foe in the chest, and a few seconds later the victim came stumbling out. Hsu's eyes widened as he saw that it wasn't Campbell, but the soldier, who he'd shot. The soldier's chestpiece was gone, clearly removed by Campbell, and his chest was covered with bullet holes. He looked at the colonel, confusion and fear in his eyes, before falling face first to the floor, clearly dead.

A shocked expression covered Hsu's face as he saw the corpse, and he was filled with guilt. _I'm supposed to be saving these men…and I killed one. Not just one though…I led them all to their deaths. I should've saved them. _He was interrupted from his mental guilt trip however as a bullet flew through the smoke, before hitting him in his right knee. He cried out in pain as the bullet blew his kneecap apart, before falling to the floor, dropping his pistol in the process.

"Don't feel bad about your complete and utter failure to protect your men Hsu." Campbell said with fake sincerity as he walked out of the smoke. The service rifle he'd acquired was pointed at Hsu's head, and he had a cocky smile plastered on his face. "You had the unfortunate task of going up against me. Even experienced soldiers find themselves outclassed in such a situation.

"You'll…never…get away with this." Hsu hissed, barely managing to speak through the pain that currently overwhelmed him.

"Since this place is burning to the ground as we speak, I doubt anyone's going to stop me. Speaking of which, this place won't be here for long so I'm going to make this quick. You seem to be a talented, honourable man Hsu, so I'm going to extend to you a common courtesy…I'm going to leave your fate to chance." His smile widened as he drew his coin, and prepared to flip it. "Are you a gambling man Hsu?"

"If I was, Vegas would've bled me dry by now." Hsu replied sourly, which caused Campbell to chuckle.

"True, true. Well, you'd better hope you're a lucky man Hsu. How about this: heads you live, tails…" He pointed his service rifle at the soldier Hsu had killed, and put a bullet through the corpse's skull. "You get the idea."

"Just get it over with already." Hsu said bravely.

"As you wish." Campbell said with a grin like the Cheshire Cat, before flipping the coin.

*Campbell*

The merc held his service rifle lazily with one hand as the coin sailed into the air. He effortlessly caught it with his free hand as it landed, before examining the result. His expression didn't change as he looked at it, and Hsu prepared for the end.

"My my…you are a lucky man aren't you?" Campbell laughed as he showed Hsu the result: heads. "Alright colonel, you get to live…on one condition. When you leave this place, go to General Oliver, tell him everything that happened here, and give him this message: 'The whole of the NCR will share Camp McCarran's fate.'" Before Hsu could agree to Campbell's demand, the merc swung his service rifle like a bat, striking the colonel in the face and knocking him unconscious. As Hsu's face hit the floor, Campbell threw the rifle away, before answering his radio as he received a call. "What's the word boss?" He heard deep, tired breaths on the other end of the line, before Veronica answered.

"Boyd's KOed." Veronica replied simply. She tried to keep all emotion out of her voice, but Campbell was an expert at reading emotions, and he thought that she sounded shaken, and as though she'd been crying recently. He immediately felt concern.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine." She replied sharply, clearly hoping that he'd drop the subject. He didn't.

"You sound like you've been crying."

"Dammit I'm fine!" She snapped, and there was a brief pause before she answered again. "Sorry. Just…meet me outside alright? You did get our means of escape right?"

"But of course." Campbell charismatically answered, dropping the subject of crying at Veronica's behest. "I have the keys to one of the trucks on the airfield. I'll meet you by where you blew up Crenshaw earlier."

"Roger that." Veronica replied before ending the call. Campbell sighed, before looking down at Hsu. It was doubtful that he'd manage to escape the fire with a ruined kneecap while unconscious.

"The things I do for you." He muttered to his coin, before grabbing Hsu by the legs and dragging him towards the terminal building's doors.

*Major Dhatri.*

"What the hell happened to our communications?" Dhatri yelled as he tried to call Hsu on his radio. "How can this day get any fucking worse?"

"Sir!" A nearby soldier shouted as he ran over, interrupting the major.

"This better be good soldier." Dhatri warned, not in the mood for any bullshit.

"It is, sir. Some of our guys found Colonel Hsu near the terminal building's main doors. He's unconscious, and has a shattered kneecap, but he's alive." Dhatri breathed a sigh of relief. Hsu was pretty much the only respectable superior he had. The rest were either bastards, politicians, or both.

"Get some men to drag Hsu to the Mormon Fort immediately, have the Followers fix him up." The soldier nodded, before running back to Hsu. A few seconds later, a group of soldiers carried Hsu away on a stretcher. Before Dhatri could issue any more orders however, a deafening crash filled the camp as the terminal building collapsed. When the smoke cleared, the building was nothing more than a pile of smouldering rubble. Before he could recover from that shock, a deafening boom filled the base. He followed the sound, and saw a column for fire rise up in the direction of the monorail station. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the whole station, monorail and all, had been blown to shit. That was it; the entire base was now officially rubble. He was so busy gaping over the destruction, that he didn't even notice when an NCR supply truck drove out of the base, even though no supply trucks were scheduled to leave that day.

*Layla – An hour later*

The knife flew straight and true, before finding its target. The poor bastard never had a chance, and the knife stabbed right into the center of his skull. Had he been human, that would've been it for him. Luckily for him however, he was just a practice dummy. Layla grinned widely as her thrown knife hit its target, a target that had completely eluded her yesterday. Her concussion was healing rapidly thanks to her regenerative implant, and almost all of her motor functions were returning. Thinking was still a little difficult, but that would get better with time.

While yesterday she hadn't been able to throw a knife straight, her accuracy was fast returning. She'd tried some quick shooting practice with That Gun, and had had similar positive results. It wouldn't be too long now before she was ready to kick ass again. That was good, because she was bored, and very eager to shed some NCR blood.

Like yesterday, she once again stood on the roof of The Tops, wearing her recon armour, with her bag filled with weapons nearby and an old mannequin she'd repurposed into a practice dummy standing in front of her. The only difference between today and yesterday was that today she was actually making some progress. As she walked up to the practice dummy and pulled the knife out of its skull, she thought about which weapon to practice with next. Since she was doing so well with the weapons she was experienced with, she decided to try a weapon that she hadn't used properly yet. She walked back over to her bag and deposited the knife in it, before pulling out her new katana.

She slowly removed the blade from its sheathe, before examining the magnificent weapon. The blade's edge looked sharp enough to cut through solid steel, and the sunlight reflected off the metal to give it a beautiful sheen. She placed the sword's sheathe on the floor, before turning to the practice dummy. She'd covered it with an old set of armour that Campbell had brought her, so that she wouldn't accidentally destroy it during practice. She moved her gaze away from the dummy, and focused all her attention on the katana. She held the blade in both hands, getting used to its weight, before charging forwards and slashing at the dummy. Her slash missed completely.

Layla was so used to using heavy melee weapons that she put all her strength behind every blow. She'd forgotten how light the katana was however, and she'd put far too much strength into the blow, causing her to lose her balance and fall at the dummy's feet. The katana slid across the roof, as she lay face first on the floor in front of the dummy. Had the dummy been an actual opponent, she would most likely be suffering through a torrent of mocking laughter now, shortly before she drew her combat knife and stabbed the prick in the balls.

_Well…that was embarrassing. _She thought to herself, looking around sheepishly as she got to her feet and trotted over to the dropped katana. _At least nobody was around to see that. _She picked the blade up, and decided to take some practice swings with it, to get used to its weight before she tried to attack the dummy. She tried a downward swing, and nearly fell face first to the floor again. She gritted her teeth in frustration, and tried a few more swings, with the same result. _Dammit._ She was tempted to take out her frustration on the dummy with her fists, but she calmed herself down, and tried again. And again. And again. As she continued to practice with the weapon, she came to get used to its weight. She stopped using long, sweeping strikes like she had with her larger sword, and focused on simpler, quick attacks. The minutes flew by, and before Layla knew it, she'd been practicing for half an hour.

_Alright, time to see if I've learnt anything. _She thought as she turned to the dummy. She took a deep breath, and clasped the blade tightly in both hands, before rushing the dummy. Taking the blade's weight into account, she tried once again to swing her blade at the dummy. This slash had much less strength behind it than her last attempt, but was much faster. The blade found its mark, and cut a neat line through the chest area of the armour that the dummy wore. As the slash hit, Layla instinctively delivered another slash, this one aimed at the dummy's abdomen, and once again cut right through her target's armour. Not yet finished with her combination attack, she delivered a spinning slash aimed at the dummy's head, this time putting a lot more strength behind the blow. She span around as she delivered the slash, and found herself on her knees with her back to the dummy. She waited silently with her eyes closed, and a few seconds later she heard a quiet thump. She turned around, and saw that the top portion of the dummy's head had been severed by the attack. The top portion of the head had fallen to the floor, and now lay next to the dummy's feet. She looked over the damage she'd dealt to the dummy with a growing sense of pride, and a rapidly growing grin. _If that had been a real enemy, I would've damaged his ribs and organs with my first slash, caused his guts to start pouring out with my second slash, and sliced his brain clean in half with my last slash. _She kicked the top portion of the dummy's head across the roof, and excitement welled up inside her. _I could get used to this new sword._

"Hi!" Layla turned around at the sound of a familiar voice, and saw Veronica walking onto the roof. She seemed very excited about something.

"Hey." Layla said with a smile as she tried a few more practice slashes with her katana. "Where've you been all day?"

"Over there." Veronica smiled, before pointing off the roof, causing Layla to stop practicing with her sword. She was confused, and she followed the direction that Veronica's finger was pointing at, before spotting a column of smoke on the horizon. It would've had to have been an especially large fire to form that much smoke. Layla's eyebrow rose slightly as she realised what was in that direction.

"Isn't Camp McCarran over there?" Layla asked, and Veronica's smile widened considerably.

"Yep. Campbell and I went over there today, killed a large number of NCR soldiers, blew up the monorail, blew up pretty much everything else, and burned the terminal building to the ground." Veronica was clearly very pleased with herself, while Layla felt left out.

"And you didn't invite me?" Layla asked, pouting as she turned to face Veronica. "I'm hurt."

"We couldn't invite you, because that would ruin the surprise." Layla's eyebrow rose even further, and a quizzical look appeared on her face.

"A surprise?"

"Yep. While we were there, Campbell and I picked you up a little present. Want to see it?" Layla nodded enthusiastically, before sheathing her katana and putting it back in her bag as Veronica led her back into the suite. They walked into the suite's living room, before Veronica led her towards the meeting room. "I think you're going to like this." Veronica seemed like she could barely contain her excitement as she opened the meeting room doors.

It was dark in the meeting room, and all the furniture had been removed. The table that had once dominated the room was now gone, along with the chairs that had once sat around the table. The room was now completely empty, apart from…something…that sat in the middle of the room. It was too dark to properly make the thing out however, so Layla stepped forward, before flicking on her Pip Boy light. What she saw made her eyes widen in surprise.

The thing in the middle of the room was a person, tied to a chair. Not just any person however…it was Boyd. Not that she was very recognisable. Her face was covered with cuts and bruises, like somebody had flipped out and punched her in the face again and again. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and dried blood hung around her mouth. She was gagged, and didn't look to be conscious.

"RISE AND SHINE, BITCH!" Veronica shouted, and seconds later Layla heard a gunshot. Having been around guns her whole life, the loud shot didn't faze her much, but it did wake Boyd up. Layla spun toward the sound of the gunshot, and saw that Veronica had fired a 9mm pistol at the ceiling. Layla then turned back to Boyd, and saw the bitch's one good eye widen in horror. A terrible glee formed inside Layla as she saw that, and she smiled a sadistic smile.

"Sorry about the bruising." Veronica said, seemingly embarrassed. "The bitch pissed me off. It seems to be her forte."

"You kidnapped Boyd?" Layla asked, stating the obvious as she watched Boyd try and escape from the ropes that bound her. She didn't have a chance in hell.

"Well…Campbell told me that you'd been having nightmares, and that Boyd might have traumatised you, and…"

"HE SAID WHAT?" Layla roared, as Veronica's admission caused anger to well up within her. "He told me…OH I WILL KILL THAT PRICK!" Layla moved to step out of the room, but Veronica moved to block the way.

"It's not Campbell's fault. I asked him to keep an eye on you, to make sure you were alright while I took care of things in your absence." Veronica looked at the floor, clearly feeling some measure of shame.

"Why didn't you just ask me?" Layla asked softly, as her anger started to fade.

"Well…I didn't want to bother you, and I was too busy, and…look, I'm sorry. But that's not important now, this is! Campbell said that Boyd seriously traumatised you, and that it's affecting your recovery. According to him, you can only conquer your fear by dealing with it yourself. We brought Boyd here so that you can do just that." Layla sighed.

"Okay fine, we'll try it your way." She said reluctantly. "But how do you suppose I fight my fear?"

"Oh, that's the fun part." She heard a voice at the door, and turned to see Campbell walk in. He was pushing a rack that was on wheels, and on the rack were numerous instruments of torture. A blow torch, a hacksaw, a branding iron, a power drill, and several other tools that could make somebody very uncomfortable if used correctly. To Layla's barely contained delight, there was also a car battery and two jumper cables. Campbell placed the rack at Boyd's side, laughed at the woman's horrified expression, then turned to Layla. "Here we having everything you could possibly need to make Boyd scream."

"Wait…" Layla said slowly, starting to understand what was going on. "Are you saying…I should…"

"Torture her Layla." Veronica confirmed, in a sadistic tone that Layla had never heard from her before. "After what she did to you, she deserves the worst. Show her what true pain is." Layla was excited, but unsure.

"We all know how sadistic you are Layla." Campbell spoke up. "So rely on that sadism now. Let it fill you up, go crazy, and most importantly: have fun with it." Layla slowly walked over to the rack, and with fake nervousness, picked up a baseball bat.

"Well…" She said, pretending to be unsure, before turning and striking Boyd in the face with the bat. Boyd's head shot to the side, and blood started to run down her face. "…if you insist." Layla flashed her typical sadistic grin, before returning the bat to the rack and turning to Veronica.

"I'll give you two some privacy." Campbell said tactfully, before giving Boyd the finger and casually leaving the room.

"So…" Veronica asked nervously as Layla stepped closer. "What do you think of the gift?" Layla responded by suddenly wrapping Veronica in an affectionate hug.

"You are the best friend I could ever ask for." Layla answered, clearly filled with excitement. Before Veronica could return the hug, Layla ended it, before kissing the former scribe quickly on the lips. Veronica's eyes widened massively, and by the time Layla's lips left hers, the former scribe's eyes were the size of plates.

"You…you just kissed me." Veronica stuttered, disbelief coating her words. She didn't look sad about it though…quite the opposite.

"My way of saying thanks." Layla explained with a cheeky grin. "Of all the thoughtful gifts you've ever gotten me…I think the chance to torture Boyd to death is my favourite." There was a brief silence. "Okay…that sounded better in my head." Veronica laughed, before a warm smile appeared on her face.

"You know, people would say I'm crazy for associating with you."

"And what do you think?" Veronica's smile widened, and she stepped closer, before leaning forward, so that her mouth was right next to Layla's ear.

"I think they might be right." She whispered, before turning round and walking towards the door. "Oh and by the way, Campbell had the walls soundproofed. Have fun!" She called pleasantly over her shoulder as she left the makeshift torture chamber, shutting the door behind her as she did so. Layla smiled happily as Veronica left, and that smile changed to a more sadistic one as she turned to face Boyd.

"Well, well, here we are again." She said cockily, as she grabbed a knife from the torture rack. It was a butterfly knife, and was of very high quality, with a skeleton grip and quality workmanship. She flicked the knife open and closed as she slowly walked up to Boyd. "You know, ever since our last date, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. You're on my mind day and night, constantly occupying my thoughts. And when I think of you, I'm filled with…anticipation." Layla joked, before reaching Boyd. She flicked the knife open, and Boyd closed her eyes as Layla slashed. The bitch looked quite surprised when she realised that Layla had only been cutting the gag around her mouth, allowing Boyd to speak once more.

"You're fucking insane." Boyd spat, blood covering her lips.

"Yup." Layla replied calmly as she moved the knife dangerously close towards Boyd's one good eye. "You're only just learning this now?" The knife got dangerously close to the eye, and buckets of sweat began to run down Boyd's face. Layla laughed at her discomfort, before flicking the knife closed and walking away. She turned her back to Boyd before speaking again.

"But seriously Boyd, ever since our last…session…you really have been on my mind. You've even been invading my dreams, and according to Campbell you've had quite an impact on my psyche. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know one thing. You hurt me, you made me feel helpless, and you made me scream." She turned back to Boyd, utter malice in her eyes. "And I very much intend to return the favour."

"If you want to hear me scream, then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed you fucking lunatic." Boyd snapped defiantly, but Layla just laughed.

"Oh, you will scream, there's no doubt about that. It isn't all about the screaming though Boyd. As pleasant as it is to hear that, it's quite hard to beat the sheer look of dread that appears on somebody's face when they realise just how much pain is about to be inflicted on them. I flashed you a look like that when you got out those jumper cables. Remember them? I FUCKING do. And now look…I've got jumper cables, and a car battery too. We're going to have fun with them later, but for now let's get back to that topic I was discussing. That look of dread will appear on your face Boyd, I guarantee it."

"Fuck you!" Boyd yelled, and Layla clapped in response, causing the expression on Boyd's face to get angrier and angrier.

"Not bad. Tell me, was I like that before you tortured me? I know I was defiant, but was I acting like you are now?" The angry expression on Boyd's face slowly faded. "If I remember rightly, I was pretty much daring you to do your worst…and you did. I wasn't as defiant near the end was I?" Boyd's angry expression faded completely, and a look of realization appeared on her face. "You've read my file, haven't you Boyd?" Layla suddenly changed the subject, surprising Boyd.

"Yeah, so what?" She asked, clearly confused.

"If you read that, you probably know that I grew up with the Great Khans. They taught me everything; how to fight, how to shoot, how to be stealthy, and so on. My dad was my best teacher, he was one of the best fighters I've ever seen. However, my dad was also the camp's interrogation expert. Sometimes we'd capture caravans, but their loot would be in a locked safe, and only the guy leading the caravan would know the code. So, they'd bring my dad in to…make them talk. And best of all…he'd let his little girl watch. God he was a good dad." A stray tear wormed its way down Layla's face, but she wiped it away before continuing. "I tell you, he was absolutely amazing at torture, a true genius. He put even your admirable effort to shame. The most impressive thing about him however, was that he had some kind of inhuman ability to make the torture go exactly as long as he wanted, and always make it successful. If he had to get the answer in ten minutes, he'd do it. I don't know if he was as sadistic as me, or if he even enjoyed torture, but if he had plenty of time, Dad could make the torture go on for hours. Sometimes he would make it go on for days, and I remember one time he made a single session go on for two weeks. You could tell he was going to be torturing somebody for a while, because he'd take a few packed lunches into the torture shed with him. The remarkable thing was, no matter how long he made the torture go on for, minutes, hours, days, weeks, he was always in full control, and his victim never died until he got what he needed. A full week of torture, and he kept the victim alive and in agony for the entirety of it." Layla sighed wistfully, before turning back to Boyd, her sadistic grin back and more intense than ever, and continuing her monologue.

"But I doubt you're interested. You're just wondering what the point of this trip down memory lane is. It's quite simple." Layla stepped closer and closer to Boyd, until she was inches away from her victim. She knelt before Boyd, before looking her dead in the eyes. "Unfortunately for you Boyd, I was always a daddy's girl." A look of dread appeared on Boyd's face then, as she realised just what she was in for. Layla laughed, clapped her hands excitedly, then walked over to the rack containing her torture equipment.

Boyd did indeed scream during the ensuing torture session; she screamed like her life depended on it. It didn't of course; Layla was going to kill her anyway, and because of the soundproofed walls, nobody heard a thing. All manner of hellish implements were used during that session, including the dreaded car battery and jumper cables, but Layla didn't allow Boyd to die. She'd learnt well from her father, and managed to keep the session going on for a very long time. Though she didn't beat her father's admirable record of two weeks, she did drag it out for several days without killing Boyd. Veronica and Campbell occasionally brought in food for her, but they didn't interfere. By the third day, Boyd was begging for death. Layla cheerily informed her that they were just getting started, and tortured the bitch for three more days before ending her life. The session was a hellish nightmare for Boyd, but was merely a very fun, very therapeutic game for Layla; a game that she most definitely won.

_**So, it seems Layla is still her old sadistic self. And now it looks like Veronica's getting in on the act too...but is she happy about it? Meanwhile, Camp McCarran is now little more than a memory. Oliver certainly won't be pleased.**__**  
><strong>_

_**Anyway, now that the R+R Saga is finished, the next story arc will concern Layla and co's hunt for the Enclave Remnants, and their stockpile of weapons. There will be twists and turns, and an old acquaintance of Layla's shall return.  
><strong>_

_**As usual, check the review space to tell me how my crappy update schedule makes you want to smash my head into a bloody red paste...or if you're weirdly patient or find me too loveable to murder (HA), then send a friendly review. I wouldn't blame you for the murder comments though, university has been making my update schedule even more shit than usual (IMPOSSIBLE). But now I've finished my first year at uni, so updates should start coming much faster than normal (DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP). Also, to those who care, my Birthday occured during the writing of this chapter, on the 10th of May. Thanks for sending me a card. :(  
><strong>_


	45. Bad News

**_This is it, the most action packed chapter so far. Hold on to your hats, because shit is about to get real. In this chapter...General Oliver...DOES PAPERWORK! I know, your minds are blown. It gets better though. He also...HAS A CONVERSATION! Wow. I can tell your anticipation is palpable, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Okay okay fine, it's another report chapter, like Chapters 3, 20, 30 and 36. That means it'll be short and dialogue heavy. Are you happy now? No you can't skip it! This shit is important! Read on! Don't make me come down there!_**

Bad News

General Lee Oliver was in a bad mood. If someone had come up to him a year ago, and told him that in a year he'd have complete and utter control of the Mojave, but he wouldn't be any happier, he would've called them an idiot. Yet here he was, possessing more power than any other person in the Mojave, and yet still utterly pissed off; although his poor mood was probably to do with the small mountain of paperwork that sat in front of him. _I should've learnt by now; with great power, comes great paperwork. _He thought sourly as he signed yet another important document. He sat in his office in Hoover Dam, the same office that he hadn't left for weeks because of the sheer amount of paperwork he had to fill out. Paperwork was blocking the door, both literally and figuratively. He wasn't even reading the forms anymore; his attention span had long since dissipated to a point where he no longer gave two shits. As he finished signing the document, and reached for his engraved hip flask, a familiar figure burst into his office.

"Sir." Craig Boone said in greeting, saluting dutifully. Oliver didn't return the gesture, instead pouring the alcoholic contents of the hip flask down his throat. After a few seconds he stopped drinking, before turning to Boone. It wasn't unusual for Boone to storm into his office unannounced; the sniper had pretty much become his right hand man since Kimball's death, and was probably the second most powerful man in the Mojave behind the general himself. Still, Oliver didn't sound pleased when he spoke.

"What the hell is it Boone? I'm very busy." He barked. He wasn't actually annoyed to be interrupted, anything was more interesting than paperwork, but Boone was a good outlet for his anger and aggression, especially since the man never responded to his jibes and insults.

"I have some important news sir." Boone replied emotionlessly. Oliver huffed in response.

"Give it to my assistant. I told you, I don't have the bloody time right now." Oliver returned to his paperwork, but didn't hear footsteps leaving the office. After a few seconds, he looked up, and was surprised to see that Boone hadn't moved. It was strange…the man had never disobeyed his orders before. "I said get out!"

"Sir…the news is about Layla." Oliver was rather surprised to hear that.

"Layla? What about her? She's still locked up in Camp McCarran right?"

"Sir…Layla escaped several weeks ago." Oliver's jaw nearly hit the table at that.

"WHAT?" He roared. Boone didn't react to Oliver's obvious fury in the slightest.

"She and her ally disappeared from Camp McCarran several weeks ago sir, leaving a number of corpses in their wake. A few days later, the Yes Man AI that Campbell retrieved went offline, deactivating every securitron on the strip. NCR forces have been keeping the peace in place of the machines, but it's still a mess down there. In addition, all of Layla's belongings were removed her suite in the casino, implying that she'd been there. Since then, there's been absolutely no sign of Layla on the strip or anywhere else in the Mojave. I've investigated all her old dwellings and hideouts, but there's been no sign of her."

"AND WHY THE FUCK AM I JUST LEARNING THIS NOW?" Veins stood out on Oliver's neck, and he looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel.

"Sir, news passes very slowly between Hoover Dam and the Strip, and you've been so busy with your paperwork that you've had no chance to catch up on news and current events."

"DAMMIT!" Oliver slammed the desk angrily, before sweeping his hands across the desk and pushing all the paperwork that had accumulated there to the floor. "GET OUT THERE AND FUCKING FIND HER!"

"Sir, it's not that simple." Boone replied patiently. "Plus…this isn't what I came here to tell you."

"Then tell me your fucking news already! And be quick about it!" Oliver took a long swig from his flask, before motioning for Boone to proceed. No sooner had the sniper opened his mouth however, than Oliver's assistant crept into the office.

"Sir?" She said nervously. She was clearly afraid of earning Oliver's ire. This fear proved to be perfectly justified.

"What the hell is it? I'm busy!" He snapped at her. She recoiled slightly at his words, but seemed to work up enough courage to avoid running out of the room.

"Sir…Colonel Hsu is here to see you." Oliver certainly hadn't been expecting that.

"Hsu?" He asked, calming down a little now. "What does he want?"

"He has some 'bad news' regarding Camp McCarran, sir." Oliver stopped to think for a few seconds, before waving his hand dismissively at his assistant and turning back to Boone.

"Tell him to wait, I'm in a meeting."

"Sir…he says it can't wait." Oliver was about to bite the girl's head off, when Colonel Hsu entered the room. He didn't walk though. Oliver's eyes widened as he saw that Hsu was sitting in a wheelchair. The Colonel looked like hell. Apart from the aforementioned wheelchair, his nose was clearly broken, and his head was bandaged, like he'd taken a hard hit to the skull. Oliver was quite concerned about Hsu's current condition. He didn't give a shit about the Colonel's wellbeing, far from it in fact, as the Colonel had always been a particularly annoying thorn in his side, arguing with his decisions, discrediting him and whatnot. His concern was more practical. He didn't like Hsu, but he knew the man was a skilled soldier. If he'd been injured this badly, then something serious must have happened.

"General, we need to talk." Hsu said seriously as he wheeled himself in. Though he was tempted to have Hsu escorted out, he desired to know what had injured the man, so he decided to let him speak. Besides, the more people that spoke to him, the longer he could avoid having to do any more godforsaken paperwork.

"Leave us." Oliver said sternly to his secretary. She nodded, before backing out of the room, shutting the door behind her as she did so. "Now then, Hsu…what the fuck happened to you?" Oliver knew his question had been blunt, but that was his style. He wasn't one to beat around the bush, instead preferring to confront any issue directly. Hsu's gaze hardened as he replied.

"In the order of occurrence, I got pistol whipped in the back of the head, shot in the kneecap, and smacked in the face with a rifle." The look in Hsu's eye said that the Colonel wasn't in the mood for bullshit. That was good, because neither was Oliver.

"And you felt the need to come all the way here and tell me this…why?" Oliver asked jeeringly, visibly annoying the Colonel. That was good…it was about time he was the one to dish out mockery and insults, instead of being on the receiving end of them like he had been when Kimball was alive.

"Because I was one of the lucky ones." Oliver raised his eyebrow, his curiosity now piqued. Hsu took this as a signal to continue. "Six days ago, Camp McCarran suffered a devastating terrorist attack. The guard towers, the concourse, the terminal building, the monorail station; the entirety of the base was blown to rubble, and the encampment in front of the base was set ablaze. Most of the soldiers stationed at the base were killed; only myself, Major Dhatri, and approximately thirteen other soldiers survived that attack. The others were killed." _Great, as if I don't have enough fucking problems on my hands. _Oliver thought angrily as he heard Hsu's words. This kind of disaster seemed impossible. He had to know who was to blame.

"Do you have any idea who was behind this attack?" Oliver asked as calmly as he could, while taking a drink from his hip flask. Hsu didn't seem pleased about Oliver drinking on the job, but he didn't let that stop his explanation.

"Yes sir, I do. During the attack, I was confronted by none other than Campbell, the mercenary who was previously in your employ. He all but admitted to planting the bombs, before killing nine men under my command and bestowing upon me the injuries that I currently possess." Oliver damn near dropped his flask as he heard Campbell's name. As it stood, he managed to hold on to the flask, though he spat up a small amount of liquor as he did so. He coughed and spluttered for a few seconds, before unleashing his anger for the second time that day.

"CAMPBELL?" He shouted at Hsu. If the Colonel was taking any enjoyment from the general's dishevelled state, he didn't show it, instead calmly answering Oliver's question without any obvious emotion.

"Yes sir." Oliver couldn't believe what he was hearing. _That traitorous little prick!_

"WHY WOULD CAMPBELL BLOW UP CAMP MCCARRAN?" He shouted to nobody in particular. Boone looked like he was about to answer, when Hsu cut in.

"Before he attacked me, we spoke briefly. He asked me the whereabouts of Lieutenant Carrie Boyd."

"Boyd?" Oliver asked, now calming down slightly.

"Yes sir. She's the head MP at Camp McCarran and our main interrogation expert."

"I know who the fuck she is!" Oliver snapped, before pausing for a few seconds as he regained his composure. Once he was calm again, he asked the obvious question. "What's Campbell's interest in Boyd?"

"I believe I can answer that sir." Boone interjected. Oliver turned to the sniper expectantly, and he proceeded to elaborate. "A week ago, Campbell spoke with Lenny the Nose, an information broker who is notorious in and around Vegas. An NCR spy happened to be present at the time, and I soon found out about it. I spoke to Lenny the Nose, and learnt some disturbing information. It seems that Campbell may be working with Layla." Oliver damn near had a stroke.

"WHAT?" He roared, all composure once again lost.

"Campbell was speaking to the Nose on Layla's behalf, and mentioned that he was helping her with something. I also have reason to believe that Campbell assisted in Layla's escape from Camp McCarran." Hsu's eyes betrayed a hint of worry at hearing this news. Oliver's eyes only betrayed anger, and he firmly grabbed his flask, before getting to his feet and taking a long drink. Once he was satisfied, he threw the flask onto his desk, before leaning forward over the desk and looking the two men dead in the eye.

"Why?" He asked after a long pause. "Why is Campbell helping Layla?"

"Campbell isn't exactly the most predictable individual sir." Boone said, with recognisable contempt in his voice. It was no secret that Boone disliked Campbell, but if there was ever any doubt, one could tell just how much Boone disliked Campbell by listening to him talk about the merc. "With that damn coin of his, he can change sides at the drop of a hat. We're just lucky he didn't join her while he was working for us." Oliver sighed a frustrated sigh, before turning his back to Hsu and Boone, and focusing on the wall behind his desk. On that wall sat Layla's sword, a trophy of her defeat and a monument to his victory. Back then he'd thought the bitch was done for and he'd never have to worry about her again. How quickly things changed.

"This is serious." Oliver said as he turned to face the two men again. There was no anger in his voice, and he was now 100% focused. "In the few months since her appearance, Layla has become even more of a threat than the Legion. Her kill count makes the Legion's look pitiful by comparison, and she's just one woman. Campbell meanwhile is probably the deadliest man in the entirety of the Mojave. His massive array of skills, combined with his insanity and his cunning intelligence make him a force to be reckoned with. These two have the potential to destroy armies, to topple governments…and now they're on the same side. Forget the Legion; those dress wearing faggots are two busy preparing for their upcoming attack on Hoover Dam to be a serious threat. Layla and her little cabal are the ones we need to be concerned about now."

"I'm afraid it gets worse sir." Boone said as soon as Oliver finished. Oliver motioned at the sniper to continue, before picking up his flask. "Lenny the Nose told me more. Apparently…Campbell asked him about the Enclave Remnants." This time, Oliver did drop his flask.

"The Enclave?" He asked, not quite believing what he was hearing. "Are you sure?"

"Yes sir."

"Jesus." Hsu said, more to himself than anyone, before turning to Oliver. "Sir, the Enclave are the greatest threat the NCR has ever faced. I'd face the Legion over the Enclave any day. If Layla and Campbell are seeking the Enclave's aid…"

"They're not." Oliver interrupted firmly. "The Enclave has been completely obliterated. The NCR saw to that years ago."

"They didn't do a thorough enough job." Boone spoke up. "According to the Nose, the Enclave Remnants are a small group of Enclave personnel who fled shortly before the NCR purged the organization. Apparently they split up, and have been living incognito in the Mojave for decades."

"Wait...a small group of people are no threat to the NCR...so what does Layla want with them?" Hsu asked, stroking his chin as he did so.

"I asked the Nose that. According to him, Campbell didn't mention why Layla was looking for the Remnants. However, the Nose had heard that the Remnants buried a massive stockpile of equipment in a hidden bunker before going their separate ways. It's likely that Layla wants this equipment, and she's seeking out the Remnants so they can lead her to it."

"What kind of equipment are we talking about here?" Hsu asked.

"According to the Nose, enough energy weapons to equip an army, numerous suits of Enclave power armour, and even a few vertibirds." Boone answered gravely.

"Shit." Oliver said sharply. He had been drinking from his flask while Hsu and Campbell had been talking, but he slammed the flask down at the mention of the weapons. "We can't allow Layla to get her hands on that kind of artillery. Is there any way we can track down the Remnants before her, and obtain the equipment stockpile for ourselves?" He asked Boone. The sniper was quick to reply.

"The Nose had told Campbell where to find an expert on the subject of the Remnants, but informed me that the expert had skipped town earlier that day. I haven't had any luck finding the man since then."

"Who is this expert?" Hsu asked.

"A member of the Followers. He goes by the name of Arcade Gannon."

"A Follower? This just keeps getting better and better." Oliver muttered, practically seething with rage. "I've never trusted the Followers. They always offered things without asking for payment; it was obvious they were up to something. If they're allied with the remnants of the Enclave…"

"Sir, there's no evidence to suggest that the Followers are in league with the Enclave." Hsu said quickly, trying to calm Oliver down before he did something stupid like order the obliteration of the Followers of the Apocalypse. Such an event wouldn't end well for anyone.

"He's right." Boone added. "There's not even any evidence to suggest that Arcade Gannon is in league with the Enclave. We won't know if he has any ties with them until we find him and question him."

"Very well." Oliver said, putting as much authority as he could muster into his voice. "Obliterating Layla is now our top priority, and stopping her from acquiring the Enclave stockpile will be a big help towards achieving that goal. Boone, I'm putting you in charge of this operation. Find the stockpile, and if possible, eliminate Layla and her entire group. As the highest ranking member of the NCR in the Mojave, I'll grant you any resources you need to complete this task."

"Yes sir." Boone said loyally as he saluted the general. "I won't let you down sir."

"For your sake, you'd better not." Oliver replied stonily as he saluted back. Hsu was the only one who didn't salute.

"Sir…should we inform Chief Hanlon about this?" Hsu asked uncertainly. "While he's not technically as powerful as you, he is one of the most influential members of the NCR in the Mojave and…"

"I don't give two shits about that prick Hanlon." Oliver growled. "He IS NOT to find out about this operation…is that understood?" While Oliver just managed to keep his voice down, the anger behind his voice was obvious.

"…Yes sir." Hsu said after a brief pause.

"Good." Oliver replied calmly, before returning to his commanding tone of voice. "Get back on your feet as soon as possible, then put all your efforts into finding Layla. And get Colonel Moore up to speed too; we'll need her resources."

"Moore, sir?" Hsu asked, clearly displeased about the decision. It was well known that Hsu and Moore didn't see eye to eye, but Oliver had never been one to care about the petty concerns of his men. All he cared about was that they got the job done.

"Yes, Moore. She's a good soldier, and she always gets the job done. She's one of the few idiots in this military that I can rely on."

"Sir, she's a psychopath!" Hsu replied. Oliver was surprised. Hsu had never been one to speak back to him. "She's the kind of person who'd use a nuke to solve a civil dispute. She's almost as unstable as Layla. She…"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Hsu was suddenly cut off as Oliver slammed his fist down on his desk, before shouting right in the Colonel's face. "The barbarians are at the gate Hsu, and we need everyone we can get. I know that you don't like Moore, and I DON'T FUCKING CARE! As it stands, she's more useful to me than you. I like soldiers that can get things done Hsu, not soldiers who hide behind desks all day and never do anything that helps us in winning this fucking war. Now that I'm in charge of the NCR, and now that the Mojave is mine to do with as I see fit, you'd do well to remember your fucking place. Before, I couldn't do anything, but now, if you annoy me, I can have you thrown off this fucking dam in the blink of an eye. If you EVER question me again, you'll be court-martialled and dishonourably discharged from the NCR in the blink of an eye, and you'll be lucky if you survive with one pitiful SHRED of dignity intact. DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME COLONEL?" There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Hsu replied.

"Yes…General." Hsu's voice didn't betray any emotion, but Oliver could tell that the man had had to swallow every last ounce of his pride to respond. Good. _The sooner the little shit learns to step in line, the better._ Oliver thought as he sat back down.

"Good." Oliver leaned forward in his chair, before looking straight at Hsu. "You have your orders Colonel, you're dismissed. Make sure you inform Moore of the situation, otherwise I will have to take…disciplinary measures."

"I will, sir."

"Good. Now, do me a favour...get the fuck out of my office." Hsu scowled, but didn't respond. He cleaned up his expression so that it was neutral once more, briefly saluted the general, then wheeled himself out of the office. As soon as the office door shut, Oliver turned to Boone. "I don't trust Hsu. Have a squad of men follow him, tell them that if he goes to speak to Chief Hanlon, they have my permission to shoot him on sight."

"Yes sir."

"This assignment is very important. I won't tolerate failure."

"I won't let you down sir."

"See to it that you don't." With that, Oliver stood up, before heading to the door. "You'll need resources. Come with me and we'll get the requisition forms filled out." Boone nodded, and followed the general as he left the office. Oliver walked slowly and confidently down the corridor, all the while thinking about the situation with Layla, Campbell and the Enclave. He was so deep in thought, that he didn't see the soldier in front of him until it was too late, and the man bumped into him. Oliver scowled, and snapped his fingers. Boone immediately grabbed the man by the shoulders, before pushing him face first against the nearest wall.

"Forgive me sir! I'm sorry I bumped into you!" The man said desperately. Oliver ignored him, and adjusted his jacket as Boone pressed the man against the wall, while pressing an elbow into his back.

"Tell me your name and rank soldier, and I will consider not having you dishonourably discharged." Oliver said calmly, but coldly. The soldier's reply was quick and panicked.

"Private William Fox sir! I just transferred here this morning. I'm sorry sir, please don't have me kicked out of the NCR!" There was a brief silence, during which Private Fox sweated profusely, and Oliver tortured the man by saying absolutely nothing. After a full minute of silence, he finally spoke.

"Since you're new on the dam, I'll let you off with a warning. Annoy me again, and discharge will be the least of your worries." With that, he snapped his fingers, and Boone released the terrified private.

"Oh thank you General, thank you so much!" The man said gratefully as he saluted, before moving aside to let the general pass. As Oliver passed the private, he could've sworn that he saw an animalistic grin cover the man's face. He quickly dismissed it as his imagination however; the private was far too terrified of him to grin. He quickly pushed the insignificant private from his mind, and continued down the corridor with Boone in tow, leaving the man named Fox alone. What Oliver had forgotten, was that that corridor only led to his office, and there was no reason for a common private to be there. The general would return to his office later, and would be filled with anger as he saw that Layla's sword was no longer on his wall, replaced by a Legion banner.

**_Private Fox eh? I'm sure I don't need to tell you who that is. What? No I'm not going to tell you! Figure it out for yourselves! Anyway...yeah, short chapter here. Sorry about that. The next chapter will be much longer though, and Layla will finally be back on her feet. Plus, we'll be reintroducing an old friend. If you want to send me hate mail regarding this chapter's length and my obvious idiocy, you know where the review button is. What...you don't? Really? Oh for the love of...it's there...no, not there, there...yes, underneath this blob of text. Do you see it? Okay, good. You handle the rest.  
><em>**


	46. Recovery's End

**_This chapter officially marks the beginning of the Enclave Remnants story arc, and as the title suggests, this is also the chapter that Layla finishes her recovery. Needless to say, there will be obscene amounts of bloodshed. Yay!_**

Recovery's End

_Arcade Gannon, Journal Entry 248_

_When I started this journal 4 years ago, I never thought I'd actually have anything interesting to write in it. I certainly never thought I'd have to write anything about the Enclave. I thought I'd left that chapter of my life behind years ago, but it seems fate has other plans. _

_A week ago, I heard a rumour that somebody was searching for information about the Remnants. I know what the NCR do to anybody who has any sort of connection with the Enclave, and since the NCR all but run the Mojave these days, it was likely they'd find out about my connection at some point. It was likely that there was no basis to this rumour, but I couldn't take that chance, so I packed up my belongings, and left the Old Mormon Fort as fast as I could._

_ I may not like talking to people much, but I still had my ear close enough to the ground that I knew where to find an effective information dealer. His name was Lenny the Nose, and he's probably the least trustworthy man I've ever met. I got the impression that he'd sell me out for dirt. He still gave information to those who paid however, so I still needed him. I paid him a few caps, and he told me who was looking for the Remnants: a mercenary named Campbell. I'd heard of Campbell; he's a legend in Freeside, and has sent more than his fair share of injured people to the Followers. I knew what this mercenary is capable of, so to keep him off my track I told Lenny the Nose that I'd be hiding out in Goodsprings, and that he should contact me there if he learnt anything else. That, of course, was a lie. I'm not going anywhere near Goodsprings, but if Lenny is as much a rat as I suspect, he'll tell Campbell what I told him, leading the merc on a wild goose chase. Of course, if he's as good as I heard, then that didn't delay him for long. He's probably right on my tail, even as I type this._

_ Now, a week later, I'm holed up in an abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere. It's the shack that we stayed in when we first arrived in the Mojave all those years ago. Amazing that it's still in one piece; I'd half expected it to have been overtaken by raiders by now. Well…actually, there was a raider here when I arrived. He was injured, so I offered to treat his wounds. He pulled out a knife…I pulled out my plasma defender…now I have a green puddle that I'm too lazy to clean up._

_This isn't the first time I'd had to avoid some pursuers; I spent most of my teenage years running from the NCR and the Brotherhood with the Remnants after all. Even after all these years, I remember what they taught me. I was able to cover my tracks effectively, I left no evidence anywhere that I stayed over the past few days, and I haven't seen or spoken to anyone, so there're no witnesses for Campbell to question. Even so, all those years taught me that you can never be totally sure you've lost your pursuer. Far too many times we thought we'd fully evaded NCR or Brotherhood troops, only to be caught right in the middle of an ambush a few minutes later. Anyway, I've set up sensors all over the outside of the shack; a little trick Doc Henry taught me way back when. If somebody approaches, I'll know about it._

_I'm just about to turn in for the night, so there's not really much else to add. Arcade Gannon, signing off._

His journal entry complete, Arcade turned away from his portable terminal, before getting to his feet. _I don't even know why I still write that thing. _He thought to himself as he walked away from the desk that he'd been sitting at moments ago. He walked towards his duffel bag, and pulled out a bottle of Nuka-Cola, before taking a drink. He'd never much cared for the stuff, and the caffeine would no doubt make it difficult to get to sleep, but he hadn't had anything to eat or drink for the past few days, and he was craving nourishment. As he greedily chugged down the cola, he cast a look around the room.

The shack he was staying in wasn't particularly large, but there was still more than enough room for him to make himself comfortable. After all, he and the Remnants had lived here comfortably for a few weeks back when they'd first arrived in the Mojave. If six people could live in this place without going crazy, one person would have little trouble. The place hadn't changed at all since then, and Arcade smiled wistfully as he saw a familiar scorch mark on a nearby wall. Back when they'd first moved in, Moreno and Johnson and been having one of their usual arguments. Moreno had lost his temper (As was the norm with Moreno), and had pulled out his laser pistol. He'd tried to shoot Johnson, but tripped on the rug at the last second, causing him to fall flat on his face, and making the laser miss completely, scorching the wall nowhere near Johnson. Arcade had found Moreno's blunder hilarious, but Judah had still needed to rein the large man in, before he fired another shot. _Ah…good times. _Arcade thought as he reminisced.

He currently stood in the living room of the shack. The only pieces of furniture were an old sofa that sat in the middle of the room, a comfortable armchair to the left of the sofa, and a metal desk in the far left corner, on which Arcade's portable terminal now sat. His duffel bag, containing all his belongings, sat on the floor a few feet away from the desk. In front of the sofa was a window, but Arcade had the blinds pulled up. The last thing he wanted to do was inform people that this place was now occupied. On the far wall next to Moreno's scorch mark was a small pile of chems; belongings of the raider that had occupied this place before Arcade turned up. Said raider lay a few feet away from the chem pile, now only a puddle of green goo. Next to the scorch mark was a doorway which led to the only bedroom, to the right was the shack's front door, and on the shack's right wall opposite the desk was a doorway which led into the shack's bathroom.

Arcade took off his glasses, before rubbing his eyes tiredly as he finished his Nuka-Cola. He was exhausted, and sleep was beginning to sound better and better by the minute. After a few seconds he left his eyes alone, and took off his Followers lab coat before draping it over the armchair, leaving him in his light grey collared shirt and dark grey slacks. He started to walk towards the bedroom, when he heard a familiar beep from his terminal. The terminal could only be beeping for one reason: Arcade had linked his sensors outside to the terminal, so that it would inform him if one of the sensors was tripped. Since the terminal had beeped…it meant there was somebody outside.

"Great." Arcade said wearily, before flattening himself up against the wall next to the blinds. He put his glasses back on, before inching closer to the window. With one hand, he slowly pulled aside the blinds, before looking out of the window. It was almost pitch black outside, no doubt a result of the lateness of the hour. He realised that looking outside was pointless; he wouldn't be able to see the trespasser even if they'd been jumping up and down right in front of the window. Luckily, he had just the thing for this situation. He detached himself from the wall, before creeping over to his lab coat.

He rummaged around in his coat for a few seconds before pulling out what he'd been looking for: a jar of Cateye tablets. He'd taken them from one of the Followers' medical storage chests when leaving the fort, thinking they'd come in handy. He'd felt guilty for a time, but eventually reasoned that they wouldn't miss one jar of Cateye, when they had many in reserve. He opened the jar and took out a tablet of Cateye, before closing the jar and putting it back into his coat pocket. As he returned the Cateye to his coat pocket, he pulled something else out of a different pocket: his plasma defender.

The gun had been a gift from Judah when the Remnants had gone their separate ways, and Arcade had become quite proficient with it. He quickly checked to make sure the gun was in working order, before swallowing the Cateye tablet. The effect was almost immediate.

His vision suddenly took on a blue tint, making everything appear much brighter than normal. Inside the shack, where there was already light, his eyes were badly strained, but outside in the dark the blue vision would be invaluable. His eyesight now boosted by the Cateye, Arcade returned to the wall, before pulling open the blinds again and looking outside. With the Cateye, he could now see perfectly in the gloom. The blue vision highlighted the dirt and rocks that occupied this barren portion of the Mojave, but he didn't detect any sign of movement. There didn't seem to be anything abnormal out there.

Just as he was starting to feel safe, his terminal beeped again. Another sensor had been tripped. Arcade immediately made his way over to his portable terminal, before turning it back on again. Once the terminal had rebooted, he opened the simple program he'd been using to monitor his sensors, before checking to see exactly which sensor had been tripped. A large grid appeared on screen, along with a map of the surrounding area for a few miles. The grid showed precisely where on the map he'd planted each sensor. He'd been thorough, planting sensors at specific locations all around the shack to make sure nobody could sneak up on him. The first sensor that the trespasser had tripped was almost a mile away from the shack, on the very outskirts of the grid. The second was closer, less than half a mile from the shack. Whoever it was, they were getting closer. The tripped sensors were located around the front of the shack, so Arcade gripped his plasma defender tightly before heading towards the front door.

Upon reaching it, he took a deep breath, before slowly nudging the door open. He tried to stay concealed behind the door as best he could as it opened, while scanning his Cateye enhanced vision over the landscape. The area around the shack was mostly made up of several medium sized rocks, and could only really be reached by a single path leading to the front door. The tripped sensors hadn't been anywhere near the path, so Arcade focused his attention on the rocks instead. As the door opened all the way, Arcade slowly and nervously stepped out of the shack, looking all around for his would be intruder as he did so. He detected no movement either in or around the rocks, and heard no footsteps around him. The whole area was silent, apart from the rustling of the wind in the night. And Arcade's heartbeat; that was getting quite loud too.

For all his time with the Remnants, Arcade had never actually been in a combat situation, so he was understandably quite nervous. The fact that his pursuer was most likely the famous/infamous mercenary Campbell only made his nerves worse. As he crouched low near the house, he tried to slow his heart down, all the while looking in the direction of the last sensor that had been tripped. There was nothing but rocks in that direction, no sign of whoever had tripped his sensor. _Must've been a wasteland creature or something._ His mind said to him, and he was inclined to believe it. He released the breath that he hadn't even realised he'd been holding, he turned to go back inside the shack. Then he heard a familiar beeping coming from within. Another sensor had been tripped.

He spun around, before frantically looking all around the rocky area in front of him. There were rocks everywhere he looked…and a figure that was too large to be a rock. He immediately raised his plasma defender and fired. His shot was surprisingly accurate, hitting the figure dead on and knocking it to the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief, before leaning back against the shack's exterior wall. He'd got him. The intruder was down. _But is he out? _Arcade decided to check this, firmly gripping his plasma defender before walking over to where the figure had dropped. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he neared the figure, before focusing all his attention on navigating the rocky terrain. One wrong step, and he could fall knee first on a rock, rendering him immobile and easy pickings for wasteland creatures, raiders…or whoever had been lurking outside his shack. As he stepped over a particularly sharp rock, he reached the figure, before pointing his gun downward. The figure was definitely a person but…wait…no…no it wasn't. Arcade lowered his gun in confusion as he saw a male mannequin lying at his feet, with a plasma burn on its chest.

"What the hell?" He wondered aloud as he prodded the mannequin with his foot. The mysterious individual who'd been sneaking outside his shack…was a mannequin? It didn't make sense, for numerous reasons. Besides the obvious reason (A **mannequin**, was sneaking around outside his shack), there was the fact that he hadn't seen the mannequin when he'd been looking around earlier. It had only appeared after the third sensor had been tripped. Sure enough, the third sensor lay very close to the mannequin, but as he looked at it, Arcade realised that the mannequin had something tied to it. He crouched down to get a better look, and realised that the object was a stealth boy. _Why did somebody tie a stealth boy to this mannequin? _Arcade wondered to himself as he ripped the cord binding the stealth boy to the mannequin. He lifted the stealth boy up to his face so that he could examine it properly, and he quickly noticed that the device was out of power.

This bizarre event was beginning to make a little more sense now. His sensors generated infrared beams around them in a small radius, and if anything disrupted the beams, they would trigger the sensor. When a stealth boy was activated, it generated a stealth field around the user, which reflected light to make the user invisible to the untrained eye. Whoever had placed this mannequin must have activated the stealth boy before placing it, so that the stealth field would reflect the infrared beam in such a way that the sensor wouldn't be able to figure out that the beam had been tripped. The intruder had then purposely tripped the other two sensors to get Arcade's attention and make him go outside. While Arcade had been searching, the intruder had hidden him/herself and the mannequin had been sitting there, still invisible. Eventually the stealth boy had worn off, disabling the stealth field. Without the stealth field to reflect the infrared beam, the mannequin had tripped the sensor. Arcade had spotted the now visible mannequin, mistaken it for a person from such long range, and blasted it. The whole thing had been a distraction; an admittedly brilliant distraction, but a distraction nonetheless.

Arcade's vision swam as the Cateye began to wear off, and he pushed his glasses down onto his nose before rubbing his irritated eyes. As he rubbed them, he realised something that made his heart start beating like a jackhammer again. _If this whole thing was a distraction…then the intruder's still out here._ He was probably being watched right now, and without Cateye he'd never spot the intruder in the darkness; he could barely even see two feet in front of his face. He turned back towards the shack, and just barely spotted it through the gloom. All he could think about was getting back into the relative safety of the shack, and he frantically ran towards it as fast as he could.

He stumbled a few times while running through the uneven, rocky terrain, and as he got close to the shack he lost his footing and tripped. Fortunately, he didn't smash his kneecap on a rock, though he did land on a group of smaller rocks and badly scratch his knees. Ignoring the pain in his knees, he got back to his feet, before continuing to flee towards the shack. A few seconds later he reached the shack, and burst inside before slamming the door shut behind him.

Finally back inside the safety of the shack, he breathed a sigh of relief, before gritting his teeth as he felt the pain in his knees. Deciding to inspect the damage, he looked down. The first thing he noticed was that his trousers had been torn when he'd fallen onto the rocks. The second thing he noticed was that his knees were quite bloody. The third thing he noticed, completely unrelated to his knees, was that there was a stealth boy on the floor.

"Good evening." A voice suddenly said, giving Arcade the fright of his life. Steadying himself on the wall as his heart tried to burst free from his chest, Arcade looked in the direction of the voice. He saw an unfamiliar man sitting in the armchair, looking quite casual with his legs crossed and his arms rested on the arms of the chair. Arcade wasn't too bothered about the man's body language however...it was the gun in the man's hand that gave him pause. The gun looked quite unusual, unlike any gun he'd ever seen, but he hardly cared since it was being pointed right at him. The man wore a brown trenchcoat over a black shirt, with baggy white trousers and thick combat boots. He also wore a brown hood, but he used his free hand (The one not holding the gun) to pull it down as Arcade noticed him. With his hood down, Arcade could see that he was bald, had a small amount of stubble on his chin, and had a nasty looking scar that ran from his chin to his left ear. "You must be Arcade." The man said in a friendly tone that surprised Arcade.

"And I assume you're Campbell?" Arcade asked in response. The merc confirmed this with a simple nod of the head.

"Let me guess…Lenny the Nose told you I was looking for you?" It was Arcade's turn to nod in confirmation. "Shifty little bastard isn't he? He'd cut out his own mother's organs and sell them to make a profit. But you took advantage of that didn't you? Telling him you were going to Goodsprings, so that he'd tell me and then I'd go there looking for you…pretty impressive. Of course…it didn't slow me down for long."

"How did you get in here?" Arcade asked, as he desperately tried to think of a way to escape this situation. Annoyingly, his mind drew a blank.

"I assume you found my mannequin? I triggered two sensors around the front of your house – nice work on those by the way – and left the stealth boy equipped mannequin to distract you, all the while going round the back of your house and climbing in through the window." Arcade looked behind Campbell, and noticed for the first time that the window was open. "I was there when you ran out of the house; you even looked at me a few times." Campbell smirked as he mentioned that. "Fortunately, the mannequin wasn't the only one with a stealth boy. I had one too." That explained the stealth boy at Arcade's feet. "Not a bad plan if I do say so myself." Campbell looked very pleased with himself. Arcade meanwhile, kept his expression neutral.

"So…what happens now?" Arcade asked, as an escape plan began to form in his mind. Campbell seemed like the type who liked to talk, so Arcade just had to keep him talking until he could put his escape plan into action. "Are we going to sit here and talk? Are you going to explain how you managed to track me down?" In response to this question, the merc surprised Campbell by pulling out a coin. _A coin? Is he with the Legion?_ Arcade wondered. That would actually make sense, since the Legion would no doubt benefit greatly if they obtained the weapons in the Remnants' bunker. That suspicion disappeared as Campbell flipped the coin however, and Arcade noticed that it didn't have Caesar's face on it. The coin flew upward for a few seconds before dropping back down to the floor. Campbell caught it without even looking, clearly experienced at this. He briefly looked at the result, his face impossible to read, before looking back at Arcade.

"No." He replied simply and quickly, before firing the gun that he'd had pointed at Arcade. Arcade gritted his teeth in pain, expecting a lethal bullet to blow straight through his ribcage, but was surprised when instead, a small dart stabbed into his chest. Before he could process this, he started to feel woozy. He dropped his plasma defender, before swaying on his feet. "Sweet dreams." Campbell said cockily as everything went white.

*Layla – The next day*

It was a sunny day in New Vegas, but since night had not yet descended, business wasn't exactly booming on the strip. As the midday sun shone over the city, two people stood on the roof of The Tops. If anyone had looked up onto the roof, they would've seen two girls, two insane girls, who were both best friends…and were about to fight each other.

"Are you sure you want this?" Veronica asked as she finished stretching, and started to crack her knuckles.

"I am." Layla replied. She was wearing her recon armour, and was standing in a fighting pose. "Campbell says I'm fully recovered, but I need to be sure…I need to know I can fight."

"And so you want to fight me…your best friend." Veronica raised her eyebrow, clearly not following Layla's logic.

"It's just sparring, it's not like we're actually trying to hurt each other. But having said that, don't go easy on me. I want you fighting like you mean it." Veronica seemed worried.

"Layla…I don't want to hurt you."

"Who said you have to? How about this: the first to make the other submit wins." Veronica grinned mischievously as she heard Layla's suggestion.

"Kinky." She said jokingly as she got into a fighting pose. "Okay then…are you ready?"

"Am I addicted to whiskey?" A competitive grin appeared on the red haired one's face. "Let's do this."

"Okay. Since you're out of your league, I'll let you go first." Layla was surprised by the blatant taunt, while Veronica just smirked.

"Ouch." Layla said, faking hurt. "Where did that come from?"

"A little good natured taunting never hurt anyone." Veronica replied, sticking her tongue out cheekily as she did so. "Go ahead; first move's yours."

"Okay." Layla paused, took a deep breath, then charged.

Layla rushed forwards, and tried a simple punch on Veronica's chest. Nothing too painful, she didn't actually want to hurt her. Just as Layla was wondering if she'd put too much strength into the punch, Veronica grabbed her wrist mid strike, and swept her foot beneath Layla's leg, knocking her off her feet. Layla just lay there on the roof, wondering what had just happened, while Veronica sighed.

"Come on Layla, if you don't want me holding back, then I don't want you holding back either. You don't have to worry about hurting me, so put some effort in." Layla nodded, before getting to her feet. "I'll let you have another shot." Putting more effort into it this time, Layla charged before trying to punch Veronica in the face. Her friend ducked low to dodge the attack however, before striking out with the palm of her hand. Her palm hit Layla in the chest, pushing her back slightly. Veronica then charged forwards, before trying to sweep kick Layla. Layla was ready however, and she leapt over the sweep kick before delivering a roundhouse as Veronica got to her feet. The scribe swayed under the kick, before firing off a quick jab in Layla's face. Layla blocked the jab, but was unprepared for the quick punch that Veronica aimed at her ribs. She stumbled back, allowing Veronica to dash forwards and tackle her to the floor. Layla lay on the roof for the second time in a few minutes, except this time Veronica was on top of her. "Submit?" Veronica asked. Layla laughed in response.

"Hell no." Before Veronica knew what was happening, Layla kicked the smaller girl off her. While Veronica rolled backwards, Layla got to her feet, before rushing her friend, fists at the ready. Veronica shot to her feet, before firing off a straight kick at Layla's chest. Layla crossed her arms to block the blow, before grabbing Veronica's leg and pulling her closer. She tried to grab her friend in a chokehold but the smaller girl was quick, easily squirming out of Layla's grasp before pushing her back. Deciding to go on the offensive, Layla unleashed a barrage of quick punches on Veronica. The blows proved completely ineffective however, as her friend easily sidestepped every blow. Layla tried a stronger punch, but Veronica simply batted her hand away before kicking her back. The kick was strong, but Layla managed to stay on her feet, and performed a roundhouse kick as Veronica charged her.

Veronica leant her head back as Layla kicked, and the blow sailed right over her. She aimed a quick jab at Layla's ribs, but was surprised when her friend grabbed her fist mid blow. Layla firmly grabbed Veronica's fist, before wrapping an arm around her friend's throat and dropping to the floor. "Submit?" She asked forcefully as she tried to get Veronica into some kind of submission hold.

"Nope." Veronica replied cheerfully as she expertly freed herself from Layla's grasp, before springing to her feet. Getting a little frustrated now, Layla climbed to her feet, before aiming a strong punch at Veronica's face. Veronica moved her head to the side to avoid the blow, before grabbing Layla's arm and quickly moving behind her. She pulled Layla's arm over her shoulder, and dropped both of them to the floor, before wrapping her legs around Layla's midsection, trapping her. "Submit?" She whispered into Layla's ear. Layla didn't answer, instead surprising Veronica by getting to her feet. Veronica held on in her makeshift hold as Layla stood up, with the scribe still on her back. Layla shook herself violently as soon as she stood up, knocking Veronica loose. The scribe hit the floor, but started to get up as Layla rushed her.

By the time Layla reached her, Veronica was on all fours, still partway through getting up. She still wasn't defenceless however, as she shot out a quick kick behind her. Layla jumped back to dodge the kick, while Veronica finished getting to her feet. Layla tried a kick, but Veronica countered with a kick of her own. She easily deflected Layla's kick with her own leg, before rolling under a second kick that Layla sent her way. She rolled into a crouch in front of the red haired one, and quickly punched her in the stomach. While Layla was winded, Veronica got to her feet and grabbed the red haired one's arm. Layla didn't even have time to blink before Veronica flipped her over her shoulder. She landed on the floor hard, and was dazed for a second. This was all the time Veronica needed. She quickly climbed down onto Layla, pinning her legs down with her knees and firmly grabbing her wrists to keep her rooted to the spot. They stayed like that for a few seconds, both panting tiredly, before Veronica asked the important question.

"Submit?" Layla tried to get free, but it was no use. She was too worn out, and Veronica's grip on her wrists was surprisingly strong. She had no choice.

"Dammit." Layla cursed, before smiling. "Yeah…I submit." Veronica smiled triumphantly as she released her hold, then got to her feet. "How are you so damn tough?" Layla asked, lying back on the floor and panting heavily as she did so.

"It took a lot of practice." Veronica replied as she leant against a nearby air conditioning unit.

"But you've got pretty much no muscle on you, yet your attacks hurt like hell." As Layla spoke, she sat up and rubbed the leg that Veronica had kicked earlier. "My whole body aches…I feel like I just had a wrestling match with a bighorner." Veronica laughed.

"I told you that you were out of your league." She had a cocky grin plastered on her face.

"Those moves…where the hell did you learn to fight like that?"

"Well…when I was a little girl, my Dad brought me a load of pre-war holotapes from some scavenging trips he'd been sent on, and a few of them had old martial arts movies on them. I watched the tapes religiously, and learned most of my moves from those films."

"Wait…you became an unstoppable unarmed combatant…by watching a load of kung fu movies?" Layla asked incredulously.

"Yep." Layla eyed her suspiciously. "Well…most of the Brotherhood members I grew up around knew some form of martial arts and they taught me some tricks. The movies are what got me interested in the first place though." A worried expression appeared on Veronica's face as Layla continued to rub her leg. "Are you okay? I didn't hit you too hard did I?"

"No, no, I'm fine; I'm just going to be aching for a while."

"That regenerating implant we got you should help speed that up." Veronica held out a hand to Layla, which Layla promptly grabbed. "So how do you feel? Do you think you're fully recovered?" As soon as the hand was grabbed, Veronica pulled Layla to her feet.

"Yeah, I think so." Layla had a thoughtful expression on her face as she turned to look off the edge of the roof, at the city skyline beyond. "I mean, you kicked my ass, that much is obvious, but I think I'm back to full strength. My concussion's gone, I can throw a knife accurately again, my reflexes are back to 100%, and I don't have any annoying injuries to slow me down. Now all I need to do is practice with that katana a bit."

"I am not helping you practice with that." Veronica said quickly, holding her hands up in objection. "Sparring with fists is one thing; I am not sparring with swords." Layla smirked, before turning back to face Veronica.

"Don't worry, I'll practice on the target dummy I set up." Veronica breathed a sigh of relief, while Layla walked over to her bag, before taking the katana out and unsheathing it. As she held the blade in both hands, a question randomly popped up in Layla's mind.

"Hey Veronica…can I ask you something?" Layla asked as she tried a few simple practice slashes with the katana.

"Sure, go ahead." Veronica replied.

"I know he's been with us for almost a month, so it's probably a weird time to ask this…but how do you feel about Campbell?" There was a pause as Veronica considered this. She obviously hadn't been expecting Layla to ask her that.

"I trust him." She answered eventually, sounding completely sure of herself. "I know that's a stupid thing to say, since he blew up my home, killed the only family I ever had, shot you numerous times and is in general pretty damn annoying, but…I trust him. Hell, I trust him with my life. I know he's only with us because his coin told him to join us, but…he's done more than we've ever asked him to. He's gone above and beyond the call of duty, he's done more for us than we could ever repay him for. He broke us out of Camp McCarran even though it would've been easier and more beneficial for him to turn us in, he helped me get our stuff from the Lucky 38 even while an insane AI was trying to stop us, he bought you that katana without any provocation on our parts, he helped me launch an all out assault on Camp McCarran and kidnap Boyd just to make you feel better…and the best part is, he didn't need to do any of it. He could've just gone to General Oliver at any time, told him our location, and gotten paid for it, but he didn't. He stayed with us, knowing that doing so would brand him a criminal, and he helped with everything while you were recovering. So…yeah…in short: I like him. But don't tell him that because he's still annoying as hell." Layla laughed at the last comment, before ceasing her practice slashes and looking up at the sky wistfully as she replied.

"Yeah…I like him too. I just get the feeling that he's…you know…like us. He knows what it's like to lose your parents, and he's suffered through a lot of hardships, just like us. He's arguably just as insane as me, if not more so. He knows what it's like to be…different; to be…not like normal people. He's one of us, I think, and like you, I'd trust him with my life." Layla slashed at her target dummy as she spoke, while Veronica walked up behind her.

"Plus he follows orders, so that's good." Veronica joked as Layla stabbed the target dummy.

"I think he's just what we need to destroy the NCR." Layla said with a smile.

"Him and the Remnants' weapon stockpile." Veronica replied, causing Layla to roll her eyes. She looked like she was about to attack the dummy again, but suddenly stopped, instead turning to Veronica.

"You know what? Screw this!" Layla said with a smirk as she turned away from the dummy. "I'm fully healed, I'm back in action, why the hell should I have to hide on a rooftop stabbing a mannequin, when I could be stabbing some NCR bastard?"

"Maybe because we're supposed to be keeping a low profile?" Veronica replied, clearly nervous that Layla was going to do something they'd all regret.

"Blowing up Camp McCarran wasn't exactly 'keeping a low profile' was it?" Layla retorted with a smirk as she sheathed the katana again.

"Yeah…but nobody knew that we were involved!" Veronica replied. Layla responded by waving her hand in a dismissive gesture

"I'm sure they've figured it out by now."

"You're not blowing anything up." Veronica said sternly. Layla turned to her, smiling mischievously as she attached the katana, scabbard and all, to her right hip. The weight was unusual, but she adapted quickly.

"Who said anything about that?" She asked innocently. "I just thought you and I should go out somewhere and spend the day together. You know, since I've been out of action for so long, and I haven't left this damn building in a month." Veronica raised her eyebrow, a look of suspicion on her face.

"Okay…where do you propose we go to spend the day together?" A sadistic smile appeared on Layla's face as Veronica asked her question.

"Well…I haven't been to the NCR Embassy in a while."

*An hour later*

"Jesus Christ." NCR Ranger Dennis Garfield said as he and his small squad of rangers arrived at the NCR Embassy…or what was left of it. They had been called in to answer a distress signal coming from the Embassy, but hadn't expected anything quite like this. The first sign that something was wrong had been when Jerry had tripped over a headless, female corpse less than five seconds after the squad entered the district that the Embassy was in. It only got worse from there.

Corpses littered the streets; most likely NCR soldiers that had tried to run. It was impossible to walk more than three steps without stepping in blood. And that was just the street outside the Embassy. The Embassy itself was much…much worse.

Dennis had held some hope that, while the street outside the Embassy was littered with corpses, maybe the Embassy itself would be fine. This hope vanished when they arrived at the Embassy gate, and he saw a severed head, impaled through the Embassy sign with a series of knives. The corpse hanging from the flagpole didn't make him feel better. Neither did the numerous corpse that littered the courtyard.

The courtyard was the sight of a massacre; corpses everywhere you looked, and enough blood to overflow Hoover Dam itself. Though Dennis was a ranger, and a skilled one at that, he was still quite young, having not even reached his 25th year yet, so seeing so much death chilled him to the bone. As they stepped through the Embassy gates, Jerry fell to his knees, before throwing up all over the ground. Dennis felt like joining him. _Dammit. _He thought to himself as he looked around. He remembered that all the securitrons on the strip had suddenly shut down weeks ago, without any explanation. It had been much harder to keep order without the bots, but nothing truly bad had happened…until now. He couldn't help but think that if all the securitrons were still online, they might've been able to stop this. As it stood however, the bots weren't going to be of any use. He and his squad were on their own.

"Sir…I think we may need more backup." Sasha, the most serious member of his group, said in what was most likely the biggest understatement of the century. Along with Jerry and Sasha, Dennis had six other rangers under his command. They were all skilled, but none of them were over thirty, so they were just as horrified as he was by the desolation around them. Regardless, Dennis kept a cool head, and turned to face his group.

"Jerry, stay here and call for backup. Forest, Sean and Grange, you follow Sasha. The rest of you, follow me." Though they were frightened, his squad was loyal, and they all nodded in confirmation. He nodded back, before drawing his hunting revolver and walking to the right, towards the NCR Military Police HQ. Sasha led three rangers into the Embassy building opposite the Police HQ, while the other four followed Dennis. Jerry meanwhile stayed on his knees among the corpses, vomiting uncontrollably.

Upon reaching the Police HQ, Dennis slowly opened the door, his four squadmates right behind him as he looked inside. Unsurprisingly, the room beyond was littered with corpses, but there didn't seem to be any sign of what had killed them. Dennis silently signalled to his squadmates using hand signs as he entered, and they understood immediately. One, a muscular, ebony skinned ranger named Rogers, shut the front door behind him, while the other two, women named Marston and Chambers, took point behind Dennis, watching his back and sides to make sure nobody snuck up on him.

Dennis had been to the Police HQ before, and so knew the basic layout. They were currently in the office, a large room that made up most of the building. The base wasn't large, and the only other two main areas were the equipment storage room, and the holding cells. As he tried to remember where these areas were, he saw a head poke out from behind one of the office desks. He pointed his revolver at said head immediately.

"No, please don't kill me!" A female voice frightfully begged as he took aim. Surprised by this, he lowered his revolver, and a young women in an NCR uniform crawled out from behind the desk. "Please…please don't…" She cried, tears pouring down her face uncontrollably as she looked at them, clearly terrified.

"We've got a survivor here!" Dennis called out to his squadmates, before walking over to the girl, and crouching down so that he was at eye level with her. "Are you okay?" He asked softly. She seemed reluctant to reply, clearly still terrified.

"Who…who are you?" She asked quietly, fear evident in her tear filled eyes.

"I'm Dennis Garfield with the NCR rangers. My squad and I are here to help." He replied with a friendly smile. Some of the fear disappeared from her eyes as he smiled, and she even managed a small smile of her own. "What's your name?"

"I'm…Christine."

"Can you tell me what happened here Christine?"

"I…I don't know. I just went out for a quick smoke break, and when I came back inside, everybody was…" Fresh tears started to pour down her face. "Oh God…the blood…so much blood…" She still seemed to be in a state of shock, and Dennis realised he wouldn't be getting any useful information out of her any time soon.

"Listen Christine, I'm going to leave one of my squad here to look after you. His name is Rogers, and he'll take good care of you. Is that okay?" Christine nodded slowly, and Dennis smiled reassuringly. He got to his feet, before walking over to Rogers. "She's in shock. Keep an eye on her while we scope out the rest of the building." Rogers nodded, before walking over to the girl. While he started to comfort her, Dennis gave some hand signals to Marston and Chambers. They nodded their understanding, and covered his back as he began to enter a room at the side. No sooner had his hand touched the door handle however, than he heard a sharp cry behind him.

He spun around the very second the cry reached his ears, revolver pointed out in front of him…just in time to see Christine plunge a knife into Rogers' throat. Rogers gurgled as blood poured out of him, before falling face first to the floor. Christine meanwhile, got to her feet…an evil grin on her face. As Marston and Chambers took aim with their rifles, Dennis noticed movement behind Christine, right at the back of the room. A woman emerged out of a room behind her, and the woman's appearance caused his heart to skip a beat. While there wasn't anything alarming about the recon armour she wore, her blood red hair sent off alarm bells in his head. _The Red Blade Witch. _He thought instantly, as she drew a katana from a scabbard attached to her hip. _Shit._

"Sir, there's nobody alive in the Embassy and…oh shit." Dennis turned to the sound of the voice, just in time to see Sasha, Forest, Sean and Grange enter the Police HQ. The look on Sasha's face as she saw The Red Blade Witch was one of abject terror. He imagined it looked just like his own.

"Sasha, it's The Red Blade Witch! Get out of here and call for backup!" He yelled at her, before looking back towards the Witch. The last thing he saw as he turned back to face her, was a knife flying right towards his face.

*Layla*

One of the rangers screamed as Layla's knife hit the male ranger right between the eyes. He dropped dead instantly, and Layla flashed her trademark sadistic smile as she looked at the rest of the rangers. Veronica (Or 'Christine' as she'd called herself) had killed one of the rangers, and Layla herself had just taken out another, leaving six more remaining. _This shouldn't take too long. _She thought confidently as she charged forwards with her new blade.

She quickly reached one of the female rangers who the male ranger had been leading. The woman was still frozen with shock over the death of her commander, and didn't react until Layla had plunged the katana into her neck. The female ranger died instantly, and the others finally reacted. The four rangers opened fire on Layla with their assorted firearms, but Layla reacted quickly, using the ranger corpse as a human shield to protect herself from their shots.

The other female ranger suddenly came to her senses, before rushing Layla with a combat knife. Before she could reach the red haired one however, Veronica climbed onto a nearby desk, before leaping towards her. The woman didn't get anywhere near Layla before Veronica delivered a flying kick to the back of her head, knocking her flying across the room. The four rangers by the door meanwhile stopped to reload, giving Layla the chance she needed. She threw the corpse away, before drawing That Gun with her free hand (The one not holding her katana) and opening fire. The four rangers spread out, each rolling behind a different nearby desk to dodge Layla's shots. This was exactly what she'd been hoping they'd do. Now that the rangers were separated, Layla rushed towards one of their desks, while Veronica dealt with the female ranger behind her.

As she ran towards the desk, a male ranger poked his head out. As he saw Layla, he fired off a panicked shot in her direction. She slid under his bullet, before coming to a stop next to the desk that he hid behind. She returned That Gun to its holster as she got to her feet, while the ranger vaulted over the desk, before swinging the butt of his rifle at her face. She ducked under the blow, before weaving to the side and swinging her blade at the ranger's neck. He rolled under her slash, ending up behind her, before pointing his rifle at the back of her head. Layla turned back to face him, and he sneered before moving his finger towards the trigger. As he prepared to fire, he didn't notice Veronica running up behind him. She delivered a running shoulder barge to the ranger's back, knocking him forwards. Layla saw her chance, and wasted no time in driving her katana right between his ribs. He spat out blood, and a choked cry escaped his lips. She copied the sneer he'd aimed at her earlier, before headbutting the already dying man to the floor.

"I don't know about you, but I'm having the time of my life." Layla said excitedly as she smiled over at Veronica. Veronica smiled back, before pushing Layla to the floor seconds before a bullet hit her. They landed in a heap on the floor, before quickly getting to their feet as the three remaining rangers stepped closer. The first was a fairly muscular man with a grenade launcher, the second had a wiry build and carried two combat knives, while the third was a serious looking woman with a revolver. Before they could do anything, the muscular ranger fired his grenade launcher. The two girls reacted instantly, running back and diving behind a nearby desk seconds before the grenade exploded.

While the muscular ranger prepared to fire again, Layla got to her feet and charged him. The knife wielding ranger rushed Layla, trying to intercept her, but Veronica promptly picked up a nearby office chair, before throwing it in his direction. The chair hit the ranger in the side of the head, knocking him right to the floor and allowing Layla to rush the grenade launcher ranger in peace. By the time the ranger was ready to fire, Layla was far too close, so he instead tried to strike her with his grenade launcher. He let loose a series of strikes with the large gun, but Layla swayed from side to side to dodge each blow. She tried to slice his chest with her katana, but he deflected the blow with his grenade launcher before taking a shot at her ribs. She hopped back to dodge the attack, before kicking the grenade launcher from his grasp. Before she could strike again, a bullet flew right by her face, and she looked to her left to see the female ranger taking aim with her revolver. Before the ranger could fire again, an office chair flew right past her head, thrown by Veronica. She took cover to avoid further thrown chairs, leaving Layla alone with the male ranger.

Said ranger firmly grabbed the hand that held Layla's katana, before using his other hand to grab her throat. He attempted to choke the life out of her, but Layla easily forced him to release his hold by kneeing him in the gut. He stumbled backwards, and she charged forwards, before leaping and dropkicking him in the face. The ranger's head snapped back, and he was knocked stumbling back over the desk. He landed face first on the floor, and didn't have a chance to even breathe before Layla jumped over the desk, landing feet first on his back. Wasting no time, she immediately plunged her katana downward, right through his skull.

Before she could take any satisfaction from this kill, the revolver ranger opened fire on her again. Layla rolled to the side to avoid being decorated with a bullet hole, while the knife wielding ranger got to his feet, rubbing the side of his head that had had a chair thrown into it not too long ago. Not giving the ranger time to recover, Layla rushed him with her blade, making sure to keep him between herself and the revolver ranger, so that she couldn't get a shot. She aimed a slash at the dazed ranger, thinking that this would be an easy kill. She was surprised when he leaned his head back, causing the blade to sail right over his head. The second Layla finished her strike, he firmly gripped both his knives, before leaning towards her and slashing quickly. Layla instinctively blocked the slashes with her blade, but remembered too late that she was using a katana, not her usual massive sword. Since the katana wasn't as large as her usual sword, the specific block she used was ineffective, and one of his slashes got through. His knife impacted with her shoulder, but fortunately it didn't penetrate her recon armour. She pushed her katana into the ranger side on, forcing him backwards, before trying to sweep kick him. He once again surprised her however before jumping over her kick, before trying to stab her in the face.

She sidestepped his attack, but he quickly adapted, firing off a kick to his side without looking. The kick hit Layla in the chest, surprising her and knocking her off balance. He tried to take advantage, when Veronica threw another chair at him. He was ready this time however, and rolled to the side to dodge the chair. While he got to his feet however, Veronica closed the gap. She ran close to him, before aiming a chop at the side of his head. He blocked the blow using the handle of one of his knives, before trying to kick Veronica back. She grabbed his leg mid kick, but he slashed with his knives, causing her to let go of his leg and jump backwards to dodge. He prepared to rush Veronica, when Layla aimed a slash at his throat. He brought both his knives together in an x shape at his throat to block the slash, before copying Layla's tactic by sweep kicking her to the floor. He prepared to stab downwards, but Veronica dashed forwards before kicking him again. He parried the strike with a kick of his own, causing their legs to strike each other. Looking up at their duel from the floor, Layla remembered when she and Veronica had done that exact thing during their training session earlier. Just like last time, Veronica's opponent's leg came out the worse for wear. He gritted his teeth as her blow injured his leg, letting his guard down for a split second. Layla took full advantage by drawing her combat knife with her free hand, and stabbing him in the thigh. He cried out in pain, and Veronica saw her chance. She quickly jabbed him in the throat, before bringing her knee up to meet his face. The knee strike knocked him backwards, while Layla rolled to where he was going to land, and pointed her blade upwards. Sure enough, he fell right on her sword, impaling himself. His death was almost instantaneous.

She quickly pulled her blade out of the ranger, before kicking his corpse off her. Veronica held out her hand to help Layla up, mirroring the scene from earlier that day. Layla smiled and took her friend's hand, but noticed the last ranger behind Veronica, taking aim with her revolver. Veronica was surprised when, instead of her pulling Layla up, Layla pulled her down. Less than a second later, a bullet flew over her head, right where she'd been standing a moment ago.

Veronica landed face first on top of Layla, and smiled briefly before getting to her feet. Layla did the same while the last ranger fired again. Layla dived to the side to avoid the shot, while Veronica rushed the ranger. She leapt in the air as she ran, before aiming a flying kick at the ranger's face. The ranger swayed to the side however, causing Veronica's attack to miss completely. She landed on the floor behind the ranger, and the ranger tried to pistol whip her in the back of the head. Layla put an end to that however by throwing her combat knife. The knife hit the ranger's revolver handle first, knocking the gun from her grasp. She looked angrily at Layla, failing to pay attention as Veronica got to her feet. She only noticed that Veronica was up as the former scribe aimed a roundhouse kick at her face. She blocked the blow with both hands, while Layla ran closer. Veronica aimed a barrage of quick jabs at the ranger's face, but the ranger blocked every blow, before grabbing Veronica by the wrist. No sooner had Layla reached them, than the ranger pushed Veronica towards her. Both girls were knocked to the floor, landing in a heap on top of each other for the third time that day.

While they started to get up, the ranger ran over to her revolver. Veronica tried another flying kick, but the ranger ducked under it, reaching down to grab her revolver in the process. Layla rushed with her katana again, only for the ranger to shoot her at close range. The shot was aimed at Layla's head, and would have hit it, had Veronica not kicked the woman's arm mid shot. The sudden blow knocked the woman's arm to the side, and changed the trajectory of the shot. Instead of hitting Layla in the face, the bullet hit her in the shoulder. Regardless, the shot knocked her right to the floor, causing her katana to fly from her grasp at the same time. Veronica looked at the downed Layla, concern evident on her face. Concern changed to fury as she looked at the ranger.

"You'll pay for that." She growled, while the ranger pointed the her revolver at her head.

"I doubt that." The female ranger replied. "You and your friend are finished."

"Oh, you're not going to kill me." The ranger looked dubious.

"Is that right?"

"Yes, it is. Do you know why you're not going to kill me?"

"Enlighten me." A cocky smirk appeared on Veronica's face as she replied.

"Because you've already fired six shots." The woman's eyes widened, and she looked down at her revolver in sudden realization. While she did, Veronica dashed towards her. The ranger hadn't had a chance to even start reloading when Veronica kicked her in the ribs. She stumbled backwards, but recovered quickly before trying to pistol whip Veronica. The former scribe ducked under the blow, before aiming a punch at the ranger's chest. The ranger sidestepped the blow however, before grabbing Veronica's forearm with her free hand. Her other hand put her revolver on her belt before grabbing the back of her head. Using both hands, she flung Veronica towards a nearby desk. Veronica hit the desk chest first, while the ranger drew her revolver and tried to pistol whip her again. Veronica pushed herself back off the desk however, falling under the ranger's blow and landing on her back on the floor. The very second she landed, she kicked upwards, hitting the ranger's hand and causing her to drop her revolver. Veronica then sprung to her feet, before firing off a roundhouse kick at the ranger's chest. The kick knocked her sprawling backwards, until her back hit the wall. While the ranger was momentarily stunned, Veronica walked over to Layla's lying form, before crouching down to talk to her.

"Can I borrow That Gun?" She asked casually. Layla nodded, and Veronica promptly took the gun from her thigh holster before getting to her feet and turning to face the ranger. The ranger had recovered by this time, and had an angry look on her face, which changed to one of dread as she saw That Gun. She looked like she was about to curse her luck, but Veronica put a bullet between her eyes before the words could leave her lips.

"Nice shot." Layla said with admiration as the corpse stumbled back, before slowly sliding down the wall, leaving a trail of blood behind it.

"Thanks." Veronica said with a warm smile as she returned That Gun to its holster on Layla's thigh. "Are you okay?" She asked, as she looked at the shoulder where the ranger shot her.

"I'm fine. The bullet didn't penetrate my armour." Layla replied reassuringly. "How about you? Are you okay?"

"A little hungry, but besides that I'm fine too." Veronica replied with a grin as she held out her hand to help Layla up for the third time that day. Once again, Layla took the offered hand, and Veronica pulled her to her feet.

"Well…that was fun wasn't it?" Layla asked as she looked around at the destruction they had wreaked.

"You know…there's other ways to spend the day." Veronica remarked, while sitting down on a nearby office chair. She put her feet up on a nearby desk, while Layla returned her katana to its scabbard, then went to retrieve her combat knife, which she had thrown earlier.

"Oh come on. You know you enjoy it." Layla replied with a smirk as she picked up her knife and put it on her belt. "Besides, the NCR deserve it."

"I guess." Veronica admitted half-heartedly, as she started to fiddle with a stray lock of hair.

"That was some great acting by the way." Layla said as she walked over to Veronica. "I really believed you were some hysterical NCR soldier who just watched me kill a bunch of people. I especially liked the parts where you managed to cry on cue. Very impressive."

"Thanks." Veronica brightened up at the compliment. "I was inspired by that female soldier who walked in here after her smoke break and started screaming. Remember? You sliced her head off?"

"Oh yeah." Layla grinned as she helped Veronica to her feet. "You know, you really have a gift."

"For acting?" They started to walk towards the exit, chatting idly as they did so.

"Well, that too. But mostly for beating the shit out of people." Layla's grin widened considerably. "You're a woman after my own heart."

"And you're just figuring this out now? After we've been together for months?"

"Well…we don't fight side by side often. I rarely get to see what you can do." Layla kicked open the doors to the police HQ as they continued to chat, and spotted another NCR ranger. This guy didn't seem to be a threat though…mostly since he couldn't seem to stop vomiting. Layla drew her katana with one hand before beheading the ranger, all without stopping their conversation. "Up till this point, I just thought that your only virtues were being smart, funny, cute and an awesome friend, but now I find out you're an ass kicking machine too." Veronica blushed slightly at the flattery…until she stepped in some of the ranger's vomit.

"Oh goddammit." She cursed angrily as she kicked the ranger's corpse.

"Want me to stab the corpse?" Layla asked, noticing Veronica's frustration.

"No…it's fine." Veronica answered as she looked down at her boots with a mortified expression on her face. "Great, now I've got blood **and** vomit on my boots." She complained.

"Don't worry; we'll get Campbell to clean them when we get back." Layla replied calmly as she returned her blade to its scabbard again.

"Wait…we can get Campbell to clean our stuff for us?" Veronica asked, clearly amazed.

"Well…why not?" Layla replied quizzically as she walked out of the Embassy's front gate. Veronica had been standing still staring at her boots the whole time, and quickly ran to keep up with Layla.

"My god…this is the greatest breakthrough in human history." Veronica announced, clearly filled with awe. "I'd always thought we could only use him to kill people and do simple missions for us, but you're saying we can make him do manual labour for us too? It…my god, it's brilliant. I'll never have to clean my boots again." She stared at Layla, a look of utter adoration on her face. "You, my friend, are a genius; an absolute genius." She knelt at Layla's feet, earning a look of surprise from the red haired one. "I am not worthy to behold your brilliance." She said in a worshipful tone, never taking her eyes off Layla as she did so.

"Finally, somebody realises my brilliance." Layla replied with faux arrogance. The two looked at each other for a time, their grins slowly widening, until they both burst into laughter. They laughed for almost a full minute, with Veronica falling onto her back and just lying there in the street, unable to stop herself from laughing. After their laughter eventually died down, she got to her feet, her grin so wide it threatened to consume her entire face.

"Seriously though, getting Campbell to clean for us is a stroke of genius." Veronica said as they continued to walk, leaving the city district that contained the Embassy and crossing into the second district. "That is…assuming he's good at cleaning of course."

"Oh, I'm sure he is." Layla replied confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" Veronica asked, raising her eyebrow at Layla's confidence.

"Veronica, have you seen the shit he can do? At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if I learnt he could fly." Layla explained. Before Veronica could reply, they heard rotor blades overhead. They both looked up, and saw a vertibird flying high above. Before they could wonder who it belonged to, it flew downward, before landing on the helipad on the roof of The Tops. _Campbell. _Layla thought instantly. "You know…I was wrong." She said slowly. "As it turns out…I **am **surprised to learn he can fly."

*A few minutes later*

By the time Layla and Veronica had arrived back at The Tops, Campbell had landed the Vertibird and had made himself comfortable in the suite. They found him sitting on the sofa with his feet up when they entered the Strip.

"Hi, where've you guys been?" He asked casually as they entered.

"Killed everyone in the NCR Embassy and the Military Police HQ." Layla replied equally as casually as she walked over to the bar area.

"Kudos." Campbell replied, while Veronica plonked herself down on the empty sofa across from him.

"I have a question." Veronica asked, suddenly changing the subject. She took off her filthy boots and threw them over to the door before asking her question. "Where the hell did you get a vertibird?"

"Oh…you saw that huh?" Campbell asked with a nervous smile.

"How could we not?" Layla asked as she grabbed herself a bottle of whiskey and walked over to the sofas. "You flew right over our heads, then landed on the roof of The Tops."

"If we'd been training on the roof like normal, you would've landed right next to us." Veronica added. "You had absolutely no chance of keeping this a secret." Layla sat down on the sofa next to Veronica, before taking a big swig of whiskey. Veronica wasted no time in making herself comfortable, lying down so that her feet were on the sofa's arm, while her head was resting on Layla's lap.

"Comfy?" Layla asked with a smirk as Veronica adjusted herself.

"Hell yeah." She replied without hesitation. "You have a really soft lap." Layla smiled, while Campbell coughed loudly to get their attention. "Why are you coughing?" Veronica asked.

"…You asked me about the vertibird?" He reminded her. A little 'Oh' escaped her mouth, and she motioned for Campbell to continue. "I found it a few years ago, crashed in a crater near an old nuclear test site. I wanted to fix it, but didn't have the parts back then, so I left it be. I knew it would be safe…nobody was going to carry away a crashed vertibird; especially not when it was near a nuclear test site filled to the brim with feral ghouls. Anyway, other the next few months, I kept coming back to it, each time bringing new parts and each time fixing another part of it. I returned there once a month for almost a year, but eventually I fixed it. I still didn't know how to operate it though, so I left again, then came back with an instruction manual that I'd found in an old military bunker. After a few hours of flying, I quickly got the hang of it, but I still needed a place to store the thing. I found a cave on the very outskirts of the Mojave, and hid the vertibird there. Since it attracts so much attention, I don't really use it on anything but the most difficult assignments. I also use it either if I need to transport something that's annoyingly heavy, or if something has to be taken a long distance."

"So…why did you take it out of storage?" Layla asked as she idly ran her hand through Veronica's short hair.

"Well…I had to transport something that was annoyingly heavy, and I had to transport it a long distance." Layla and Veronica both looked confused, so he continued. "I was tracking down a scientist who works for the Followers of the Apocalypse, because I heard he knows about the Remnants' bunker. I hunted him for almost a week, then found him last night in an abandoned shack in the arse end of nowhere. I tranquilized him, threw him in the vertibird, then flew back here. I'm guessing you'll want to have words with him?" Layla nodded. Veronica wasn't as eager.

"No thanks. I'm perfectly comfy here." She said as she rubbed her head on Layla's lap, smiling contently.

"You know…I don't usually let people nuzzle my crotch unless I plan to sleep with them later." Layla said jokingly. Veronica was quick to reply.

"Great! Go get the whipped cream, I'll be waiting in your bed." She quipped. Layla smirked, before turning to Campbell and asking him a question.

"So where's this scientist?" A brief look of disappointment appeared on Veronica's face, but it was gone before anyone could notice.

"In the meeting room/torture chamber." He replied, before getting to his feet. Layla got to her feet too, causing Veronica to whine in disappointment.

"Hey, you're the one who was so eager to find the bunker in the first place." Layla reminded her.

"Fine." Veronica huffed, before getting to her feet. She followed Layla and Campbell as they walked to the meeting room/torture chamber, all the while sporting a grumpy expression on her face. A short while later Campbell opened the meeting room doors. Layla got sense of deja vu as she walked into the room, and saw that it was empty, apart from a lone figure tied to a chair in the middle of the room…just like with Boyd. The sight caused memories of the torture session to flood into Layla's mind…and a victorious smile appeared on her face.

"What did you do with Boyd's corpse?" Layla asked as Veronica followed her into the room.

"Dumped it outside the city." Campbell replied with a shrug. "It's probably been eaten by now."

"And what happened to all the blood? When I was done, there was blood EVERYWHERE."

"I cleaned it off." Campbell answered simply. Layla smiled widely on hearing that.

"I knew it!" She announced, before turning to Veronica. "I told you he'd be good at cleaning." Veronica smirked slightly in response.

"Yeah…but can he cook?"

"Yes." He interjected. "Quite well actually. I worked as a chef for a while." Veronica shook her head in disbelief while Layla grinned.

"Okay…seriously…how the hell are you still single?" She wondered out loud, a look of amazement on her face.

"Oh, but I'm not." Layla tilted her head to the side, clearly confused. "Didn't you know? I'm married to my coin." Layla and Veronica both rolled their eyes in response…almost simultaneously. "Anyway, I assume you'll want to interrogate this guy." Campbell said seriously, changing the subject as he motioned at the bound figure in the middle of the room. She still couldn't see him properly, so she flicked on her Pip Boy light. The light revealed that the scientist was a male, he was quite tall, and he had a bag on his head. Layla couldn't help thinking that his appearance looked quite…familiar (Apart from the bag). _Where have I seen that body shape before? _She mentally wondered.

"Sounds like fun." She confirmed enthusiastically, pushing her confusion from her mind. "Go get the torture equipment and we'll crack this egg."

"Wait…" Veronica said suddenly. "...Why the hell does he have a bag on his head?" She asked, looking completely bamboozled.

"Yeah…I was wondering that too." Layla asked, looking equally confused.

"Well…you know…it's so that he didn't know where I was taking him and…to build atmosphere." They eyed him quizzically. "The world is much scarier if you can't see it. I thought if he couldn't see who was interrogating him, he'd feel more intimidated. I thought it would…you know…get him to crack easier." As Campbell tried to justify putting a bag on the man's head, they heard muffled breathing beneath the bag, and the bound man began to move. "Oh look, he's awake."

"Take the bag off." Layla ordered. Campbell immediately obeyed, removing the bag from the man's head and revealing his face…his **familiar** face. "Wait a minute…" Layla said slowly as she searched through her memories. "…I've met this guy before." Where had they met? _Of course! How could I be so stupid? _"Is his name…Arcade Gannon?" She asked Campbell, earning a look of surprise in return.

"Yeah." He replied. "How the hell did you know that?"

"Because he and I have worked together before."

"Not one of my favourite memories." Arcade interjected, causing everybody to look at him.

"Wait…when did you work with this guy?" Veronica asked. "I've never seen him before."

"Remember when we needed to find somebody to treat Caesar's brain tumour?" Veronica nodded. "Arcade's the guy I got. To cut a long story short: he said no, I hit him a few times then took him to the fort, he tried to kill Caesar, I threatened to cut his ear off, then I decided to let him kill Caesar." Arcade sighed in annoyance as she finished her story.

"Why…why did it have to be her?" He muttered to himself, while Veronica looked at him in wonderment.

"Wait a minute…you killed Caesar?" She asked. Arcade nodded. "Wow…you did a favour to all womankind. I should buy you a drink or something."

"Given my past experience with Caesar, I should buy you a drink too." Campbell added, leaning against the wall as he did so.

"As interesting as this conversation is…could I **not **be tied to a chair please?" Arcade asked.

"Oh! Right…sorry." Layla said sheepishly, before turning to Campbell. "Untie Arcade and take him to the living room." Campbell nodded, and moved to untie Arcade. While Campbell worked at untying him, Layla turned to Arcade. "So…do you want a drink or something?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"No thanks." As he answered, Campbell finished untying his hands. He rubbed his wrists briefly, before taking Veronica's hand as she offered it. As she pulled him to his feet, she gave him a piece of advice.

"Trust me…you're going to want a drink."

*A few minutes later*

"Comfortable?" Layla asked as she sat down on one of the sofas in the living room. Arcade sat on the sofa opposite her, a bottle of generic beer sitting untouched on the table in front of him.

"Can't be any less comfortable than when I was tied to a chair with a bag on my head." Arcade replied with his eyes narrowed.

"Yeah…sorry about that. I had no idea that the scientist we were looking for was you."

"Yeah well, that's just my luck I suppose." Arcade had an annoyed look on his face, for obvious reasons. Not only had he been hunted down for a week, shot with a tranquiliser dart, and tied to a chair with a bag on his head, but he had been hunted down for a week, shot with a tranquiliser dart and tied to a chair with a bag on his head by **Layla**, a woman he'd probably been hoping to never see again after their last meeting.

"I know our last little adventure wasn't exactly pleasant."

"No Layla, it was wonderful. I love being kidnapped, brutally beaten, and threatened by a psychopathic lunatic and her Legion friends. It's just a shame we can't do it more often." His sarcasm was getting more biting by the second.

"Would it kill you to be a little more polite?" Veronica asked crossly as she sat down on the sofa next to Layla. "We're all friends here." Arcade laughed bitterly at that.

"Friends? That's stretching it a bit." Campbell leant against the wall behind the sofa that Arcade sat at, while Layla came up with a reply.

"Alright, I know I was a little…"

"Insane." Arcade cut Layla off midsentence, earning a sigh from her and a glare from Veronica.

"…insane, when we last met, but I apologised for that. I thought we parted on good terms."

"Because what you put me through was so forgivable."

"Arcade, please. I'm trying to be reasonable here." Arcade laughed harshly at that.

"You? Reasonable? The same woman that threatened to cut my ear off, then threatened to cut my eye out after I pointed out the obvious lunacy behind her obsessive revenge scheme? Wow. Next thing you know, a cazador will stop by to invite me to dinner."

"You're not exactly being reasonable yourself." Veronica pointed out, clearly taking offence to Arcade's sarcasm.

"Well, since Layla's leading by example, I thought I'd follow. You know, when in Rome."

"Enough." Layla said in a frustrated tone. "I didn't get Campbell to bring you here so that you could spend the whole evening sarcastically insulting me."

"Then why did you bring me here?" Arcade asked, his voice softening slightly.

"We need your help."

"No." Arcade's response was swift, and his voice quickly hardened again. "I told you, I'm not helping the Legion."

"This has nothing to do with the Legion."

"Since you're trying very hard to have that group of lunatics take Hoover Dam and enslave everybody in the Mojave, you'll understand if I'm a tad sceptical."

"This is a favour for me, not the Legion."

"And what makes you think I want to do you a favour? I don't know if you're getting my point here, so I'm just going to come out and say it: I…DON'T…LIKE…YOU."

"Speak carefully." Veronica said threateningly.

"I'll speak however I damn well please." He snapped. "Layla, you are a lunatic; a dangerous, unstable lunatic. Twice now you've waltzed into my life, and both times you've sent everything to Hell. Last time, you nearly got me murdered by the Legion. This time, you forced me to leave my home and caused me to become a fugitive."

"What are you…"

"I heard that Campbell was looking for me ON THE STREET. If I heard it, then you can bet that the NCR heard it too. Do you have ANY IDEA what they do to members of the Enclave? They're probably looking for me even as we speak. You have singlehandedly destroyed my life. Maybe now you understand why I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!"

"That's enough." Campbell growled as he pressed one of his 10mm pistols into the back of Arcade's head. "Apologise."

"For what? For stating the truth?"

"Stop. Both of you." Layla said forcefully. Campbell promptly obeyed, returning his 10mm to the inside of his jacket.

"Arcade, I'm sorry that I haven't exactly had the most positive effect on your life, but I need your help. I'm trying to ask nicely here."

"You can ask as nicely as you want, but the answer will be the same. I'm not helping the Legion."

"IT HAS NOTHING TO WITH THE GODDAMN LEGION!" Layla yelled, slamming her hand down onto the table in front of her as she did so and making Arcade jump out of his skin. "Look…would you at least let me tell you what I need? If you don't like it, then we'll let you leave." There was a pause, as Arcade considered her proposal. When he answered, he sounded a lot more level headed.

"Alright, fine. Tell me what you want." Layla smiled, but before she could speak, their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who the hell could that be?"

"I'll get it." Campbell said, before turning round and walking towards the door. No sooner had he put his hand on the door knob than the door swung open, and Swank burst in.

"Ring –a-ding-ding." He said loudly as he walked in, as though he was announcing his arrival.

"Swank?" Layla asked unnecessarily, a surprised look on her face. "How the fuck did you get in here?"

"I've got keys to all the rooms baby." He said casually, before walking around to the front of the sofa that Arcade sat on and sitting down next to the scientist. Arcade inched himself as far away from Swank as he could. "Listen doll, you and I need to talk." His voice took on a serious tone as he said that last sentence.

"Swank, if you and I are going to 'talk', then you need to speak like a regular human being. I don't know what the hell the deal is with that weird slang you and the Chairmen use all the time, but it annoys the fuck out of me. Keep it up, and I may have to castrate you." Swank found this hilarious for some reason, and burst out laughing.

"Fair enough." He replied, in a perfectly normal voice. "Between you and me, I fine the slang annoying too. The tourists love it though, and you know what they say: the customer is always right."

"Whatever. Campbell, take Arcade to the tort…meeting room." Campbell nodded, before motioning at Arcade that it was time to leave. Arcade reluctantly got up, and allowed Campbell to lead him back to the meeting room. As soon as they had gone, Layla turned back to Swank, a stern look on her face. "Talk, Swank. Quickly." Layla would've simply kicked the annoying prick out of the suite and told him to come back later, but since they were lodging in **his **casino, she decided it couldn't hurt to be civil. That didn't mean she was going to be **nice**, but it did mean she would listen to whatever bullshit he wanted to say. Within reason, of course.

"I'm here to discuss the small matter of your payment."

"Payment?"

"You know, the payment for this fabulous suite?"

"Oh, right. Talk to Campbell about that. He'll pay you." Swank smirked at that.

"No, no that' not what we agreed on. We had a deal." Layla was confused.

"What deal?"

"Well, you were unconscious at the time, so you weren't a part of the deal. I worked it out with Campbell and your girlfriend instead." Veronica looked like she was about to hit him in the face, but Layla held her back.

"What deal?" She repeated.

"Well, once I found out who you were, I objected to having you stay here. Campbell was most determined though, and he made a very interesting deal with me. You do something for me once you're fully healed and back on your feet, and I give you access to the suite for as long as you need it."

"Oh shit." Veronica said as she realised what Swank was talking about, and brought her palm up to her face in what seemed to be annoyance. "Layla, I just want you to know, that despite what this idiot says, I had no part in Campbell's deal." Layla wasn't listening; she was still demanding to know what Campbell's deal was.

"Get to the damn point! WHAT…DO…I…HAVE…TO…DO?" Layla had an impatient look on her face. She had a feeling that whatever the deal was, it would piss her off greatly. Swank meanwhile changed his smirk to an annoyingly wide grin, which only got wider as he spoke.

"Me." He replied quickly and simply. Layla had not been expecting that. While she tried to process his answer, Swank grabbed the bottle of beer on the table that Arcade hadn't touched, before removing the lid and taking a long swig.

"What?" Layla asked eventually, her shock evident on her face.

"It was a simple deal really. I let you stay here until you recover, then in return…I get a night with you. I was against it at first, but Campbell managed to…talk me into it." As he said the last four words, he cast his eyes over Layla's body. Layla looked repulsed, while Veronica looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel.

"Keep your eyes on her face or I'll cut them out and force feed them to you." The words left Veronica's mouth filled with venom, and she got to her feet threateningly as she spoke them. Swank didn't flinch.

"I didn't mean to offend." He assured them charismatically. "I just came here to get what I'm owed. I fulfilled my end of the bargain…now it's your turn." Veronica was literally seething with rage at this point, and she looked like she was about to kick Swank's teeth in. Layla held her back however, before responding.

"I need to discuss this with my entourage. Would you please step outside for a moment?" Layla's request was exceedingly polite, and seemed to knock Veronica for six. Swank's expression hardened slightly, as he put the beer bottle back on the table and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm a very busy man Layla. I don't have time to…" Before he could finish his sentence, Layla slammed her foot down on the beer bottle that lay on the table. Her blow smashed the bottle easily, leaving behind nothing but glass shards and a puddle of beer.

"Make time." The look in Layla's eyes could scare the dead back to life, and Swank seemed to take the hint.

"Well…alright then." He said calmly as he got to his feet. "I'll give you ten minutes, then I'm coming back in." With that, Swank cheerily walked out of the suite, shutting the door behind him. As he left, Veronica stared at Layla, clearly astonished.

"Wow…Layla I've got to admit, you're taking this a lot better than I expected." She said with a smile. Layla didn't return it.

"Believe me…I'm not." She snarled, as she walked over to the bar area and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. "Please bring Campbell in here. I'd like a word with him." Veronica obeyed at once, leaving the room as fast as she could, while Layla drank from the whiskey bottle, and barely managed to contain the sheer rage that was bubbling up inside her. _Save that for Campbell. _Her mind told her, and she was more than happy to obey.

_**RIP Campbell**_

_**2246 - 2281  
><strong>_

_**Goodbye Campbell, we hardly knew ye. Well...okay I admit, he's not actually dying. Layla will most definitely not be pleased though, and Campbell will be lucky if he gets out of that meeting without being castrated. Will Layla go through with the deal? Will Swank be...serviced? You'll find out soon enough.  
><strong>_

_**Also, Arcade's back (Arcade fangirls/boys scream). Yeah...I have no idea how to write Arcade. He's incredibly difficult to do dialogue for, and I barely know his character. If he seems out of character, let me know. I'm hoping the new chapter will come sooner than normal, but I'm not setting any deadlines, since when I set deadlines I usually fail to meet them, which dissapoints people. So...yeah...please review as normal. :)  
><strong>_

_**By the way...is it weird to get writer's block when writing author notes? It took me all day to think of these.  
><strong>_


	47. Obligations

**_Yes! Beat my deadline! God, my awesomeness is effing palpable! Go on, touch my awsomeness, you know you want to. Ahem, sorry. I sent messages to some people saying this chapter would be done tomorrow, but I finished it today, meaning I beat my deadline, meaning I am awesome. Sorry. Sorry.  
><em>**

**_So, Layla has found out about her 'obligation' to Swank, and she is not pleased. Will Campbell survive the chapter? Will Swank survive the chapter? Just how many bloodstained carpets is The Tops going to have by the end of the chapter? I'll only answer the third one: A LOT. Mammoth chapter ahoy!  
><em>**

Obligations

"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?" Layla screamed as she threw Campbell into the wall. The two of them were alone in the living room, as Layla had asked Veronica to wait in the meeting room/torture chamber. She didn't want her friend to see this.

"Ow." Campbell groaned as he hit the wall with great force, before falling face first to the floor. "Layla…" He started to get to his feet, while she stomped towards him, utter rage in her eyes. "Layla…" He repeated, but she didn't listen. "Layla…let's talk about this. Come on…you don't need to…" Campbell didn't get a chance to properly turn on the charm before Layla's hand closed around his throat.

"Talk? You want to…TALK? YOU WHORED ME OUT TO SWANK!"

"That's what I want to talk about. You see…" Campbell started, but Layla shut him up by punching him in the face, and throwing him to the floor behind her. He landed face first on the floor for the second time in less than a minute, before slowly getting to his feet. "Okay…I deserved that." He said charismatically…seconds before Layla punched him in the stomach. He stumbled back slowly, holding his gut, while Layla walked after him. "And that." He said, before she punched him in the face again. "And that." She punched him again, this time with her other hand. "And that." She launched a straight kick into his gut, knocking him to the floor. He gritted his teeth as he landed by the bar area, hitting his head on the bar in the process. "That…may have been a bit much."

"I'm going to keep hitting you until you can't stand anymore." Layla growled.

"And…what will that accomplish?" Campbell asked, while grabbing the bar and using it to pull himself to his feet.

"It'll make me feel good…and it'll teach you not to USE ME AS A FUCKING WHORE!"

"Okay…seriously…can we just…" Layla cut him off by attempting to kick him again. By this time, he had managed to get to his knees, and he rolled to the side seconds before her attack hit. He climbed to his feet to Layla's right, while she turned to him and glared holes into his skull. "Please, give me a chance to explain." Campbell was still trying to sound charismatic, but the fear coloured his words made that difficult.

"You can explain all you want once I'm done." Layla's mouth twisted into a snarl as she stepped closer. "Though that'll be difficult…since I'm going to smash all your teeth out."

"Layla…come on…" Campbell continued his attempts to reason with her as she stepped closer, though they didn't seem to be going very well. "Don't do this…" Obviously fed up of hearing his words, Layla lunged towards Campbell, arms outstretched so that she could grab him by the throat. Campbell darted to the side to avoid being grabbed, but one of Layla's hands managed to wrap itself around his trenchcoat seconds before he could dodge it. "Shit." Was all he had time to say before she firmly grabbed his coat and used it to pull him towards her. He wriggled out of the coat seconds before he reached her, and backed away as she held the empty garment. She cried out in frustration, and threw the coat away before charging him again.

He considered drawing a gun, but there were two problems with that. 1) Most of his guns were in his trenchcoat, which was currently on the other side of the room. 2) Layla was still his friend, and he had no desire to hurt her. Unfortunately, she didn't share the same compunction. She lunged at him again, and this time grabbed him before he could even move. He struggled in her grasp, but she was much stronger than him, and she spun him around before slamming him against the bar. His back hit the bar painfully, and he was stuck face to face with her. As she pushed him against the bar, she grabbed a nearby bottle of whiskey. At first he thought she was going to stop for a quick drink break…then she smashed the bottle against the bar. He'd never seen her harm a whiskey bottle before; this was serious. After hitting the bar, the bottle was now little more than a jagged blade of glass. Layla's snarl transformed into her trademark sadistic grin as she forced the bottle down towards Campbell's face. She saw the scar that she'd given him in their earlier battle, and laughed harshly.

"I hope you're ready…because I'm going to give you another scar…" She said in a familiar tone, as she ran the side of the glass shard along the scar she'd given him. The tone she used was the one she'd used to threaten him in their previous battles. This did not bode well.

"But you can't!" He said desperately. "People value me for my good looks! Without them, I'm nothing!" Layla snickered, before shaking her head and gritting her teeth at him.

"Stop it!" She snapped. "This isn't a fucking joke!"

"I'm being completely serious." Campbell quipped. "I need this face to make a living. What, you think people hire me for my skills or my reputation? No, they hire me because I have the facial features of a god. That's the only reason Veronica let me help you two in Camp McCarran in the first place."

"That is 100% not true." Veronica interjected from the corridor leading out of the living room. She didn't seem surprised at all to see Layla about to cut Campbell's face with a glass shard.

"Oh come on, you don't need to deny it anymore." Campbell called over to Veronica, continuing his joking façade. "We all know I'm gorgeous." Layla was trying extremely hard not to laugh by this point.

"Lesbian." Veronica said matter-of-factly while pointing to herself, causing Campbell to shut up.

"Shut…shut the hell up!" Layla shouted right in his face, still trying to keep her laughter in check. "Stop trying to make me laugh you idiot!"

"If you're going to cut him Layla, please, **please **do us all a favour and cut out his tongue." Veronica begged.

"Veronica, go watch Arcade." Layla said forcefully, turning to Veronica as she did so. Veronica looked like she was about to object, but instead huffed and went back to the meeting room. As soon as she was gone, Layla turned back to Campbell. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you." She said coldly.

"I'm extremely handsome?" Campbell quipped again. This time, Layla was not amused. _Damn. So much for making her laugh so much that she no longer feels like injuring/killing me. _He thought to himself.

"Give me a **better **reason."

"**You're** extremely handsome?" She looked like she was seconds away from ripping his throat out, so he sighed before saying something serious for a change. "Layla…we're friends, okay? Think of what we've been through. I care about you, and I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Layla still had a murderous look in her eyes, causing Campbell to mentally curse his luck.

"He's telling the truth you know." Veronica said suddenly, standing in the corridor once more. "I know he's an idiot, and I honestly can't blame you for wanting to stab him…but his idiocy is all good natured. I felt just as angry as you when he offered you to Swank, and like you I punched him square in the jaw. Sure it was a monumentally stupid thing to do, but it came from a good place." Veronica walked into the room as she spoke, before approaching Layla. "I'll be the first to say that Campbell's an annoying arsehole, and I wish more than anybody that he had a mute button, or actually thought more than three seconds before doing something…but he cares about us. He cares about you. He really…really does." Veronica moved up behind Layla, speaking right into the red haired one's ear as she reached out for her wrist. "Think about it…would he really have stayed with us for this long…would he really have done everything he's done for us…if he didn't care? He could've drawn his ripper on you at any time, and since you're unarmed it wouldn't have been much of a fight." Layla looked down at Campbell's belt as Veronica mentioned the ripper, and sure enough, it was hanging from the merc's belt. "He could've used it…but he didn't. The point is…I know that he does some monumentally stupid things sometimes…but he's our friend. He made a mistake…he makes lots of mistakes…but please…don't kill him." As Veronica said the last three words, her hand wrapped around the glass shard in Layla's hand. Layla sighed, then let go of the shard, allowing Veronica to move it away from her. As Veronica moved back, slipping the shard into her robes as she did so, Layla let go of Campbell and backed away.

"Thank you, Veronica." Campbell said seriously and gratefully as he started to move away from Layla.

"Don't kill him…but feel free to hit him." Veronica finished, and a lock of shock appeared on Campbell's face. He didn't even have time to curse Veronica before Layla punched him in the gut…hard.

"Thank you…Veronica." He spluttered, holding his gut as he fell to his knees, clearly filled with pain. Veronica merely grinned.

"Campbell…I'm sorry." Layla said sincerely, looking down on Campbell as he writhed in pain on the floor.

"For…trying to kill me…or for punching me?" He barely managed to choke out, as pain overcame him.

"For trying to kill you." Layla elaborated. "The punch, you deserved."

"Apology…accepted." Campbell groaned, before falling back and lying spread eagled on the floor.

"You okay?" She asked, raising an eyebrow in what may have been concern.

"I'll…be fine. Just got to wait for my bodily contents to realign themselves properly. I think you knocked my stomach into my spinal cord." He wheezed.

"Come on." She said with a smile as she held out a hand to help him up. He recoiled from it slightly, earning a surprised look from her.

"No offence meant." He said sheepishly as he saw her expression. "I…appreciate the sentiment…but I'm a little scared of you at the moment, so I'll get up myself." Layla stuck her tongue out at him, before walking away as he slowly got to his feet.

"Now the question remains…what do we do about Swank?" She asked her friends, while leaning against the wall close to the door. There was a silence as they all thought of a course of action, during which Campbell managed to get up and sit himself at a stool next to the bar. After taking a vial of Med X from the first aid kit behind the bar, and injecting himself with it, he returned to the conversation.

"I have an idea, but before I state it…can Swank hear us outside?"

"You soundproofed it, so I'm guessing not." Veronica answered, before plopping herself down on the sofa furthest from the door.

"In that case, I suggest that you, Layla, agree to Swank's terms, go to his room, and kill him either during or after coitus, much like you did with Benny." Campbell suggested.

"I think everybody will know that it was me who killed him Campbell." Layla replied. "It's one thing to kill Benny, but I think the Chairmen will shoot me on sight if I kill Swank too. Plus, even if we manage to kill all the Chairmen, escape The Tops, or get by without anyone knowing I killed him, how long do you think it'll be before the NCR learn about the murder and come knocking?" Campbell nodded his understanding, while Layla turned to Veronica, clearly hoping she'd have an idea.

"I've got nothing." Veronica said, obviously disappointing Layla. "Although whatever we do, I don't think you should sleep with the sleazy prick."

"I **really **hope he can't hear us." Campbell said to himself, while Layla and Veronica tried to think of a solution. Nothing immediately came to mind, but after a brief pause, Veronica came up with something.

"Why don't we just leave?" She asked. Campbell was quick to shoot down her suggestion.

"And go where? There's nowhere else on the Strip we can hide, and if we want to leave Vegas then it'll be quite difficult to get past the NCR checkpoint in Freeside with all of our belongings without being detected."

"Can't we just fly out of the city on your vertibird?"

"Well yes, but my bird isn't exactly discreet. We'd never be able to leave Vegas without the entire strip knowing about it. And plus, even if we did leave, even if we did manage to escape New Vegas without anybody catching us, Swank would still know, and you can bet your ass he'd tell the NCR."

"Shit." Veronica cursed, while Campbell leant back against the bar on his barstool. "There's got to be something we can do!"

"Guys…forget it." Layla said suddenly. "It's fine. I'll do it…I'll sleep with Swank." Campbell looked mildly surprised, while Veronica's eyes damn near popped out of her head.

"Layla…did Campbell's terrible jokes give you mental damage or something?" Veronica asked, clearly not believing what she was hearing. "Swank is a sleazy, perverted, piece of filth. He's not the kind of guy you have sex with; he's the kind of guy whose testicles you attack with a power drill so that he'll never be able to breed and create others like him! You can't have sex with him; there's got to be another way!"

"There isn't, and we all know it." Layla said sadly. It was obvious the idea repulsed Veronica, but Layla sounded serious. She was going to do this…Campbell could tell. "I don't like him any more than you do Veronica, but we need to stay here. If the price for that is me screwing that scumbag, then so be it."

"But…" Veronica tried to plead with her, but Layla wouldn't hear it.

"Don't worry…I fully intend to bite and scratch a lot. He'll look like a ghoul when I'm done with him." A small smile appeared on Veronica's face on hearing that, and Layla smiled back briefly before turning to Campbell. "Do you have any objections?" She asked him. He was quick to reply.

"Nope. All I ask is that you make him wear a condom and don't do anything you're not comfortable with." He said supportively.

"The condom thing I can do, but if I can't do anything I'm not comfortable with…then I can't do Swank at all." Veronica laughed slightly at that.

"Then…just be careful." He said, with a concerned look on his face.

"I will." She assured him. "So it's settled, I'll sleep with Swank." They both nodded. As if on cue, Swank chose that moment to walk in through the door.

"Time's up ladies." He announced as he strode in. "Your ten minutes are up." Once he had entered, he kicked the door shut behind him, before turning to Layla, who leant against the wall next to the door. "So what's it going to be, baby?" He asked her. She looked like she was regretting her decision already.

"I'll do it." Layla replied, and a huge grin spread across Swank's voice.

"Excellent!" He said loudly, obviously excited. "Well let's not waste any more time then baby. Follow me, and we'll head up to my private suite." He said seductively, offering his arm to Layla as he did so. She ignored him, instead opening the door and walking out.

"Let's just go. I have plans tonight." She called after him.

"Feisty." Swank muttered with a sly grin, before following Layla out of the suite, shutting the door behind him as he did so. Veronica's response was almost immediate.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She said nauseously.

*Layla - A few minutes later*

"Welcome to Casa de Swank." The Chairmen's leader said with a wide grin as he opened the door to his private suite. He offered his hand to Layla, but she batted it away, before walking past him and entering the suite. Her arms were crossed, and she had a no nonsense look on her face. "You know baby…playing hard to get just makes me want you more." Layla responded by drawing her combat knife from her belt. Swank looked alarmed for a moment, especially as she spun around to face him, before throwing the knife in his direction. He shuddered as the knife flew towards him, but released his breath as it flew past his head, before imbedding itself in the wall behind him. As soon as he realised she hadn't been trying to kill him, he expertly took on his normal cocky veneer, but raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"I'm guessing you'll want me to turn in my weapons at the door." Layla explained, drawing That Gun and dropping it to the floor as she did so. "Especially after the…fun…I had with your pal Benny." Predictably, Swank replied to Layla's veiled threat with perfect casualness.

"You've got a point there doll. Don't want you ruining this special night, do we?" Layla scoffed at that.

"Believe me Swank, if I wanted to ruin this night…I wouldn't need weapons to do it." She cracked her knuckles as she said that, emphasising her point, before turning away from Swank. "Which way's the bedroom?"

"Down the hall to the right." He replied, seemingly not shaken at all by her latest threat. "But don't you want to relax first? You know…have a few drinks and…loosen up?"

"I'm as loose as you're going to get me." Layla bit back, before walking in the direction he'd stated. "I'll be waiting in your room."

"Sure you don't want a drink baby? I've got anything you could ever want."

"I highly doubt you've got anything I want."

"I have whiskey." Layla nearly tripped as he said that. _Dammit. How did he know? _She mentally wondered, stopping for a second as she did so.

"Fine. Bring the bottle in." She said after a brief pause, before continuing to walk to Swank's bedroom.

"Ring-a-ding-ding." She heard Swank mutter as she walked down the hall, before turning to the right as he'd stated, and opening his bedroom door. It was large, luxurious, and had a huge double bed…but that wasn't exactly surprising. Layla knew Swank's type, and knew that the bedroom was probably supposed to impress whatever floozy Swank brought up here, so that she'd be so busy looking at the room that she didn't notice him taking his clothes off. He was smooth, there was no doubt about that, and the idiot girls he usually hooked up with probably found themselves entranced by him. Fortunately, Layla was no thick headed bimbo. Still…even she had to admit that the room was impressive.

There was a coat rack directly to her right, and the room's wall paper was apple red (Not that Layla had ever even seen an apple), while the carpet was the colour of milk chocolate (Not that she'd seen chocolate either). A polar bear rug covered the floor in front of her (She spent a straight ten seconds wondering where he could possibly have gotten that from), and to her right was a large glass window, with an excellent view of the lights of Vegas. The room didn't even have lights, but Vegas' glaring neon gave the room all the illumination it needed. To her left was the aforementioned luxurious bed, which Layla realised she'd be lying naked in at some point, maybe even sleeping. Though she shuddered at the thought of lying naked next to Swank, she reluctantly conceded that the bed did look ridiculously comfortable. If Swank hadn't been included in the equation, she may have even looked forward to lying in that bed. On the far wall right in front of her was an open door which led into the ensuite bathroom, and to the right of that was a large mahogany wardrobe.

Finding curiosity overwhelm her, Layla walked over to the wardrobe. _Let's see what sleazy womanisers put in their wardrobes. _Layla thought to herself as she opened the wardrobe doors…to see several identical copies of the same white suit Swank always wore. She almost burst out laughing. She was about to close the wardrobe, when she realised that a piece of the wall at the back was loose. She leaned into the wardrobe, and removed the loose back to find a secret compartment. Contained within were some…compromising items, including a saddle, a bull whip, a riding crop, whipped cream, handcuffs (Both fluffy and regular), a gimp mask, and (Probably the worst of all)…assless chaps. _The horror. _Also included within were photos showing what he used these implements for, and video tapes, which Layla guessed showed the same thing. Looking outside of the wardrobe for a second, Layla saw a TV, just to the right of the window on the right wall, and said TV also had a video player. Against her better judgement, Layla took a random tape from the secret stash, before walking over to the video player, shutting the door, turning the TV on, and putting the tape in.

She turned it off less than three seconds later, as a video of a very naked Swank, and an equally naked blonde girl came on screen, both covered in whipped cream, lying on Swank's bed in that very room, and doing things that would mentally scar Layla for weeks. As she took the tape out of the video player, Layla began to wonder how Swank could've possibly got that girl's consent to let him record…the things that they did. And who could he have gotten to film it? Tape in hand, and questions in mind, she walked back to the wardrobe, but not before noticing a tiny video camera hidden amongst the currently open curtains. Well that was the answer: he hadn't gotten the girl's consent at all, and if the other video tapes showed the same thing, then he'd secretly recorded equally depraved sex acts with multiple girls, all without their consent. If Layla had been willing to have sex with Swank before (Which god knows she hadn't), this revelation would've changed her mind in a heartbeat. She crushed the tiny camera in her hand, and a malicious smirk appeared on her face, as she pondered the reactions to the Vegas populace if she publicly revealed Swank's secret habits. She heard the door opening behind her, and hurriedly returned the tape to the secret compartment, along with the other sex implements she'd removed, before removing the fake walling as the door swung open behind her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting doll." Swank said seductively, and Layla quickly got up from her crouch before turning to face him. He strode confidently into the bedroom (His confidence was unsurprising, seeing as the tapes suggested he spent A LOT of time in there), holding a whiskey bottle in one hand and a cigar in the other. He didn't seem to suspect anything, and she inwardly grinned…until she saw the riding crop on the floor. _Dammit! _She mentally cursed as she realised she'd forgotten to return it to the stash. Thinking fast, she kicked it under the bed before Swank could notice.

"Is this the part where you say 'I'm gonna show you the Tops!'?" Layla asked mockingly, earning a raised eyebrow from Swank.

"I keep forgetting that Benny's shown you all of the Chairmen's tricks." Swank said with a wry grin. He smoked his obviously expensive cigar for no more than five seconds, before dropping it and crushing it beneath his heel. "But he hasn't shown you mine."

"He's smart…doing that probably would've made his already pathetic pick-up lines even more pathetic." Layla shot back. Swank's grin didn't fade, which only served to annoy Layla. _I am definitely using that crop on him during the sex._ She thought to herself, and smirked when she imagined hitting Swank over and over again. Swank sauntered over to her, before handing her the whiskey bottle with a charismatic smile. She had to admit, he had a winning smile…a smile she wanted to take a sledgehammer to. She wrapped her hand around the bottle in his grasp, digging her nails painfully into his hand as she did so. He winced slightly, but didn't release his grip. She smirked, before ripping the bottle from his grasp. He didn't remove his smile, and the only reaction he showed to her attack was a quick inspection of his hand, during which Layla noticed she'd left four painful looking red marks on his hand. Her smirk turned into a satisfied grin, which she shot his way as she effortlessly opened the whiskey bottle, more than accustomed to their design after drinking from them for so long.

"What did I tell you about playing hard to get babydoll?" Swank asked her, shooting a faux disapproving look her way as he walked over to the coat rack next to the door.

"I didn't listen, I was too busy daydreaming about inflicting pain on you." Layla replied. "Speaking of which, daydreaming is probably what I'll be doing during the two minutes of sex, and afterwards."

"I think I'll last a little longer than that." Swank replied with mock offence.

"If Benny was any indication of the Chairmen's talents…no, you won't." She retorted, a competitive look in her eyes and a cocky smirk on her face as she sat down on the bed. _Damn…that is comfy. _She thought as she lay back, enjoying her whiskey as she did so.

"Benny's my pal and all…but he put us other smooth operators to shame." Swank replied, while taking off his suit jacket and putting it on the coat rack. Layla had to admit….his arms were muscled. _Better for cutting._ She thought, trying to keep her mind on track. She wasn't going to murder Swank **today**, but thoughts of doing so in the future were the only thing keeping her from attacking him right now. _These pillows are soft. _She thought, then started to daydream about pressing one against Swank's face, until he finally stopped talking. "Don't worry though babe…I'll show you how a real man does it."

"And I'll show you how a real woman gets it over with as quickly as possible." Swank didn't reply, instead taking the time to look over her. It was at this moment that she realised her recon armour showed off her figure quite well. No doubt that sleazeball's imagination was running wild.

"You really are a smoking hot broad, Layla." He complimented her, with a genuine smile.

"And you really are an incredibly annoying man, Swank." Layla didn't return his smile…until a small one appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Though…not as annoying as Benny, I'll admit."

"Oh, are you actually starting to warm up to me?" Swank's smile widened, while Layla rolled her eyes.

"Does snow fall in the Mojave?" She replied, before putting her bottle of whiskey down on the bedside table next to her. As Swank started to undress, her voice took on a serious tone. "Not so fast."

"You wanted to strip first?" Swank wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, while Layla sighed.

"Hardly; I just want to set some ground rules." Swank looked confused, so she elaborated. "If you want this…" She motioned to her body, "…then there are some rules you're going to need to follow. Otherwise, I walk out that door, though not before kneeing you so hard in the balls that one of them shoots out of your nostril."

"This is your part of the deal baby…you don't get to make requests." Swank said seriously, but Layla didn't back down.

"So kick me out of your casino then Swank, go ahead; but you'll never know what it's like to have sex with me."

"I have no shortage of girls, believe me."

"And I bet most of them have an IQ smaller than your shoe size. I'm better and you know it, I can see it in your eyes. You'll never know how much better though, unless you agree to my demands." There was a pause, as Swank mulled this over.

"Alright…tell me your conditions. If they're fair…I'll consider it." Swank's tone was businesslike, but Layla could tell he was intrigued.

"Good." She took a quick swig of whiskey, and cleared her throat before proceeding. "**Condition 1:** I decide everything we do during the sex. You don't get a choice in the matter." Swank chuckled.

"If you want to be on top, just say so baby."

"If you want your throat cut out, keep talking." She snapped, before continuing. "That means I choose where you put that thing, and you don't argue, or I leave. Do you agree?" Swank stopped to think for a few seconds. "Don't strain your brain too hard." She jibed as he mulled her suggestion over. He ignored her, before delivering an answer a few seconds later.

"Okay…yeah, I think I can do that." He answered eventually.

"Good." Layla smiled briefly, but returned to her serious expression before Swank could mention it. "**Condition 2: **You have to wear a condom. No ifs, ands, or buts. If that thing enters me, and there isn't something rubber around it, then I'm cutting it off and leaving."

"No problem baby, I use rubbers all the time anyway." Swank replied, before drawing a condom from his shirt pocket. Layla couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been carrying that around.

"**Condition 3: **No dirty talk." Swank pouted. Layla showed no sympathy. "I don't know if you realise this, but I hate it when you talk. Every time you open your mouth, I want to shoot you in the teeth with a shotgun. The only thing I hate worse than hearing you talk, is hearing you talk dirty. It repulses me, and makes me actually consider getting the shotgun I mentioned earlier. Therefore, the very last thing that I want, is you talking dirty while inside me. You say one word during the sex, and I suffocate you with one of the pillows, then leave." Swank didn't answer, he just mimed zipping his lips, though he didn't look too happy about it.

"**Condition 4: **No sex toys, rope, or other kinky shit unless I ask for it. Basically, see Condition 1." Swank nodded. "**Condition 5: **I have to see your hands at all times." He nodded again. "**Condition 6: **No whipped cream or food of any kind." He grinned wickedly, but nodded. "**Condition 7: **No mood setting music." He titled his head to the side in confusion. "I considered every possible thing that could happen here okay?" His confusion didn't disappear, but he did nod.

"Alright, is that everything?" He asked, clearly fed up.

"One last thing. You won't like it, but it's a deal breaker."

"I thought they were all deal breakers?"

"They are, but this is the most important one." Swank huffed.

"FINE. What is it?"

"**Condition 8: **You get ONE, and only one, sex session with me tonight. After we're both finished, I leave, and that's it. No cuddling afterwards, no spooning, no idle chat, and certainly no dirty talk." For the first time that night, Swank looked genuinely angry.

"No." He said sternly. "Fuck no. The deal Campbell made with me was that I get you for the whole night, not just for one session."

"Take it or leave it Swank."

"We had a deal. I've agreed to your other bullshit conditions because they aren't beyond my capabilities, and because they didn't go outside the bounds of our arrangement, but this goes too far. I get you for the whole night, or you and your friends find themselves on the street!" His (Admittedly handsome) features twisted into an angry snarl, and Layla shot one back.

"I have a better idea you fucking prick! You get me for ONE, and only ONE session, or I get up from this bed and throw you RIGHT OUT OF THAT FUCKING WINDOW!" She pointed to the window behind him as she screamed at him, emphasising her point. He walked over to her, fists clenched, and she got to her feet, holding her whiskey bottle by the handle as she did so. They stared into each other's eyes, both daring the other to make the first move. As it turned out, Swank was the one to make the move, but it wasn't the move Layla expected. He kissed her.

It was so sudden, so unexpected, that Layla didn't do a goddamn thing to stop it. She just stood there, eyes widened in shock as Swank grabbed her arms, and craftily worked his tongue into her mouth. Damn, he knew what he was doing. For a few seconds, Layla found herself…enjoying it. She wrestled his tongue for dominance, leaning forward into him, closing her eyes and feeling passion radiate from the both of them. Then she snapped back to reality as she realised just who the FUCK she was kissing. He eyes shot open, and passion was replaced by fury. Her first instinct was to punch him, but the way he held her arms made that impossible. Instead, she bit his lip painfully, before moving her head backwards, forcing his tongue out of her mouth. He was clearly confused, until her head shot back forwards, hitting him in the face. He let go of her arms for a split second, allowing her to punch him in the jaw, sending him stumbling back into the window.

"YOU FUCKER! YOU…FUCKING…FUCKER!" She screamed incomprehensibly, before violently smashing her whiskey bottle against the nearby bedside table, turning it into a dangerous mass of glass shards. As Swank started to regain his bearings by the window, Layla rushed him with her shard. Her eyes burned with rage, and all she could think about was stabbing her glass blade right into his…

"You win." Swank's sudden words caused Layla to stop. She wasn't sure she'd heard him right. "I agree to your conditions. One session…then you can go." Layla didn't know what to say, so she said the most obvious thing.

"…What?" She asked, completely astounded._ Where the fuck did that come from?_

"I agree to your condition babe. One sex session it is."

"And you're suddenly changing your mind…why?" A seductive smirk appeared on his face.

"You're one hell of a good kisser…and I want to see what else you're good at." Layla felt like she was going to be sick.

"You realise I'm holding a broken bottle right? If you annoy me, I can stain your nice white suit with your blood in the blink of an eye."

"Don't act tough baby…you enjoyed it too." A look of revulsion appeared in her eyes.

"LIKE HELL!"

"Come on…I could feel it. For a few seconds, you were having the time of your life." Layla tried to respond, tried to think of an angry denial or a jibing comeback…but nothing came to her. She hated to admit it…but the fucker was right. _Shit._

"If we're going to do this…then let's just fucking get it over with already." She said eventually, before throwing the broken bottle at him. Luckily for him she hadn't been trying to hit him, and the bottle bounced harmlessly off the wall next to him.

"Fine by me baby." Layla let out an exasperated sigh, before taking off her belt and thigh holster and turning around so that Swank could reach the zipper on the back of her recon armour. He expertly pulled down the zip (Layla had a feeling he'd done this before), and she removed the armour, leaving her in her lacy black bra and panties. She lay back on the bed, while Swank grinned widely in obvious anticipation. He stepped closer, only for Layla to suddenly kick out at him. He darted back, clearly surprised, and looked questioningly at her.

"Condition 1, remember? I'm in charge." Swank's grin of anticipation changed to his familiar smirk. He looked a little too…enthusiastic to be following Layla's orders.

"Alright…what is your command?" He made a little bow as he asked her this question, and she rolled her eyes.

"Get undressed. Quickly; I don't want you dragging this out."

"Your wish is my command." With that, he started to unbutton his shirt, though added a little defiance by doing it slowly, not quickly like Layla had ordered. _He's already disobeying me. _Layla thought, becoming very aware that he wasn't going to let this be brief. If he was only going to have her once…he was obviously going to make sure it took a while. He winked at her enticingly as he unbuttoned his shirt collar, and Layla responded by putting a finger into her mouth and faking gagging motions. This didn't discourage Swank in the slightest. He finished undoing his collar, revealing his neck (Which Layla was all too tempted to stab), and started to unfasten the buttons around his neck. Layla was getting fed up of this, and was about to tell him to hurry up, when a loud knocking surprised them both. The fact that they heard knocking from the living room, all the way from the bedroom, meant that this was some pretty damn loud knocking. Swank looked extremely annoyed for a second as he looked at the door, but returned to his normal smirk as he turned back to Layla.

"Just ignore that baby. I'm sure whoever it is will go…" Before he could even finish his sentence, the knocking cut him off, causing his charismatic expression to disappear in a heartbeat. He turned away from Layla completely, and walked over to the bedroom doorway, before leaning his head out. He briefly cleared his throat…then exploded. "FUCK THE FUCKING HELL OFF YOU USELESS PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT, OR I'LL HAVE YOUR WORTHLESS ASS THROWN THE FUCK OFF THE MOTHERFUCKING ROOF!" He roared, in a voice so loud that Layla guessed they could probably hear him downstairs in the casino. There was no further knocking, so Swank walked back into the room, his normal smile back. He began to speak…but was cut off by more knocking. One of his eyes twitched slightly, and he looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel. "Please excuse me for a second Layla." He said, in the politest voice she'd ever heard, as he walked over to his suit jacket, and pulled out a 9mm pistol. "I have to go FIRE somebody." With that, he walked out of the room, presumably to go answer the door and perforate whatever idiot had interrupted his carnal interlude.

_Maybe this'll be interesting after all._ Layla thought to herself, as she anticipated Swank shooting some poor son of a bitch right between the eyes. It would definitely help relieve the boredom she was feeling anyway. And it may even make Swank seem more attractive in her eyes. _No._ She thought firmly, but her mind wouldn't hear of it. She remembered the kiss, and his muscled arms, and her mind began to daydream. _NO. _She tried to get her thoughts back under control, but was besieged by sex daydreams of Swank. _FUCKING NO. _She wouldn't have it. She would not be one of the dumb floozies that fell under that prick's spell…even if she would probably get off from watching him shoot someone. _Good lord, I really have problems. _She thought as she realised seeing Swank kill someone would turn her on, but pushed that thought aside as she tried to get rid of her growing attraction to that imbecile. She hated him, she really did, she really FUCKING did, yet…he knew what he was doing. He really did seem to have some kind of power that made it impossible for women to resist him. No wonder he got laid seemingly 24-7. Layla tried to push the sex daydreams away, and replace them with daydreams of violently murdering the sleazy son of a whore, when she realised something. She hadn't heard a gunshot.

Her mind now focused, she listened intently to what was going on outside the bedroom, and could just barely make out hushed voices whispering something incomprehensible. She considered having a look out of the doorway, when she heard footsteps coming to the room…too many footsteps for it to be just Swank. The pervert was bringing somebody back to the bedroom. Realizing that a stranger might see her in her bra and panties, she hastily wriggled under the bed's covers. _Damn…this bed is just as comfy as I thought it would be._ She thought as she rested beneath the luxurious sheets. She had no time to enjoy it however, as Swank walked into the bedroom a few seconds later…with five NCR rangers behind him. Layla's head damn near exploded.

"Well…this isn't exactly how I saw tonight going." Swank said with an embarrassed smile as the five rangers filed into the room. They were wearing the simple grey shirt and tan pants that 'civilian' rangers wore, but they were still armed to the teeth. The sheer sight of the rangers was enough to cause Layla's rage to boil up, and it didn't take her long to explode.

"What…THE FUCK…IS GOING ON HERE?" Swank backed away slightly, and Layla had a feeling he would be absolutely terrified…if not for the five rangers in the room with him. Instead of answering her question, he turned to a silver haired ranger, who seemed to be in charge.

"We had a deal." He said in a low, threatening tone. "You weren't to come here until tomorrow."

"With all due respect, Mr Swank, I'm not going to delay capture of the NCR's most dangerous criminal just so you can have your way with her." Silver Hair said in a voice filled with authority. "We're bringing her in." Swank didn't seemed pleased by this, but there wasn't much he could do, since he was outnumbered and each of the rangers was undoubtedly more skilled than him. He looked like he was going to argue, but instead relented.

"FINE." He said through gritted teeth. "But since we're ignoring the terms of our arrangement, do I still get my money? Or was that just a huge pile of bullshit too?" If Silver Hair was annoyed by Swank's tone, he didn't show it.

"Your money will arrive tomorrow." He said without emotion, before turning to his men. "Grab her."

"Don't fucking ignore me Swank." Layla interjected, sitting up in the bed as she did so. "Tell me what's going on here. NOW!" Swank didn't seem too shaken, and he flashed an easy smile as he responded.

"Sorry baby, seems some wires have been crossed. You see, I made a deal with the NCR earlier today: they give me a large number of caps, and I'd set you up to be captured by them tomorrow. I figured we'd be having sex all night, and you'd be tired tomorrow morning, so they could easily capture you while you slept. Unfortunately, Ranger Patton here doesn't really care about the terms of our arrangement, so he came here tonight with his band of merry men to whisk you away and leave me high and dry." Swank shook his head in disbelief. "Doesn't anyone have any common courtesy anymore?"

"Are you serious?" To Swank's obvious surprise, Layla just seemed angry. Instead, she seemed almost amused. "You know of my reputation, you know I killed Benny, and you know that I'm very, very good at killing people…and yet you were still stupid enough to betray me?" It was Layla's turn to shake her head in disbelief. "You've just given yourself a death sentence Swank." The Chairmen's boss didn't seem awfully frightened, and he sauntered around the bed until he was stood next to Layla, with his back to the ensuite bathroom.

"Call me crazy babe, but I don't think you have much of a chance here. You're outnumbered, unarmed, and half naked." He leaned in close, until their faces were inches apart. "You're not going to put up much of a fight." Layla laughed harshly.

"I don't think you've ever seen me fight, have you Swank?" She asked, with a sadistic gleam in her eye. "Well…I hope you enjoy the show." She pecked Swank lightly on the lips, surprising the smooth operator. She then flashed him her typical sadistic grin, before headbutting him in the face for the second time that night. Swank recoiled backwards, and Layla quickly climbed out of the bed, throwing the sheet up as she did so. The second her feet touched the carpet, one of her feet left the carpet, before striking Swank dead center, right in the chest. The sudden kick knocked Swank sprawling into the ensuite bathroom. He landed next to the toilet, clearly dazed, and she promptly shut the door in his face. The rangers behind her acted immediately.

"Take her down!" Their leader, the silver haired ranger named Patton ordered, and his men immediately obeyed. Layla rolled to the side of the bed, and went prone as the rangers drew their various firearms and opened fire. While she hid from view, she reached her hand under the bed, searching for the riding crop she'd kicked under there earlier. As she searched, she mentally took stock of the situation. _Okay…I'm in the bedroom of a man I hate, in only my underwear, with only a double bed between me and five armed NCR rangers. I have no weapons, unless I find this riding crop, and no armour whatsoever, so if even one bullet or knife hits me, I'm done. _Her hand finally grasped the crop, and the gunshots stopped for a second. She assumed they were reloading, but then heard footsteps running around the bed. She smirked as she saw a foot next to the bed, and rose up to meet her attacker, riding crop in hand. _This shouldn't take too long._ She thought confidently as she introduced the riding crop to a pasty young ranger's crotch.

He cried out in shock as the riding crop hit him square in the balls, and Layla took the chance to get behind him. She moved him in front of her and grabbed him to use as a human shield, right as the other rangers started firing again. The ranger had had all the air knocked out of him by the shot to his balls, and so couldn't verbally react as his allies accidentally filled him with lead.

"Hold your fire!" Patton ordered, but it was too late. The ranger had about five bullet holes in his chest, and had stopped breathing. Layla sneered at Patton, before kicking the young ranger forwards as another ranger rushed her. The second ranger dodged to the side to dodge the incoming corpse, before attempting to stab Layla with his combat knife. Still afraid to fire since one of his men was so close, Patton ordered two rangers to block the door leading out of the bedroom, before telling a third to assist his comrade in attacking Layla. Layla's head moved side to side to dodge each of the ranger's strikes, and as soon as he stopped, she lashed out with the crop. He caught the makeshift weapon in his hand midstrike, but Layla simply spun him around, before kicking him towards the wardrobe, crop still in his hand. The ranger who had been sent to assist, opened fire with his revolver, but Layla dropped to the floor seconds before he fired. The bullet sailed over her head, and into the throat of the ranger with the riding crop. Blood shot out of the shocked ranger like a water jet, and the revolver ranger looked absolutely horrified. Layla smirked, before getting to his feet and punching him in the throat.

His eyes widened, and he recoiled backwards as it became difficult to breathe. Layla took the chance to dart backwards, before grabbing the dead ranger's combat knife. The revolver ranger tried to fire again, but she charged forwards before kneeing him in the face. He went down, but Layla pulled him back up as Patton fired. She pulled the revolver ranger in front of her, and Patton's shot blew off the back of his skull. She dropped the corpse to the floor, a mocking sneer on her face as she looked at Patton.

"Wow…do you know that I haven't personally killed a single one of your men yet?" She asked derisively as she flipped the combat knife into the air. "Funny isn't it?" Patton scowled in response, before ordering his two remaining rangers to open fire. They took aim, but Layla caught the combat knife on its way down, then rapidly threw it at one of the rangers. She hit one of them right between the eyes, and the other stared at his rapidly dying comrade, clearly filled with terror. Patton wasn't as shaken, as he immediately took aim, and prepared to fire again. Layla rushed him before he could do so however, before delivering a jumping kick to his midsection. Patton was faster than she anticipated, and swerved to the side to dodge the attack, but Layla landed on her feet, and launched another attack quickly. She shot out a rapid kick that hit Patton in the side of the head, knocking him against the wall to her side. While he was mildly dazed, she reached out for his revolver, and tried to pry the firearm from his grasp. Patton was stronger than she expected however, and he held on firmly to the gun before elbowing her in the gut. She stumbled back slightly, and he followed up with another kick which knocked her onto her back.

She landed on the floor right in front of the only remaining ranger, and he pointed a pistol down at her nervously. She flashed him a smile that could give a man a heart attack, before shooting her hands upwards. Her right hand knocked his gun from his grasp with a quick slap, while her second hand grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He barely had time to form an expression of fear before she pulled him downwards, right on top of her. He landed on her in a position bizarrely mimicking a 69, and she wasted no time before brutally kneeing him in the sternum. A pained noise emanated from his lips, and she smiled before getting to her feet, holding the ranger as she did so. She rose to her feet, but lifted the ranger up with her, until she was holding him up with two hands on his back. Patton seemed like he was about to shoot her, but relented as she dropped the ranger onto his feet, and arranged him like a human shield. Patton lowered his gun for a single second, and Layla saw her opportunity. She dropped down into a crouch with the ranger, before grabbing the pistol she'd shot out of his hands. She then got up, and pushed the helpless ranger to her side, causing him to hit the wall headfirst, while raising the pistol. Patton tried to raise his own firearm, but Layla was quicker on the draw. She raised and fired the gun blindingly quick, and Patton barely managed to roll out of the way in time. He didn't escape unscathed however, as her bullet grazed his arm, leaving a bloody scratch. He crouched behind the bed, while the bathroom door on the other side of the room suddenly opened. Swank walked out, looking extremely angry.

"YOU FUCKING…" He tried to shout at Layla, but she interrupted him by taking aim and firing. An annoying, telltale click replaced the gunshot she'd been expecting, but it was enough to cut Swank off. She swore under her breath, and the Chairman grinned, before pointing his 9mm pistol at her. Layla didn't even waste time looking scared, instead just throwing the empty pistol right at Swank. A comical look of surprise appeared on his face, before the gun hit him in the forehead, knocking him back into the bathroom.

Layla smirked, but entered her focused state again as Patton rolled out from behind the bed, before opening fire. Having nowhere else to go, Layla dived right onto the bed. She bounced slightly as she landed on the soft mattress, and Patton didn't miss a beat, instead following her with his revolver and firing again. Layla rolled forwards to avoid his shot, rolling off the bed in the process. She landed stomach first on the carpet, right in front of a very angry Swank. He took aim at her again, but she just headbutted him for the third time that night, this time in the crotch. The only sound he managed was a pained whimper, before falling back into the bathroom. Layla got into a crouch, right as Patton ran around the bed, until he was standing face to face with her. He opened fire immediately, but Layla rolled to the side, into the bathroom.

Swank lay in the fetal position, writhing in pain on the bathroom floor. Although his pained state filled Layla with no small measure of joy, she ignored it, instead kicking the bathroom door shut from her position on the floor. It swung shut, and she got to her feet, only to feel a strong hand grab her bare leg. She looked down, only to see Swank looking up at her, his face twisted into a mask of rage, and one of his eyes twitching from sheer fury. He looked like he was about to say something, but Layla didn't have time to hear it. She brought her other bare leg up, before bringing her foot crashing down on his face. His face hit the tiled floor hard, shattering a few of his teeth in the process. His grip on her leg didn't loosen however, so Layla smashed the bathroom mirror next to her with a punch (Bruising her knuckles slightly), before grabbing a shard of glass. She held the glass shard in one hand, before grabbing Swank's wrist firmly with the other. He brought his injured face up slowly to look at her, just in time to see her use the glass shard to slit his wrist. A pained, girlish shriek escaped his lips, and he released his grip on Layla. She smiled her sadistic smile, before kicking him in the face with the leg he'd been grabbing moments ago. His head shot back, until it impacted with the nearby toilet. His head bounced off the toilet, before dropping down to the floor. He didn't move after that, and Layla felt satisfaction roll over her. It was replaced by adrenaline however as Patton kicked the bathroom door open.

He had his revolver pointed right at her, but Layla was quick to react. She threw her glass shard directly at him, and he hissed in pain as it stabbed into his bicep, the bicep of the arm that held the gun. While he was distracted by the pain, she darted forwards, and grabbed the door with both hands. Before Patton could react, she firmly slammed the door right in his face, hitting him in the face in the process. She moved back before leaning against the sink, taking a moment to rest. She didn't get long however, as she was suddenly surprised by strong hands wrapping themselves around her throat.

"You fucking bitch." She heard Swank whisper in her ear, in the coldest tone she'd ever heard from him. If she hadn't found Swank worthless and pathetic, his tone might have actually scared her. "You motherfucking bitch. I was willing to forgive the sour mood, the sarcasm, the threats, and even your damn conditions. But what you've done…you've crossed the fucking line. You fucking dare…deface…ME? You broke my teeth you whore…broke my nose…ruined my fucking face! I'm Swank goddammit! How dare you deface me!"

"If you hate your face now…you'll hate it in a few seconds…" Layla barely managed to choke out, before charging backwards. She pushed Swank back with her, until he collided with the sink. His grip loosened for a few seconds, giving Layla enough time to grab one of his hands. Remembering Veronica's move from their fight that morning, she judo flipped Swank right over her shoulder. The chairmen landed awkwardly on his back on the tiled floor, and Layla quickly turned away from him before grabbing another glass shard from the broken mirror. Swank got up slowly, and she flashed the glass shard in his face. On seeing his reflection in the shard, and seeing his damaged face, he snapped. He roared something incomprehensible, before rushing her in a blind fury. He tried to punch Layla in the face, but she was far faster than him. She weaved to the side, grabbing his arm with her free hand in the process, before driving the grass shard right into his eye. Swank screamed to the heavens in pure agony as Layla worked the shard into his left eye, destroying it utterly. Once the eye was sufficiently brutalised, Layla moved her hand away, leaving the shard impaled in the eye, before joining her other hand in grabbing Swank's arm. His agonised screams still filled the bathroom, and Layla was eager to silence him. Using both arms, she pulled him in the direction of the sink, pointing her leg out as she did so. She let go of his arm as she pulled, sending him sprawling towards the sink. He tripped over her outstretched leg, falling face first towards the sink. His face hit the sink with a sickening thud, and he immediately dropped to the floor. He didn't get up.

Layla took a second to get her breath back, relishing the experience of beating Swank to a bloody pulp. That had been better than any of her daydreams…by far. The slight movements of his chest told her that he was still alive…but another glass shard could easily correct that. She moved towards the broken mirror to grab another shard, only for Patton to kick the door open again, this time kicking it off its hinges. He lunged forwards, grabbing Layla's arm with impressive strength, before pulling her out of her bathroom. He managed to get an arm around her waist as he pulled her out, before pulling her to him and slamming her against the wall. The arm around her waist moved to her head as she hit the wall, and he promptly smashed her head against it again. She growled angrily, and thrashed wildly in an attempt to break free, only for Patton to pistol whip the back of her head. The world seemed to spin for a second as Layla's brain bounced around in her head, and the next thing she knew, she felt a gun barrel being pressed against her skull.

"Don't move." Patton said with authority, but Layla just growled. She shot her elbow backwards in an attempt to strike his ribs, but he was faster that she expected, and he rewarded her by slamming her head forwards against the wall again. "Don't…move." He repeated, louder this time. His order had the same effect as last time, as Layla continued trying to escape from his grasp. "You're not getting away, so just calm down and stay still." She didn't listen, and he pistol whipped her again. Everything went hazy, and she could just barely hear him telling her not to move, though it sounded like it was coming from miles away. Her hand slowly snaked backwards, trying to find something to grab. She found his arm, and firmly grabbed it. He was surprised by this, and before he could do anything to stop it, she pulled his arm forwards. She pulled his hand next to her face, and wasted no time in biting his fingers. Patton cried out as she brutalised his fingers with her teeth, causing him to drop his revolver. He tried to slam her head into the wall with his other hand, but she drove her other arm (The one not holding his arm), backwards, until her elbow collided with his ribs. Air escaped his lungs for a second, and she wrenched her head free from his grasp. She let go of his arm, before spinning around and trying to punch him in the face.

He surprised her however. Even in his injured state, he shot to the side to dodge her attack, before striking out with a quick kick. His kick hit her in the side, and knocked her against the bedside table. He rushed her, but she grabbed the lamp on the bedside table, before swinging it at his head. The lamp was an antique, and smashed to pieces on impact, severely dazing Patton. Layla saw her chance, and delivered a roundhouse kick to his jaw. He was knocked backwards landing painfully on his back next to the wardrobe. She stomped over to him, but didn't see him reach out for the broken whiskey bottle that she'd thrown at the wall earlier. He got onto his knees, and she sneered at him. He sneered right back, before using the broken whiskey bottle to stab her in the gut.

Layla's mouth formed a shocked O shape as Patton stabbed her in the gut, and he gritted his teeth in anger as he worked the makeshift knife further in, all the while getting to his feet. Layla was overcome with pain, all she wanted to do was fall to her knees. _IGNORE IT. _Her mind ordered, and she obeyed. Patton continued to grit his teeth, but his mouth opened widely in shock as Layla grabbed the wrist that held the bottle with both hands, and twisted. He cried out as she broke his wrist, and she used one hand to pull the bottle out of her, before throwing it away and grabbing him by the throat. With one hand on his broken wrist, and one hand on his throat, she flung him against the wardrobe. He hit wooden door face first, and she opened it with her foot before forcing his head inside. Using her foot again, she slammed the door on his head, causing him to cry out in pain and fall to his knees. She wasn't done though…oh no. She pulled him to his feet, and dragged him out of the wardrobe, before grabbing his throat firmly with both hands. She turned him so that they faced each other, their faces inches away, and smiled sadistically at him before turning to look at the window. His dazed mind seemed to realise what she had in mind, as a shocked look appeared on his face. He could do nothing to stop her however, and she roared a low, guttural battle cry as she threw him towards the window. A fearful shout escaped his lips as he flew straight through the window, shattering it completely. The neon lights of Vegas illuminated his terrified face for a split second, before he fell to the streets below, screaming all the way down.

Layla wanted to sit down and rest, but she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and immediately charged after it. The last living ranger, the one she'd pushed into the wall, was trying to run. He had no chance. She grabbed his collar as he tried to run out of the room, before pulling him back towards her. He tried to beg, but she silenced him by smashing his head face first into the wall. Blood ran down his face, but she did it again. And again. And again. And again. She lost track of how many times she slammed his face into the wall, lost in her own rage, but eventually he ceased to breathe. She calmly let him go, and he slid face first down the wall, leaving a bloody trail behind him.

Now that everybody in her immediate vicinity was either dead or dying, Layla sat down on the bed, taking a moment to catch her breath. She inspected her wound, and discovered that, while the broken bottle had gone in quite deep, it had missed any of her vital organs. It would be painful, and it would bleed a lot, but with her regenerative implant's help she would have a good chance of surviving. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, pain filled her, and she gritted her teeth to prevent it from overwhelming her. Seeking a way to stop the blood, she got to her feet before grabbing Swank's jacket off the coat rack. She folded the coat, before wrapping it around her stomach, hoping it would slow the tide of blood. It wasn't much, but since she didn't have any bandages, it would have to do. _My kingdom for some Med X._ She thought as she grabbed her recon armour, before slipping into it. Due to the jacket around her stomach, she couldn't pull the armour up past her waist, so she left her torso bare, before putting on her belt and thigh holster. Now mostly clothed, she left the bedroom and went down the corridor before arriving in the living room.

To her surprise and mild annoyance, an NCR soldier stood guard by the door, though he wasn't exactly being very attentive. He had helped himself to the contents of Swank's liquor cabinet, and was currently too deep in a bottle to notice her. How he hadn't heard the battle in the bedroom, she had no idea. She tried to sneak over to where she'd left her combat knife and That Gun, but the soldier chose that moment to turn around. He saw her, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and he dropped the bottle in shock. She ran towards him quickly as he fumbled with his service rifle, pure fear covering his face. After a few seconds of clumsy movements, he managed to raise the rifle, only for Layla to deliver a running kick to his jaw. He dropped his rifle, and went flying across the room. He landed painfully against the far wall, and Layla grabbed his rifle. To her surprise however, he got up strikingly quickly, and ran over to her before she could take aim. He promptly grabbed the barrel of the rifle, and tried to pull it out of her hands. Not in the mood to wrestle with an idiotic NCR soldier, Layla let go of the rifle, causing the soldier to tumble backwards as he pulled too hard. He managed to stay on his feet, but was unprepared as Layla rapidly worked her hands around his throat. Before he could do so much as blink, she wrenched his neck to the side, snapping it like a twig.

She dropped the clearly dead soldier to the floor, before picking up his service rifle and putting a few shots between his eyes in a fit of anger. After she'd managed to calm down (And reduce the soldier's head to a bunch of unrecognisable chunks), she ran over to her weapons. She slid That Gun into her thigh holster and put her combat knife on her belt, before leaving the suite. At least, she was about to. As she went through the door, she remembered Swank's liquor cabinet, and ran over to it. She grabbed a whiskey bottle in her free hand (Holding the service rifle in her other hand), and removed the lid with her teeth before taking a long drink. About ten seconds later her mouth left the bottle, and she reluctantly returned it to the cabinet before running out of the suite.

*Campbell*

"It's your move." Campbell said with a cocky smile as he leant back in his chair. He was sitting on the chair that people were usually tied to in the meeting room/torture chamber, while Arcade was sitting on a bar stool he'd brought in from the living room. They were sat in the meeting room/torture chamber, but Campbell had actually turned on the lights this time, meaning they were able to see in the normally dark room.

"Why are we playing this again?" Arcade asked, motioning to the chessboard in front of them as he did so. Swank had brought in a small table from one of the other rooms, and they were currently using it to play chess.

"Because I want to see just how smart you really are." Campbell replied as he looked at his pieces. His strategy seemed pretty sound, from what he could tell. He saw no way Arcade could turn the…

"Check." Arcade said smugly, as he moved his queen in to check Campbell's king. Campbell was impressed. _How the hell didn't I see that coming? _He mentally wondered.

"Not bad." He said with a grin.

"Why did you immediately assume that I play chess?"

"I've never met a Follower that doesn't." Campbell replied with a wry grin as he moved his rook in to guard his king from Arcade's queen. "Besides, smart people play chess, and I know you're smart. I just want to find out how smart." Arcade smirked, despite himself.

"I'll wager you've never lost a game." Arcade observed as he considered his next move.

"Oh I have." Campbell said solemnly, before a grin appeared on his face. "But not many."

"I myself have a pretty good record too. I grew up in the Enc…among some very smart people." Arcade backpedalled quickly, as though he had nearly let something slip. "My mother taught me to play chess when I was four, and despite the intelligent company, I never lost." As he said the last three words, Arcade moved his bishop tactically into position. One more movement, and it would be able to take Campbell's rook.

"Have you lost since then?"

"Nope." Arcade looked highly confident, but Campbell simply chuckled.

"I'd be happy to add a smudge to your record." He sounded more confident than he felt however. Arcade was good, really good. Despite his predicament, Campbell saw one way of winning. It would be difficult, but there was a slim chance he would be able to pull it off. As he had learnt over the years, it was better to take the slim chance than to keel over and die. A strategy now in his mind, he moved his hand forwards to grab a piece…when a loud beeping interrupted his thoughts. _Dammit._ He thought for a second, before turning to Arcade. "Hang on one second." He said, before getting to his feet and answering the radio that he kept inside his jacket. "Okay, who are you and how the hell did you get this frequency?" He asked sharply, only to hear Layla's voice.

"It's me, Layla. Veronica mentioned the radio frequency you used when attacking Camp McCarran, so I used a stolen NCR radio to talk to you." She sounded serious, but Campbell had questions nonetheless.

"Okay…1) Where did you get an NCR radio? 2) If you needed to contact me that badly, why didn't you just come up here?"

"I stabbed an NCR soldier in the throat, and I can't go up there because some fucker shut down the elevators and there's NCR all over the casino." Campbell closed his eyes, and brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose. He knew he should be surprised…but he really wasn't. Layla seemed to attract trouble like a wealthy retarded person attracts a con artist.

"What did you do?" He asked wearily.

"I didn't do jack shit! It was Swank! That cocksucker planned to have sex with me, then hand me over to the NCR tomorrow as I slept, for a tidy profit. I'm just lucky they showed up tonight instead." Layla sounded exasperated, for obvious reasons.

"That fucker." Campbell said angrily. "I assume you murdered the son of a bitch?"

"I…" There was a brief pause, followed by frenzied swearing. "Shit! Fuck! Son of a whore, I knew I forgot something!" No doubt sensing Campbell's confusion, she elaborated. "I beat Swank to a bloody pulp, but I was too busy fighting off NCR rangers to kill him. I completely forgot to kill him afterwards, and now I'm two floors away from him! DAMMIT!"

"Calm down, we'll kill him later." Campbell said seriously. "For now, what's the situation?"

"Five NCR rangers and an NCR soldier went up to Swank's suite, and I don't think they were alone. I've killed three soldiers so far, and from what I can hear on the NCR radio frequency, there's more coming."

"Hang on a second." Campbell said quickly, before changing the radio frequency to the one that the NCR usually used. Sure enough, he heard serious voices. He promptly brought the radio to his lips. "Hi, this is Private Bell." He said, trying to sound as nervous and inexperienced as possible. "I heard there's some commotion down at The Tops. Should I head down there?" The response was quick.

"Affirmative." A deep voice answered. "Head down to The Tops immediately, and tell any soldiers you see to get down here too. The Red Blade Witch is in the casino, and we're trying to cordon it off. When you get here, stay in the lobby with the other privates."

"So…we'll just be standing there in the lobby?"

"No, you'll be helping evacuate the gamblers and other casino patrons."

"Shouldn't I head upstairs?"

"Negative. We've got experienced soldiers and rangers combing the corridors, and black rangers on the way. Your job is to make sure there are no civilians in the way." _Black rangers? _He thought nervously. _Shit._

"Okay…roger that. I'll make my way over there now." With that, Campbell changed the frequency back to his private one before bringing the radio to his lips again. "It's worse than you think." He said gravely. "The lobby is filled to the brim with NCR personnel, experienced soldiers and rangers are combing the corridors looking for you…and black rangers are on the way."

"Black rangers?" Surprisingly, Layla sounded…scared. "Fuck! I've fought one of them before. They are annoyingly tough. I barely managed to beat one."

"Which is why we don't want so stick around to fight more."

"But how the hell are we going to get out of here? Those NCR bastards shut down the elevators, leaving stairs as the only option, and the lobby is filled with soldiers. There's no way out."

"There is."

"You mean…your vertibird?" Layla sounded doubtful.

"Yep."

"I thought you said it attracts too much attention?" Campbell chuckled.

"Layla, I think it's a bit late to be worrying about not attracting attention." To his mild surprise, she laughed back.

"Fair enough. So what's the plan?"

"I'll head on to the roof to prep the vertibird, while Veronica stays in the suite to guard Arcade." Campbell said, already forming a strategy in his mind. It was like he was playing chess again, except his opponent had a full board whereas he only had four pieces. _Good, I like a challenge._

"Can't you take Arcade and Veronica to the roof with you?"

"It's not safe to move Arcade until we're sure the corridors leading to the roof are clear. He's not a combatant, remember?"

"Right. What should I do?"

"Head up to the suite, and just keep your head down. Once I'm done prepping the vertibird, I'll give you a call on the radio. As soon as you get that call, take Veronica and Arcade and head straight up to the roof."

"Got it. Over and out." Campbell's radio went quiet, and he turned to Arcade. He was about to speak, when he heard Layla's voice again, and brought the radio to his ear. "One question…which floor is the suite on?" Campbell couldn't help but grin.

"53."

"Shit…I have 22 floors to go."

"Enjoy the climb." With that, Campbell returned the radio to the inside of his jacket.

"I'm going to take a wild guess here and say things aren't going well." Arcade said with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing to worry yourself about." Campbell said charismatically, before running out of the room to find Veronica. He found her lying on one of the sofas in the living room, eyes closed and clearly enjoying her relaxation time. "Veronica, we have a problem." She frowned, clearly annoyed at having her relaxation interrupted, and opened her eyes before looking up at Campbell.

"What did you do?" She asked immediately, suspicion evident in her voice.

"I haven 't done anything." Campbell said earnestly. She just furrowed her brow.

"I don't believe you." Campbell sighed.

"It was Layla."

"Okay…now I believe you." She sighed in annoyance, before looking up seriously. "What did she do?"

"Well…technically it was Swank…" Veronica immediately shot to her feet, surprising Campbell. She had an enraged look on her face and her power fist hand was fiercely clenched.

"What did he do?" Campbell knew Veronica had never liked Swank, and she would beat him to death without hesitation if he did anything to Layla.

"It's a long story, but basically he was planning to hand her over to the NCR all along. She beat up him and killed 5 rangers and a soldier, but they weren't alone. NCR forces have the lobby locked down, soldiers and rangers are combing the corridors looking for Layla, and black rangers are on the way."

"THAT MOTHER FUCKER!" She yelled, before stomping towards the door. "I'll find him, and rip off his fucking…"

"Save it for later." Campbell interjected. "We've got a serious situation on our hands." Veronica's shoulders sagged, and she sighed before turning to Campbell.

"You're right." She admitted, though Campbell noticed her power fist hand was still clenched. "What do you need me to do?"

"I'm heading up to the roof to prep the vertibird. Keep an eye on Arcade for me." A concerned look appeared on Veronica's face.

"But what about Layla?"

"She's on her way up here now. Once she arrives, you and her will hide here with Arcade until I'm done, then follow me up to the roof." Campbell walked to the door, but Veronica grabbed his arm, stopping him midstride.

"You said NCR forces are combing the corridors. Layla doesn't even have her sword to help her. I've got to go down there and…"

"Layla will be fine." Campbell interrupted, but in a comforting tone. "Right now, you need to stay here with Arcade."

"But…" Veronica huffed, before turning away from him. "Fine. I'll stay here and watch Arcade."

"Good. Don't worry, Layla will be here soon, and it won't take me very long to prep the vertibird. We should be out of here in no more than ten minutes." With that, Campbell left the suite, before heading for the roof.

*Layla*

The soldier didn't even have a chance to scream before Layla put her stolen service rifle between his lips and pulled the trigger. As his brains decorated the nearby wall, she ran on, desperate to get to her suite before more NCR bastards found her. As luck would have it, she wasn't so fortunate.

"There she is!" Layla heard a voice behind her exclaim, followed by several gunshots. She rolled behind a nearby corner to avoid being perforated, and took a quick glance back to see who was following her. Two rangers were running down the corridor towards her. Both wore the simple grey shirt and tan pants outfit, which Layla thanked her lucky stars for. She was hardly equipped to fight rangers in patrol armour. One was female, short, and carried a revolver, while the other was male, tall, and carried a shotgun. Both seemed focused, and professional. Both had just made Layla's hit list.

The woman with the revolver took cover behind a nearby bin, while the man with the shotgun slowly crept closer to Layla's position. He hadn't gotten very far before she stepped out from behind the corner and opened fire with her service rifle. The ranger seemed to have been anticipating this, as he rolled to the side before firing his shotgun. Layla darted behind cover seconds before his shotgun shell blew her ribcage apart, and he crept closer. Layla didn't especially favour long range combat, but since only her legs were armoured, and she only had her knife as a melee weapon, melee combat wasn't really an option. Unless, that is, she let her enemy come to her. She tied the service rifle to her back using the holster normally used for her larger sword, and waited. The ranger gave a few hand signals to his ally with the revolver, and she crept after him as he moved around the corner, shotgun pointed outwards in front of him. Layla immediately tackled him to the floor, causing his shotgun to fly from his grasp. They landed in a heap, her on top of him, and one of her hands wrapped around his throat, while the other hand drew That Gun from her thigh holster. The ranger with the revolver was startled by the sudden tackle, and that was all the time Layla needed. She fired two shots, the first hitting the woman in the sternum, the second hitting her in the throat. She dropped to the floor, while Layla moved That Gun to the eye of the ranger below her.

Before she could fire however, he rolled them over so that he was on top, pressing the hand that held That Gun (Her left hand), down against the floor with his knee as he did so. He then went to work punching Layla in the face repeatedly. She brought her free hand (Her right hand) up to block his blows, but he drew a combat knife from his belt before slashing said hand. She grabbed the blade mid stab, though the blade's jagged edge sliced into her hand. Blood started to run out of her hand and down her arm, but she ignored it, instead biting his finger. The ranger yelped as her teeth dug into his finger, dropping his knife in the process. Layla kept a grasp on his knife however, and promptly stabbed it into his knee. He cried out in pain, and accidentally lost his balance, causing him to topple and roll off of Layla. She quickly got to her feet, and he tried to do the same. His knee made that difficult however, and he'd only managed to get into a crouch before Layla pressed That Gun against his temple. He seemed like he was about to utter a word of defiance, but she wasn't in the mood, so she just interrupted him with a bullet to the skull.

Ignoring the blood pouring out of her right hand, and the ranger's blood in her mouth (From the finger bite), Layla hurried down the corridor. _Right…Campbell said the suite is on Floor 53._ She turned another corner, to find herself face to face with the stairs…and a sign that made her want to pull her hair out. 'Floor 33 to Floor 34' _FUCKING SERIOUSLY? _She thought angrily. She thought she'd been making good progress, but she'd only managed to get up two floors since calling Campbell? _This is going to take all fucking night! _Before she could mentally complain anymore, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. She doubted they were casino guests, but even if she had thought so, the next thing she heard would have dispelled that belief.

"Two corpses. She's here. Go after her, I'll radio in her location." _Shit._ Was all Layla had time to think before she heard more footsteps, coming from around the corner behind her. _Okay…do I kill the guy with the radio, or carry on? _As much as she didn't want people to know where she was, she knew that she didn't really have the time to backtrack. She had to carry on. She sighed, then ran up the stairs. "To any rangers in The Tops that can hear this: The Red Blade Witch is on Floor 33, and is heading up to Floor 34 now. Repeat: The Red Blade Witch is making her way from Floor 33 to Floor 34." Layla swore under her breath as she ran up the stairs. No sooner had she reached the top, then an experienced looking ranger with a hunting rifle stopped her progress. He was waiting for her right at the top of the stairs, and she had no time to react before he put his rifle under her chin.

"She's up here!" He shouted down the stairs. "I've got her!" Layla turned backwards slightly, and saw three more rangers running up the stairs after her, one wearing patrol armour. She cast her eyes around her for a way out of this situation…and saw several grenades on the ranger's belt. An idea quickly formed. "You're not getting away from me bitch. I've been in countless battles over the years, fought things you can't even dream of. I've been shot 18 times, stabbed 12 times, lost four of my toes, got set on fire 4 times…"

"How many times have you been hit in the crotch?" Layla interrupted his annoying rant. Despite the interruption, he seemed all too eager to answer.

"13 times." He smiled proudly, and Layla's eyes widened.

"Not bad." She said with an impressed look on her face, clapping as she did so. "I guess I'll have to make this one especially memorable then." His eyes widened, and Layla flashed her sadistic smile. He knew something was wrong, but Layla's hands were already in position. She finished clapping, and her hands darted out. One grabbed his belt, while the other grabbed the barrel of his rifle. He fired, but she moved the rifle to one side, and her head to the other, causing the shot to miss her. It went off right in her ear, deafening her slightly, but that would pass. She shot her knee upwards, striking his balls and causing his mouth to open wide. He tried to moan, but lack of breath made that impossible. Using her grip on his rifle, Layla pulled him forwards, while using her other hand to remove the pins from all of his grenades. She kicked his legs out from under him as she pulled him closer, and let go of his rifle, before standing to the side as he flew right past her. He barrelled down the stairs, impacting with the other rangers like a bowling ball hitting a group of pins. They all fell into a tangled heap, though he was on top. She grinned, before taking aim with his hunting rifle and firing. He screamed to the heavens as a bullet from his own hunting rifle hit him in the crotch…seconds before every grenade on his belt detonated. Layla turned away from the explosion, grinning to herself, before throwing the hunting rifle down the stairs, stepping on to the 34th floor and running down the corridor.

She encountered little resistance on the corridor, but the second she turned the corner, she bumped right into a surprised NCR soldier. He looked at her, utter shock on his face, and she kicked him into a nearby wall. He fired the caravan shotgun he was holding, but Layla rolled to the side, and his shot blew apart a door that she'd been standing in front of moments ago. She landed in a crouch, while he stepped closer with his shotgun. She raised That Gun as he raised his shotgun…and they both froze. Before Layla could think of a way to break the standstill, the door that the soldier had shot moments ago, suddenly opened.

"What the hell is all the commotion out here?" An angry looking man exclaimed as he stomped out of his hotel room. He wore a light blue dressing gown, and his hair was cut into a mullet. His face was clenched in a look of incredible frustration, and both Layla and the soldier couldn't help but pay attention to him. "Whatever the fuck is going on out here, I don't fucking need it, okay? It's not enough that I found my wife cheating on me with my own fucking secretary, my fucking FEMALE secretary! It's not enough that I'm kicked out of my own home, and I have to stay in this shitty casino because every other hotel on the Strip is fully booked! It's not enough that I can't even afford a room with a fucking bar so I can get drunk! No, all that's not enough is it? Because NOW, I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH FUCKING IDIOTS SHOOTING EACH OTHER IN THE FUCKING CORRIDORS WHILE I'M TRYING TO FUCKING SLEEP!" His face was red, and he looked like he was about to strangle both Layla and the soldier.

"Sir, please calm down." The soldier said, lowering his weapon, locking eyes with the stranger, and forgetting about Layla; all very big mistakes to make.

"No I will not fucking calm down you goddamn NCR piece of shit! Just because you wear a uniform, you think you can tell me what to do? Well fuck you, and fuck the whore you came out of!" Though Layla found this whole scene hilarious, she decided to put an end to it. While the soldier tried to think of a way to calm the man down, Layla fired That Gun. Her bullet hit the soldier right between the eyes, and he fell dead at the man's feet. To her surprise, the man laughed. "Fucking NCR." He kicked the corpse away from him, before spitting down at the corpse's face. "Think they can tell everybody what to do. Bunch of goddamn cu…hey…wait a minute." He looked at Layla properly for the first time, and his eyes widened considerably. "You…you're the…"

"Red Blade Witch, yeah." Layla interrupted him, before returning That Gun to its holster and grabbing the legs of the dead soldier. "NCR's greatest foe at your service."

"The NCR are swarming this place to get you, aren't they?" Layla nodded. "So you're the reason I can't get any goddamn sleep! I ought to…"

"Look, you obviously dislike the NCR, so I haven't put my gun in your mouth to shut you up yet. Keep it up, and I might forget your allegiance." The man stepped back slightly, looking slightly sheepish.

"Heh, sorry. Forgot who I was dealing with for second there. You've killed more people that I've ever met."

"Please open the door." Layla said politely, ignoring him as she dragged the corpse over to his room.

"Wait…NO!" He held his hands up in protest. "You're not hiding that goddamn body in my room. It'll stink the place up, and how am I supposed to explain this to the management?"

"You have a balcony right?" He nodded. "I'm going to throw it over there, so please, for the love of God, STOP TALKING. Okay?" He nodded again, before holding the door open for her. She thanked him, before dragging the body into the room. He shut the door behind her, and she examined the room.

It was small, much smaller than any other suite she'd seen in The Tops, though that was understandable. There were only two rooms: the bedroom, in which she now found herself, and an ensuite bathroom to her right. Directly in front of her, on the other side of the bedroom, was the balcony he'd spoken of. Grabbing the corpse by the legs, she dragged it across the room, before dumping it over the balcony.

"Great, body's gone, hooray. I'm genuinely happy for you." The man said impatiently from behind her, and she turned to face him. "Can you leave so I can get some sleep now?"

"I think she went this way!" A voice from outside his room announced loudly.

"Spread out and find her!" Another voice said, followed by several footsteps running down the corridor.

"I'm afraid not." Layla said patiently. "I'm going to need to hide in here until they pass."

"Woah, woah, woah!" He said slowly, holding his hands up in objection again as he did so. "I hate the NCR and all, but if I help you, they'll kill me."

"And what do you think I'll do if you kick me out?" Layla fingered her combat knife, and he sighed.

"Oh come on, do you have to give me death threats? I thought we were friends here! We both dislike the NCR, I helped you dump that corpse, come on, can't you let me live here? One good turn deserves another, right?"

"You helped me, and I haven't immediately killed you, so that's one good turn for another. Help me again, and I'll give you another good turn, namely letting you live." He sighed.

"Why does this crap always happen to me? Ever since my ma kicked me out, it's been one bad thing after another."

"Have you ever been shot in the head?" He shook his head. "Then don't talk to me about bad turns." The footsteps outside got closer, and Layla saw two rangers outside through the hole in the door. One was female, wore patrol armour and had a shotgun, the other was male, wore the normal attire, and had a hunting rifle; both had their backs to her. Without any delay, Layla dashed into the ensuite bathroom, quietly shutting the door behind her. She hoped they would just go away. Fate was all too eager to give her the middle finger.

"Hey, do you see the hole in that door?" A female voice said from outside the room. _Shit._

*Rangers*

The female ranger raised her eyebrow as she turned, and saw a large hole in a nearby door. From what she could see through the hole, the door seemed to lead to a hotel room.

"Hey, do you see the hole in that door?" She asked the male ranger next to her, in her trademark loud voice. She turned back to him, and he nodded.

"Looks like something a shotgun would do." He said musingly, before looking down at the red carpet. She followed his gaze, and noticed a stain, red in colour, but a darker red than the rest of the carpet. _Blood? _Her mind immediately asked, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. She nodded towards the door, and the male ranger responded immediately. He knocked on the door, and nobody answered…even though he could see through the hole that a man in a dressing gown was close enough to answer the door. "Sir?" He asked through the hole. The man sighed, before opening the door.

"Can I help you?" He said grumpily, and the female ranger stepped closer. "We're with the NCR, sir. We need to search your room.

"Well too bad. I'm trying to sleep, so kindly leave." The look in his eyes said that he didn't have much patience, but the ranger persisted.

"Are you alone here sir?"

"What kind of a question is that?" He seemed offended. "Of course I'm…" The man was interrupted as quiet thud emerged from behind the closed bathroom door next to them, as though somebody had tripped over. A quiet expletive followed soon after. "…not alone!" The man finished, with a look that suggested he'd changed his story at the last second.

"Who else is with you sir?" The male ranger asked.

"Just my wife." The male ranger replied quickly. "My second wife that is. First wife cheated on me with my FEMALE receptionist, goddamn bitch. Say hello dear!"

"Hello!" A distinctly female voice said from behind the door.

"May we speak with your wife sir?" The female ranger asked. The man froze, as though thinking for a reply, when the sound of a shower running emerged from behind the door.

"Sorry, but my wife was just getting in the shower." The man said hurriedly, almost as soon as the shower started. He sounded like he was desperate to get them to leave.

"It'll only take a second." The female ranger said, before placing her hand on the handle of the bathroom door. The man's hand immediately grabbed hers.

"You can't go in there! She's fucking naked!" He said anxiously. The male ranger responded by placing his hunting rifle against the man's cheek. When the female ranger spoke, it was in a cold tone.

"Sir, according to the new regulations put in place by General Lee Oliver, it is against the law for any citizen to touch an NCR soldier or ranger without the soldier or ranger's express permission beforehand. Doing so is a serious offence, punishable by however the wounded party, ME, chooses. I am choosing to have my fellow ranger put a bullet through your skull. That is, of course, unless you release your hand this instant." The man immediately complied, and the female ranger flashed an obviously fake smile before opening the bathroom door. The second she did so, she was grabbed by the throat, and forced face first into the toilet.

*Layla*

The male ranger looked absolutely gobsmacked as Layla plunged his partner's face into the toilet, before slamming the toilet lid against her head over and over again. After allowing his partner to be bludgeoned repeatedly with the toilet lid for about five seconds, he snapped out of his confusion and took aim with his hunting rifle. He forgot about the man in the dressing gown, so didn't see the kick to the groin coming until it was too late.

"Fuck you!" The man said, as his foot collided with the male ranger's crotch. The male ranger dropped his rifle, and his hands went to his crotch as pain paralysed him. Layla simply smirked, drew her knife, and charged. The man put as much space between himself and Layla as possible, cowering behind the bed as Layla introduced her knife to the male ranger's throat. She stabbed the blade into his throat again and again spraying his blood all over her face and neck as she brutalised him. After about ten seconds, she stopped stabbing him, and allowed his corpse to slide to the floor. She walked back into the bathroom, washed the blood off her face and neck in the sink, before walking over to the toilet. She had no idea if the ranger was still alive or not, so she put her knife back on her belt, drew that gun, lifted the lid and the toilet seat, and blew a hole through the female ranger's skull. The toilet water turned red, and Layla put the lid and seat back down, before flushing the toilet and walking out of the bathroom.

"Okay, thanks for the help. Like you said, one good turn deserves another, so I'm going to get out of your hair now." The man looked less pleased than she'd expected as he poked his head up from behind the bed.

"WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?" He yelled, a disbelieving look on his face. "You murdered two people, got blood all over my room, and now you're just going to walk away?"

"You can dump the bodies off the balcony like I did, and the blood will probably wash out."

"NO IT WON'T! The walls are white! The carpet is brown! The blood will stain, and it's not coming out!"

"What do you care?"

"There's a hole in my wall, and red stains on both my wall, and my carpet! How much do you want to bet I'm going to be arrested for murder within the next few days?"

"Then stay in a different hotel." Before the man could come back with anything, she left the room, shutting the door behind her, before running down the corridor.

*Campbell*

"Damn I'm good." Campbell said out loud, before stepping back to admire his handiwork. The vertibird was ready to fly alright. He grinned, before getting out his radio and calling Layla. "Layla, you there?" He asked, only to hear several loud noises in response. They sounded like gunshots. As he listened, there were a few more gunshots, accompanied by a loud battle cry, and followed by loud screams of pain. After about ten seconds of this, Layla responded.

"Hey." She said, sounding quite out of breath. "Sorry about that, I was just fighting some NCR rangers. What's up?"

"I've got the vertibird running. Don't bother heading up to the suite when you get there, just go up to the roof instead. I'm going to tell Veronica to bring Arcade up here too."

"What about all our stuff?"

"No worries, I'll infiltrate the casino and come back for it later."

"Okay…great." Layla started panting, and Campbell raised an eyebrow.

"You okay?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"Not really." She replied. "These NCR bastards just keep coming, and I'm only on the 35th floor. I'm worn out."

"Not much further now."

"Like hell." Layla gave out an annoyed sigh. "Alright, I'm carrying on now. Just about to go up to the 36th floor."

"Good luck." With that, Campbell attempted to call the radio Veronica usually used. "Alright Veronica, we're ready to go. Bring Arcade up here." No response. "Veronica?" He heard nothing from the other end of the line. _What the hell?_

*Layla*

Two gunshots rang out across the corridor, and two NCR soldiers dropped dead, with bullet holes in their foreheads. _I never thought I'd say this…but I'm getting really sick of killing NCR soldiers. _Layla thought, while taking a second to catch her breath. She leant back against a wall, relaxed her breathing…and looked in horror as a flashbang landed at her feet. She didn't even have time to curse before the grenade went off, eliminating her senses with a huge flash of light. Layla's sight and hearing failed her, and she swore loudly to the heavens as she stumbled around blindly. The next thing she was aware of was a striking pain in her gut, before a pain in her back as she hit something. Then…nothing. Despite fighting the NCR for years, she hadn't actually encountered flashbangs very often, so was still unused to their effects. She had no idea how long it took her to recover from the grenade's effects, but as her vision started to return, she saw that she was on her back. A male ranger stood over her, dressed in ranger patrol armour, and backed by at least five other rangers. He was saying something, probably gloating, but fortunately, Layla was still deaf. She gave him the finger to shut him up, and he promptly stood on her with a heavy combat boot. Layla hissed in pain, and heard herself do so as her hearing started to return.

"Can you hear this?" The male ranger asked with a sneer as he fired a revolver into the air.

"Nope, sorry." Layla replied, matching his sneer. "Try putting it in your mouth, then firing. That should help me hear it."

"Cute." He replied, before pointing the revolver downwards. "I don't know what the big fuss is…you weren't nearly as difficult to capture as I expected. All it took was one flashbang, and you were helpless against us."

"If you thought me like a man, the results would be different." Layla growled, prompting him to laugh.

"Fight you like a man? You mean like the hundred or so NCR soldiers and rangers you've killed? Did they fight you like men? You'll forgive me if I don't follow their idiocy."

"So…what, are you going to drag me to Oliver?" He shook his head.

"What, so you can escape again? Oh no…I'm putting an end to you right now." With that, his finger tightened on his revolver. "Goodbye Red Blade Witch." Before he could reply, blood spurted all over his face. Horrified by this, he turned to the side…to see one of his soldiers with a katana through her neck. The hooded figure who wielded the sword pulled it out of the ranger's neck, before kicking the patrol armour ranger in the face. He fell to the ground, landing right next to Layla.

"Hi." She said menacingly, before rolling onto him and drawing her combat knife. He tried to fire his revolver, but she sliced off his fingers. While he screamed, she began cutting his face. She slashed again, and again, and again, until the son of a bitch's face was unrecognisable. As she cut, she heard sounds of battle behind her, including gunshots, screams of pains, the swish of a katana cutting through the air…and the unmistakable thump of a power fist meeting somebody's face. Once the ranger stopped screaming, and her knife was absolutely covered with blood, Layla got to her feet. She returned her knife to her belt, before holding out her hand. Veronica immediately put the katana in said hand. "Thanks for the assist." Layla said, wiping the ranger's blood from her face as she did so.

"You're welcome." Veronica replied with a smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching Arcade?"

"Yeah, but I disliked my assigned role in Campbell's plan, so I decided to come down here and help you."

"And Arcade?"

"I put the sack back on his head and tied him to the chair so he can't escape while I'm gone." Layla sighed.

"We're trying to get this guy to help us for crying out loud. He already hates us, so I doubt the Sack of Death and the Chair of Bound Hands are going to change his disposition towards us."

"Well if you can think of a better way of keeping him in line, I'd like to hear it." Veronica pouted. Layla shook her head.

"This isn't important right now. Let's get back up to the suite, then drag Arcade up to the roof."

"I'm right behind you." Veronica's eyes slowly began to drift over Layla's exposed torso, on which she wore only her bra. "By the way…I like the new look." She said with a wide smile. Layla playfully slapped her on the arm in response.

"It wasn't my choice. I got stabbed in the gut; had to use Swank's jacket as a makeshift bandage." Veronica's expression changed.

"Who did it? Show me, and I'll stab them until my arm aches."

"I beat you to it. It was a ranger named Patton. I threw him out of a window."

"That death's far too quick."

"Yeah, but I didn't have time to drag it out."

"Your hand's bleeding too." A concerned look appeared on Veronica's face, and she held up Layla's bloodsoaked right hand to examine it.

"Had to use it to block a knife; the blade cut my hand right open." Layla explained, as Veronica took off her power fist and put it on the floor, then ripped off a piece of her robe and wrapped it around the injured hand. The fingers of her right hand intertwined with Layla's, while the other hand slowly and delicately wrapped the makeshift bandage around Layla's hand. Veronica was surprisingly warm, and her skin was pleasantly soft. Layla couldn't help enjoying the contact, and Veronica blushed slightly as Layla gripped her hand back. Eventually however, the makeshift bandage had been fully tied, and Veronica let go of Layla's fingers, but not before kneeling down and gently kissing the hand.

"There, I kissed it better." She looked up at Layla with a small, happy smile. "Now it's good as new." There was a brief pause, as Layla struggled to think of a response.

"Thanks." She said eventually, with a warm smile. Veronica just winked, before getting to her feet.

"Shall we?" She asked, holding out her hand. Layla nodded, before gripping Veronica's hand with her bandaged hand. Veronica reached down, picked up her power fist, and ran down the corridor, dragging Layla behind her by the hand.

*Arcade*

_I really hate this sack._ Arcade thought to himself as he sat bound in the chair in Layla's meeting room (Though it seemed more like a torture chamber), trying not to sniff the sack on his face and losing himself in his thoughts to pass the time. Though being stuck there was incredibly boring, he had been able to entertain himself by going over the chess game in his head. Campbell was smarter than he'd expected, and had certainly played well, but Arcade was absolutely sure he would've won if they'd carried on. He had no idea how long he'd been tied up, but in that time he had gone over every possible move Campbell could have made, and there was no way the merc could've pulled a victory out of that situation. _Damn I'm good at chess. _He thought, with no small measure of pride.

His mind then drifted to that other girl, the one who seemed to be Layla's right hand. She'd never said her name, but she'd certainly made her connection to Layla obvious. All the while Arcade had been insulting Layla (Both with sarcasm and without), the girl had stuck up for her, and had even threatened him. It seemed Layla had made somebody else as crazy as her. A shame really, the girl had probably been nice before Layla had met her. He wondered if Layla had destroyed her life too, as she'd destroyed his. She seemed to be awfully adept at destroying lives, even when she didn't mean to. In a way, it was sad, though Arcade found it difficult to feel sympathy for a woman that had threatened to cut his eyes out. He'd expected the girl to be civil when Layla wasn't around, which was why he got a mild surprise when she'd walked into the room God knows how long ago, tied him to the chair again, then returned the bag to his head, all without a word. He assumed the suite was empty now, though the walls were soundproofed so there was no actual way of knowing.

Just as he was trying to think of something else to occupy his time, he heard the door to the meeting room slam open. His first thought was that either Layla or the other girl had returned. Then he heard a loud male voice shout out of the room.

"There's someone tied up in here!" He then heard a few hurried footsteps, before being slightly blinded as the sack was suddenly removed from his head. Once he could see again, he saw two NCR rangers looking at him, and felt a third behind him untying his hands. _This could be bad._ He thought surprisingly calmly. 'Bad' was an understatement. If they found out he had any sort of connection to the Enclave, they'd drag him off, and he'd likely be tortured to death. Fortunately, they seemed to see him just as one of Layla's victims. There was a chance he could use that.

"Are you alright?" A female ranger in front of him asked. She was only wearing a grey shirt and tan pants, no armour whatsoever. Though it didn't seem very wise to enter battle without armour, Arcade knew from experience that rangers rarely needed it.

"Who…who are you?" He asked, feigning ignorance. They seemed to fall for his façade.

"I'm Ranger Jones." She said with a reassuring smile. "My squad and I were sent up here to find The Red Blade Witch. This is her suite isn't it?"

"I…I'm not sure." Arcade stammered, looking around with a confused expression on his face. "The last thing I remember is being chased across the desert, then I woke up here. I don't know how long I've been here for." Jones' expression softened, and a look of sympathy appeared on her face.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."

"Chief, somebody just entered the suite." The other ranger in front of Arcade told Jones. "I think it's her."

"Alright." Jones said seriously, getting to her feet and drawing a revolver as she did so. The man behind Arcade finished untying his hands at that moment, and walked around the chair to stand next to Jones. "Let's do this." With that, the three rangers left the room, charging into battle. As Arcade massaged his wrists, he heard several screams of pain out in the corridor, and a few seconds later, Jones' severed head rolled past the meeting room door. A few seconds later, Layla and her female sidekick walked in.

Layla certainly looked like she'd seen better days. Her face was littered with many small cuts and bruises, she was coated in sweat, and she was panting as though she'd been running for a while. Her recon armour was zipped up only to her stomach, which had a white Chairmen's jacket wrapped around it, meaning that the only covering she had on her upper body was a black bra. Her right hand was bandaged, and there was a small amount of blood on her face. It didn't seem to be hers though, and wiped it off as she and the girl entered. It was at this moment that Arcade realised he'd never actually seen Layla fight, apart from when he'd fought her himself and had his head slammed into a desk as a result. As he saw the sheer amount of blood coating her katana, and smelt the scent of dead people waft in from the corridor, he had a feeling that watching her fight was the last thing he wanted.

"Layla." He said stonily as she approached.

"Arcade." She responded in much the same tone.

"Veronica." The girl next to Layla cut in. "I'm Veronica. Hi." She said quickly to Arcade, before holding out a hand. "Come on, we have to go." He ignored her, instead getting up himself.

"Should I ask what's happening, or do I not want to know?" He asked wearily. Layla was quick to reply, and sounded awfully casual when doing so.

"The casino is full to brim with NCR personnel, and they're all trying to kill me. We have to get to the roof so that Campbell can fly us out of here on his vertibird." Arcade knew he should be showing some measure of surprise at this, but no emotion appeared on his face.

"It would seem that I didn't want to know." He said irritably as he pushed his glasses down onto his nose, before rubbing his eyes. "Alright, lead the way." Layla nodded, before walking out of the room. Arcade followed, while Veronica covered the rear.

*Layla*

As the three of them walked out of the suite, Layla remembered that they only needed to take one staircase to reach the roof. There weren't actually any more rooms in the casino, so there was no official staircase, but there was a maintenance room near the suite which led up to the roof. _Almost there._ She thought happily, ignoring the aching of her bones as she led the way to the maintenance room. As they reached the door however, she heard footsteps charging up the staircase behind her.

"Crap…not again." She said in an exasperated tone as five rangers charged up the stairs towards her, all wearing patrol armour. With her katana in one hand, she used her other to hold open the door for Arcade. "Arcade, get up to the roof. We'll meet you there." He nodded, before running through the door. She shut it behind him, before drawing That Gun in her free hand.

"Five on two…I almost feel sorry for them." Veronica said with a grin as she got into a fighting pose.

"I did at first too." Layla replied with an equal grin. She put down her katana for a second, before taking out some armour piercing rounds she'd gotten from the suite, and loading them into That Gun. "Trust me…you get over it. Having finally reached the top of the stairs, the five rangers arranged themselves in a semi-circle pattern, obviously trying to surround the two girls. Layla picked up her katana, as one of the rangers stepped forward.

"Red Blade Witch, this is your last…" The ranger began, but Layla had heard enough orders to surrender that night to last a lifetime. As the ranger started to flap his gums, Layla put a bullet right between his eyes with That Gun. The other rangers looked shocked for a second, but reacted quickly. They all took aim with their various rifles and shotguns, while Layla and Veronica charged forwards.

Veronica charged two shotgun wielding rangers before jumping into the air and delivering a flying kick. One ranger went down instantly, dropping his shotgun in the process, while Veronica landed on her feet and delivered an elbow to the nose of the other ranger. He tried to strike her with the butt of his shotgun, but she just weaved to the side effortlessly to dodge his attack. She delivered two fast jabs to his jaw with her non power fist hand, before kicking him backwards. The other ranger got to his feet, before drawing a combat knife and trying to stab Veronica. She darted back to dodge, before firing off a single punch with her power fist hand. She punched the ranger right in the arm, and he cried out as she snapped the bone in two. As he was distracted by the pain in his arm, she delivered a straight kick (With toes pointed outward), directly to his chin. His head shot back, and the blow knocked him right to the floor. While the ranger with the broken arm lay motionless on the floor, the other ranger got up. He had his shotgun pointed at Veronica, but screamed in pain as a bullet from That Gun, fired by Layla from across the room, blew his kneecap apart. He started to fall, but Veronica caught him, before snapping his neck and letting him drop.

Layla meanwhile rolled right between two rangers armed with hunting rifles. She got to her feet behind them, before slashing out with her blade. One of the rangers, a woman, darted back, while the other, a man, brought up his armoured arms to block the blade. Layla's blade rebounded off his armour, and he laughed before trying to strike her with the butt of his rifle. It was Layla's turn to laugh however, as she easily sidestepped his strike before slashing downwards. His eyes widened as his hunting rifle was sliced in half, and she sneered before punching him in the face with the handle of the blade. He went down quickly, but the other ranger fired in Layla's direction. She rolled to the side to dodge, before firing am armour piercing round from That Gun. The round shot right through her chest plate, and between her ribs. She stumbled backwards, shocked, and Layla promptly beheaded her. As the female ranger dropped dead, the other ranger got to his feet and tried to punch Layla in the face. She blocked using the handle of her blade, before pistol whipping the ranger in the face with That Gun. He recoiled backwards, but recovered quickly. He looked like he was about to try something else, when a kick from Veronica knocked him forwards again. Layla grinned, before crouching down. She pointed her blade upwards, before rising to her feet as he neared. He could not stop himself from moving, and his mouth opened in an expression of dread as Layla stabbed her blade upwards through his chin, and out the top of his skull.

"No matter how many times you do this, it never gets old." Layla said happily as she pulled her sword loose, before kicking the corpse to the floor.

"If we stay here and fight these fuckers all night, it probably will get old" Veronica countered. "Come on, let's head up to the roof." Layla nodded, before running to the maintenance room with Veronica in tow. They rocketed up the stairs, before arriving on the roof. Campbell's vertibird sat on the nearby helipad, making an awful racket as it prepared to take off. Campbell stood next to the door on the side of the craft waving merrily, while Arcade climbed aboard. He didn't seem to have any concern about flying whatsoever, almost as if he'd done this before. Layla didn't share his lack of concern.

"Are we sure this is safe?" She asked nervously as she looked at the large craft.

"Of course it is, the Enclave used them all the time." Veronica replied casually, before a concerned look appeared on her face as she noticed the worry in Layla's eyes. "Layla? Is something wrong?"

"I…I've never flown before, and…"

"You're scared?" Veronica seemed surprised. Layla nodded, embarrassed, and Veronica took her hand. "There's nothing to worry about. I'll be by your side the whole time."

"But…" Veronica put a finger to Layla's lips, shushing her before she could object.

"Trust me, it'll be fine." She said supportively. Layla smiled gratefully, and nodded, before walking with Veronica towards the vertibird. Before they could reach it however, Campbell called out to them. The vertibird was strikingly loud, and he had to shout to be heard over the din.

"GUYS! PROBLEM!" He pointed behind them as he shouted, and they turned to see something that made Layla's blood run cold. Three black rangers ran onto the roof after them, assault carbines at the ready. Layla considered running to the vertibird, but doubted they'd make it in time. Instead, she formed another idea, a ludicrously insane idea, as was her forte.

"TAKE OFF!" She yelled at Campbell. The merc clearly wasn't sure he'd heard her right.

"WHAT?"

"TAKE OFF! FLY PAST THE ROOF WITH THE DOOR OPEN, AND WE'LL JUMP IN!" His response was predictable.

"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?"

"YES, NOW FUCKING DO IT!" Campbell didn't seem convinced, but he nodded, before getting into the vertibird. Layla and Veronica meanwhile took cover behind nearby air conditioning units as the rangers opened fire. Ignoring the bullets behind her, Layla's eyes widened in amazement as she watched the vertibird take off. Besides birds, Layla had never seen anything fly before, and was struck by a sense of wonder as the large machine began to hover in the air. As the craft took off, the rangers ignored her and Veronica, instead firing on the vertibird. Their bullets bounced harmlessly off the vertibird's armour, and the large vehicle immediately returned fire. A Gatling laser on the nose of the craft fired a barrage of red death at the rangers, causing them to hide behind some air conditioning units, as their armour wasn't designed to fend off lasers. One ranger decided not to get into cover, and he was decimated by the torrent of laser fire. The lasers burned through his armour, scorching him alive and reducing him to a pile of dust. Once take off was complete, the vertibird soared into the air, and the rangers vacated their cover, now free to attack Layla and Veronica in peace.

"What's the plan?" Veronica asked as the two rangers stepped slowly closer, assault carbines at the ready. Layla responded by rolling out of cover, before firing That Gun's armour piercing rounds at one of the rangers. He swerved to the side to dodge her shot, before opening fire with his carbine. Layla rolled back behind the air conditioning unit, while Veronica climbed over hers, before rushing the two rangers. She launched a flying kick at one of them, but he was faster than she expected. He blocked the kick with his carbine, before hitting Veronica in the chest with a quick kick as she landed. She stumbled back, and he charged forwards before using his carbine as a bat to strike her. She grabbed the gun mid swing, but he kicked her legs out from under her, causing her to tumble to the ground. He pointed his carbine down, but Layla used That Gun to shoot it from his grasp.

The other ranger, the one who still held his gun, opened fire on Layla, but she surprised him by charging forwards. Using the various air conditioning units as cover, she ran around the roof, ending up at the ranger's side. She charged forwards, before slashing with her sword. Unlike the less experienced rangers she'd fought, he didn't use his carbine to block, instead rolling under her slash. He got to his feet behind her, before delivering a quick chop to the back of her neck. The attack knocked her forwards, and he kicked her in the small of her back to knock her face first to the floor. She rolled onto her back seconds after landing on the floor, before firing upwards with That Gun. He darted backwards to avoid her armour piercing rounds, while she climbed to her feet and rushed him with her sword.

While Layla faced off against the other ranger with her sword, Veronica got to her feet and fought the unarmed ranger hand to hand. She smiled confidently, before aiming a punch at his face with her power fist. He surprised her however before swaying under her attack, before grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him. He kneed her in the stomach, before headbutting her in the face with his helmet and throwing her across the roof. She landed face first on the floor a few feet away from him, blood pouring out of her nose. Getting slightly angry now, she got to her feet before trying a spinning roundhouse kick. He ducked under her attack however, before opening his palm and striking Veronica behind the knee with his outstretched fingers as the leg sailed over him. The attack made Veronica grit her teeth in pain, and she stumbled slightly. The ranger proceeded to deliver a barrage of punches to her face. She brought both hands up in front of her face to block, but one jab hit her in the gut, and he grabbed her arm before judo flipping her over his shoulder. She landed on her back, pain filling her body, and slowly got to her feet as he rushed her again. He tried to kick her in the throat, but she grabbed his foot with both hands, before kicking him in his unprotected neck. He was stunned by this, allowing her to launch a knee strike behind the knee of his leg, before letting go of the leg and punching his chestpiece with her power fist. The chestpiece was impressively strong, refusing to break under the strain, but the attack still hurt his chest, and still managed to knock him off his feet. He landed on his back, but quickly used a kip up to get back to his feet. He laughed, before throwing his helmet off. Veronica was surprised to see that he was a ghoul.

"Not bad kid." He said in the raspy voice typical of most ghouls. "But you're out of your league. I've been doing this since before you were born, and…" Veronica cut him off by spitting in his eye. While he was distracted by this, she shot out a rapid kick, aimed at his jaw. He surprised her however by batting her foot away with his hand, before performing a jumping knee strike that hit Veronica in the jaw. She was knocked sprawling, until she landed on her back, right at the edge of the roof. She got up slowly, only to receive several jabs to the face. She tried to kick him, but he ducked, before grabbing her leg with both hands, getting to his feet, and throwing her over his shoulder. She rolled as she landed, before getting back to her feet and punching with her power fist. He leaned his head to the side to dodge, before kicking her quickly in the kidneys. She stumbled back, but he grabbed her robes and pulled her back forwards again, before smacking his forearm into her face and kneeing her in the chin. She sagged, barely conscious, and he span around before pushing her in the direction of the roof's edge. She landed flat on her face, inches away from the edge of the roof, and he cockily walked towards her before standing on her back. "Shame you had to associate with The Red Blade Witch kid. Say goodbye."

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" Layla screamed from the other side of the roof, only to be silenced as the other ranger struck her in the throat with the barrel of his carbine. She staggered back, before trying a horizontal slash aimed at his throat. He ducked under the attack, before chopping her in the sternum. She tried to fire That Gun, but he grabbed her wrist, before wrenching it behind her back and twisting. Layla fell to her knees as agony filled her wrist.

"In the name of the NCR, I'm placing you under arrest." He said coldly, while standing behind her and twisting her wrist in the most painful way possible. "Unfortunately for you, the penalty is death." With his free hand, he pressed the barrel of his assault carbine into the back of her head. "Your rampage ends here." Before he could fire however, the loud sound of rotor blades filled the air. From her position on the floor, Layla couldn't see anything. She heard a few shots, then the ranger's grip on her wrist suddenly vanished. She wondered what had happened, when she brought her wrist to her face and saw that it was covered with a green liquid. She spun around, and saw the vertibird flying nearby. Arcade was leaning out of the open door, a plasma rifle in his hands. She waved to him gratefully, before remembering Veronica. She turned back to her friend, and saw that the ranger had left her, while he ran to take cover behind a nearby air conditioning unit. Layla wanted to cut his head off, but knew there was no time. She ran over to her injured friend, before helping her to her feet.

"Did…did I win?" Veronica asked in a daze. Layla felt rage fill her as she saw what had happened to her friend, before spinning around as she heard 7 assault rifles cock simultaneously.

"Shit." She said out loud, as seven rangers stood before her, with more pouring onto the roof behind them. The ghoul who had beat up Veronica was in front of them, looking particularly confident.

"Nowhere to run Witch." He rasped, arms behind his back as his fellow rangers stepped closer. "Surrender now, and your friend there won't be harmed."

"Right…not until you bastards execute her anyway." Layla bit back.

"That's not my call." The ghoul said calmly. "Just give up. There's been enough bloodshed today."

"I disagree." Layla growled, barely holding on to Veronica as the scribe fell unconscious. "When I've killed you for hurting her, then there'll have been enough bloodshed." He chucked, making Layla's ire grow even stronger.

"You've lost, we've won. Only you get to decide whether you leave here on your own two feet, or in a body bag." As he continued to flap his rotted gums, the vertibird flew into the air behind the group of rangers. Layla grinned.

"If it all the same to you ghoul, I'd rather leave here by air." Before the ghoul could figure out what she was talking about, a barrage of laser fire rained down on him. He darted to the side seconds before being assailed by burning death, but his allies weren't so lucky. Screams of pain filled the rooftops as rangers fell left and right, some scorched to death, some reduced to piles of dust. The ghoul stayed behind an air conditioning unit, while two rangers made their way closer to Layla. She backed away, but stopped on reaching the edge of the roof. The two rangers pointed their assault carbines at her, but didn't see the vertibird behind them, flying across the roof straight towards them. Layla grinned, before diving to the side. The rangers were confused, until they heard rotor blades behind them. They turned around, just in time to meet the nose of the vertibird as it barrelled into them at great speed. They were knocked flying backwards, off the roof, and screamed as their broken bodies fell 53 floors down to the hard pavement below.

After plowing into the two rangers, the vertibird hovered beside Layla side on, open door beckoning her. Arcade motioned for her to get on, but she ignored him. Veronica had to go first.

"CATCH!" She yelled, before throwing Veronica towards the open door. A look of surprise appeared on Arcade's face, and he barely managed to catch the flying scribe, though he had to drop his plasma rifle in order to do so. While he carried Veronica bridal style inside the vertibird, Layla took her turn to jump. She resisted the urge to look down at the city far below, instead taking a deep breath, and stepping back. Since all the rangers but the ghoul were dead, there was nobody to stop her from stepping back, and taking a running start. She ran to the edge at high speeds, before leaping as soon as her feet ran out of space to run. She sailed through the air for what seemed like forever. The whole experience felt like a dream, and she only snapped back to reality when she landed headfirst on the hard metal floor inside the vertibird. While she slowly got to her feet, Arcade slammed the door shut and Campbell put the vertibird into high gear.

"Hang on to something!" He warned, seconds before the vertibird shot through the air, leaving The Tops far behind. Layla had never flown before…and she quickly realised that she didn't care for it. She loudly ordered Campbell to slow down, and he immediately obeyed. Once they are flying at a decent speed, she plopped down into a nearby metal seat. The unconscious Veronica was sat in the seat in front of her, seatbelt tightly fastened so that she didn't fly out. Layla fastened her seatbelt too, as Arcade sat down next to her.

"Well, that was…eventful." He said tiredly as he fastened his seatbelt, doing a much better job of it then Layla.

"Arcade…you saved my life out there…with the plasma rifle and all." He looked flustered for a second.

"Yes…well…maybe I don't hate you as much as I thought." She smiled. "But don't push it." He smiled.

"So where now?" Layla asked Campbell.

"We're going to hide out in the shack where I found Arcade for a few days. It's in the middle of nowhere, and Arcade knows the area so it'll be easy to keep watch for intruders, or defend in case of an attack."

"Fair enough." Layla replied, before sitting back. It had been a long, tiring day, and her eyelids were strikingly heavy. Before she knew what had happened, her eyes had forced themselves closed, and she had drifted off into slumber.

_**Why no, no I don't keep finding excuses to make Layla fight naked. What an odd thing to say. I also don't go out of my way to avoid having to do sex scenes. I don't! Really! So what if I can't write sex? Shut up!  
><strong>_

_**Wow...look at that body count. It really isn't wise to be in the NCR these days is it? They're going to have to start offering a fuck ton of health care, though life insurance would possibly be more useful, seeing as the buggers are dropping like flies. What was your favourite fatality? My personal favourite was when Layla murdered somebody with a toilet lid (I call that one: Down the Crapper), while her throwing somebody out of a window and Campbell crashing into two rangers with a vertibird, are tied for second place. Feel free to let me know your favourite. I'm being completely serious here.  
><strong>_

_**Anyway, onto plot stuff: Swank is alive, as Layla's memory randomly failed her and she forgot to kill the son of a bitch. He's lost a an eye, but the eyepatch he'll have to wear will probably attract even more women to him. He's Swank, he could attract women if he was just a head and a spine (If Layla comes back, he probably will end up as one). Meanwhile, Layla and co barely escape with their lives, though Veronica's finally found someone who can whoop her ass in hand to hand combat. The nameless ghoul will return, so you may begin anticipating a rematch. Anything else? Oh yeah...Layla randomly encountered a guy with a dressing gown and a mullet, who I came up with on the spot. His scene was so stupid, I considered leaving it out...but I fell in love with the dumb comedy of the scene and the toilet fatality, so I left it in.**_

_**So...yeah...BIG CHAPTER! That means...BIG REVIEWS! Please.  
><strong>_


	48. The Bottom

**_Spectacularly uncreative title for the win! For this chapter, we will step into the shiny shoes of Swank, and listen in as he gets a phone call from an old friend.  
><em>**

The Bottom

"Shit…" Swank hissed as he looked in the mirror…and saw what Layla had done to his once gorgeous face. Before six nights ago, when he'd been on the wrong end of a beating from the red haired one, he wouldn't have traded his face for the world. He'd been handsome, he'd had a face handcrafted by the gods themselves; hell, he'd sometimes find himself falling for the face he saw in the mirror. Now that Layla had had her way with him…that was no longer the case. He had a large black bruise on his forehead from hitting the sink face first (The Follower doctor who treated him mentioned he probably had a concussion), one of several bruises that littered his face. Several bandages were wrapped around his head, the only bandages that he hadn't been allowed to take off after his wounds had been treated. His lip still stung slightly from where Layla had bitten it, and as he opened his mouth he was reminded that she'd knocked several of his teeth out too. His nose was misshapen, no doubt due to it being broken by Layla on that fateful night. The most obvious and repulsive injury however, the injury that sent him into a near homicidal rage if he so much as thought about it, was his left eye; or rather, what was left of his left eye. Layla had taken a glass shard to the ocular organ, in what was undoubtedly the most painful experience of his entire life. It still hurt even now, doubly so if he touched it. Just looking at it was enough to make him nauseous, and so he was thankful that it was wrapped up in some of his head bandages. He'd actually passed out for a few minutes after he looked at it for the first time. One of his Chairmen bodyguards had laughed at this scene. He was now cleaning toilets.

Swank hadn't let his disfigurement ruin his appearance however. Using the right concealing makeup, the bruises on his face were almost invisible, even the big one on his forehead, and he'd taken to wearing a hat to conceal his head bandages. Oddly, given its status as the most noticeable injury on his face, his eye was actually the easiest injury to conceal. He'd borrowed an eyepatch from Tommy Torini, and had found that, by some bizarre twist of fate, it actually seemed to make him even more attractive than he had been when he'd had two eyes. It didn't matter how many women he slept with, the opposite sex would always confuse him.

He currently stood in the ensuite bathroom in the bedroom in his suite, and wore his white suite pants with no shirt. He examined his exposed chest in the mirror, and felt a smug feeling of pride. _Damn I'm gorgeous. _He thought to himself, a grin slowly spreading across his face. Luckily, Layla hadn't disfigured his perfect body at all, apart from slitting one of his wrists. The wrist was sown up now, leaving his body looking as perfect as usual. He winked/blinked at himself in the mirror, before reaching for his concealing makeup.

As he applied the makeup, he ran through the night with Layla in his head, as he'd done so many times. He had begun to admit to himself that selling Layla to the NCR might have been an unwise move. He'd wanted her out of his casino, and getting the NCR to remove her was the best plan he'd been able to think of at the time. The generous payment he'd negotiated with them had been a bonus. Of course, looking back, he realised that betraying probably the most feared person in the Mojave wasn't such a good idea. He'd been overconfident at the time; certain that she would have no chance of fighting off NCR soldiers without any sort of weapon. He'd even convinced himself that her reputation was mostly the result of hype and NCR propaganda, trying to make her seem more fearsome than she actually was. This overconfidence had of course cost him his eye. _The whole fiasco was that idiot Patton's fault. _He thought angrily as he slowly hid his bruises from the world. If Patton had shown up the morning after the sex, instead of before the sex, then many lives would've been saved, and (More importantly), he wouldn't have lost his eye. Granted, trying to make Layla fulfil her obligation to him had been a case of him trying to have his cake and eat too, and he'd probably have been better off if he hadn't been trying to screw the broad, but there was no way in hell he could've passed up a chance like that. Layla was hot, impressively so, and annoyingly so since he didn't like her at all. He'd been eagerly anticipating the chance to have carnal relations with her. As hot as Layla was however, he couldn't help thinking that keeping it in his pants would've saved his eye. Unfortunately for him, keeping it in his pants was something that Swank found impossible to do, a fact anyone who knew him could attest too.

Once he'd finished fixing his face, Swank began to unwrap the bandages that covered his eye. He had no desire whatsoever to see his disfigured eye, as that thing had haunted his nightmares enough lately, so he turned away from the mirror as he revealed it to the world. The eye still hurt, but the Med X he'd taken earlier was helping with that. Once his damaged eye was free, he dropped the bandages to the floor, before walking out of the bathroom. He walked over to his coat rack, on which his new eyepatch hung, and promptly put it on. With his eye concealed once more, he set about getting dressed. First though, he reached into the pocket of the suit jacket that hung on the rack, and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Remembering that night really made him want a smoke. A few seconds later he had a cigarette in his mouth, and a few more seconds later he'd found his lighter and set the cancer stick ablaze.

He kept the cigarette in his mouth as he got changed, picking a white shirt from his wardrobe before putting it on. The sleeves were short, just how he preferred it, and the shirt had been recently ironed by his maid. He put the shirt on, before buttoning all but one of the buttons. He left the top button open, partly because it took him forever to fasten the top button, and partly because it made him look cooler. With his shirt on, he next turned his attention towards his white suit jacket. He took it off the coat rack, before sliding his hands into the sleeves. He left the jacket open, and adjusted it until he was comfortable before dropping his cigarette to the floor and standing on it. For the finishing touch, he found a suitable black fedora in his wardrobe, and spun it briefly before putting it atop his bandage ridden head. Now fully clothed, he popped the collar of his suit jacket and grinned charismatically before stepping out of his bedroom.

As he walked to his liquor cabinet, he remembered what business he had to do today. It was currently 11:47am, and he had a meeting to go to at noon. He was in no rush though; he was the boss after all, it's not like they'd shout at him if he kept them waiting. Once the meeting was done, he had few administrative duties to do for the day, so he'd have plenty of time to pick up some girls and enjoy himself. He'd been getting laid every night since the incident, as was normal in his life, and he didn't see any reason to stop now. The only refreshment left in the cabinet was a half empty (Or half full, depending on your point of view) bottle of beer, and he wasted no time in gulping it down. Once it was empty, he threw it into a nearby bin, before leaving his suite. There were two armed chairmen station outside his suite, a precaution just in case Layla returned. They offered to accompany him to his meeting, but he refused, before stepping up to the elevator. Before he could press the button, the elevator doors opened. A lone Chairmen stood in the elevator, and he briefly greeted his boss before walking past. With the elevator free, Swank walked in, before pressing the button for the lobby.

He had to admit, he had it made. He ran probably the most successful casino in New Vegas, had more money than he knew what to do with, was the most attractive man to ever walk the face of the Earth, and had the almost supernatural power to seduce any woman that he encountered without any difficulty whatsoever. In addition to these major benefits, there was also the side benefit of his massive package. His life was absolutely perfect, and even Layla's actions hadn't managed to ruin it. She'd tried to kill him, but he'd survived. She'd defaced the masterpiece that was his face, but it hadn't stopped him from drowning in sexual partners. She'd turned his casino into a warzone, but it had been cleaned up, and he'd offered discounts on everything to bring his terrified customers back. Even in the face of the car crash that had been Layla's rampage, the wheel of his life was still turning, and he planned to keep it turning for a long time to come. Though Layla was gone, he hadn't let himself become complacent; he'd had security ramped up significantly throughout the casino, to make sure the crazy bitch wouldn't be coming back. His life was still perfect…and he didn't plan to have it end any time soon.

He casually lit up another cigarette seconds before the elevator arrived at its destination, and he blew out a puff of smoke as he walked onto the main casino floor. Many Chairmen and casino regulars greeted him as he passed, and he either flashed them a smile or tipped his hat in response. One side effect of having ridiculous amounts of charisma was that a lot of people genuinely liked him. That was fine; he'd always enjoyed being the center of attention. One casino goer, a pasty fellow who Swank briefly remembered socialising with in the past, walked up to him with a drink in his hand. He shook Swank's hand, while saying something that the owner of The Tops paid no attention to whatsoever. Swank thanked the man, while taking his drink. The man looked surprised, but Swank casually walked away without a word, dropping his cigarette to the floor as he did so. He strutted through his casino, offering salutations to everyone he passed and practically radiating coolness. He passed three female gamblers, (All very attractive blondes), and they called over to him seductively. He winked/blinked at them in response, and he could feel their individual hearts flutter as his super human charm did its thing. _Looks like I've found my company for later. _He thought, before blowing a kiss to the girls and continuing on his way. He finished the stolen drink as he reached the front desk, and calmly tossed the glass over his shoulder before asking the receptionist if anything had arrived for him. He had a meeting to get to, but he was more concerned with checking if he had any mail. The receptionist replied in the negative, and Swank turned away before walking off to the meeting. He didn't get far before an NCR soldier walked into him. The soldier was about to keep going, until he realised who he'd bumped into.

"Oh, sorry Mr Swank. I didn't see you there." Swank ignored the soldier, instead smoothing out his jacket. Once his jacket was smooth again, he looked back at the soldier, noticing that he was lugging a prisoner. The prisoner was a man clad in a light blue dressing gown, and currently had his hands bound by handcuffs. Swank didn't recognise the dressing gown, but he did recognise the mullet atop the prisoner's head. He vaguely recalled serving this gentleman about a week ago.

"This man is a customer of The Tops." Swank said simply, not bothering to put on the fake dialect that all Chairmen used. He hadn't used the dialect since his night with Layla; it had somehow lost its appeal. "Where are you taking him?"

"This man has connections to the Red Blade Witch. I'm taking him to be interrogated on the orders of General Oliver." The soldier replied respectfully. Swank doubted the young man had any respect for him whatsoever, but angering a man as powerful as him was never a good idea. The soldier undoubtedly wanted to stay on his good side.

"Mr Swank, it's fucking bullshit!" The prisoner said, a pleading look in his eyes. "I didn't fucking do anything! Please, don't let them take me!" Swank smirked.

"And why should I stop them?" He asked. The man was visibly dumbfounded.

"Wha…what?" He asked, clearly confused.

"As I'm sure you heard, Layla attacked me 6 nights ago, costing me my eye. If you're in league with her, I should be paying them to take you."

"But I'm not!"

"And how do I know that?" The man began to look more and more desperate.

"Please…they're going to torture me. I'm begging you…help me!" The man looked like he was utterly terrified. Had Swank cared about any life but his own, he might've felt sorry for the man. Unfortunately for the man, immense wealth had a way of making one narcissistic.

"Have fun." Swank said pleasantly with a tip of the hat, before walking away. He heard the man shout various expletives at him, shortly before he was dragged out of the casino. Now that that business was done with, Swank headed to his meeting…

"Boss, phone for you!"…only to be interrupted as the Chairman at the reception desk called out to him. Swank sighed, before turning to the Chairman.

"Is it a woman?" He'd had more one night stands than he could count, which inevitably meant that women he'd slept with called for him around the clock. He made an effort to ignore them all.

"No, it's a guy." The Chairmen responded, causing Swank to raise his eyebrow. What male could possibly be calling him? Unless it was that woman he'd spent a drunken night with in New Reno years ago…before realising in the morning that 'she' wasn't a woman at all. In retrospect, the Adam's apple should've tipped him off.

"Does he know me from New Reno?" The Chairmen looked confused, but he nonetheless repeated the question to the caller. He gave Swank the answer a few seconds later.

"No." _Oh thank god. _As pleased as he was that the male he'd slept with wasn't the caller, Swank couldn't help wondering who the caller could possibly be. In order to satiate his curiosity, he took the phone from the Chairman before speaking into it.

"Hello?" The response from the other end of the line was quick.

"Ring-a-ding-ding." A familiar voice said mockingly. Swank almost dropped the phone.

"Campbell?!" He choked out eventually, after a lengthy pause.

"Hey baby…it's been too long." Campbell replied, ridiculing the Chairmen's style of speech even as he taunted Swank. Terror stabbed into Swank's heart like a knife, but he managed to calm himself down enough to answer.

"How the hell did you get this number?" Was all he could think of to say. His question was answered with mocking laughter.

"You're joking right? Swank…we've known each other for five years. You've heard of my exploits. You know what I'm capable of. Finding the telephone number for The Tops, a phone number that you include on posters that advertise the casino, was probably one of the least difficult things I've had to do recently." Swank gritted his teeth in anger, turning away from the receptionist as he did so.

"You've got some nerve calling me after what your boss did." Swank growled. "Did you see what that bitch did to my face?!"

"You look fine to me. But, then again…the image quality isn't great on your security feed." Swank's jaw dropped.

"What are you…" He began, but ended the sentence to turn to his left. As the man in charge of The Tops, Swank knew the casino better than anyone, so he knew exactly where to look to find a security camera. His eyes locked on to a security camera on the other side of the casino floor, before widening considerably. "You can see me." He said slowly, and a peculiar sound answered him from the over side of the phone. It sounded like clapping.

"You figured that out quickly." Campbell said, sounding somewhat smug. "I hacked in to your security cameras. Give me a wave." Swank gave the security camera the finger, surprising the receptionist behind him. "Oh, now that was just rude."

"Alright Campbell, you have my attention." Swank said seriously, not letting his anger or his fear seep into his voice. "What do you want?"

"Who, me?" Campbell sounded surprised by the question. "I don't want anything really. Though I wouldn't mind a chat. I need somebody to talk to."

"About what?" Swank asked, growing more nervous by the second. _What the hell is that lunatic up to? _He wondered to himself.

"Oh you know, just the topics that interest me. Hacking, explosives, murder, revenge, you know, the usual. If you play along, I promise that afterwards we'll talk about something that interests you...like eyepatches, for instance." Swank clenched his fist as Campbell mocked him.

"You know Campbell, it's funny." Swank began, a snide smile appearing on his face. Campbell was quick to comment.

"Your eye? I agree. It's hilarious." Swank barely managed to keep his anger in check as Campbell said that. He was very sensitive about his eye.

"No. I mean, it's funny that you and I are now enemies. I actually liked you a little." Campbell chuckled at that.

"Yeah, that was kind of the point. Having the head of a prominent casino like you results in free drinks and other favours. I tried to genuinely like you…but you like yourself far too much for that to be possible."

"Since you were such a good customer, I'll give you one chance to give yourself up." Campbell laughed again.

"Aw, are you going to say I was your best friend too? I mean…I know you don't have a worthwhile relationship with any other human being since you treat all women as sex objects and all men as things in your way, and the only person you can talk honestly to is your own reflection, but thinking of me as your friend? Wow…that's kind of sad to be honest. I'd almost feel sorry for you…if your fake Chairmen accent hadn't made me contemplate suicide so many times in the past." Swank's one good eye started to twitch, as his anger began to take over.

"Who do you think you're talking to?!" Swank said as his face twisted into a scowl.

"Swank, if you don't want me to insult you, don't set me up for such easy lines."

"You can't talk to me that way. I'm Swank. I run the most popular casino in the city, I'm a millionaire…"

"And you have a compulsive need for attention." Campbell interrupted. Swank went silent, and Campbell readily elaborated. "You need everybody to notice you, don't you? It's all about you, am I right? Why is that exactly?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think I do. Tell me Swank, why do you need everybody else to notice you? Do you feel…inadequate? Do you need attention from others to justify to yourself that you're not a pitiful waste of life? Can you only think that you're worth a damn if you get attention from others? Is that why you wear the fancy suit, sleep with so many women, use that annoying Chairmen dialect and act like such an ass all the time? Is it so that you can feel like you actually matter?"

"Shut your fucking mouth." Swank snapped, the volume of his voice rising slightly. Others around him began to notice, but he ignored them.

"You don't matter you know. All this acting out that you're doing? It's a waste of time. You're nothing, and when you die, nobody will mourn you. Hell, nobody will even remember you."

"You don't know what you're talking about! I'm Swank; women love me, and men want to be me. I do matter, I'm the most important person on the Strip, I'm perfect. Do you hear me you little bitch?! I'M PERFECT!" Mocking laughter was Campbell's only response, causing Swank's ire to rise and rise, beyond his control.

"Wow." Campbell jeered. "Sounds like you're having a little meltdown there Swank old buddy. Did I hit a nerve?" Swank felt a growing urge to shout and scream at Campbell, but he managed to keep it in check. People were already starting to stare, and while any publicity was good publicity, he didn't want people to know that he was on the phone with a maniac like Campbell until he was sure that the casino was safe. If the casino patrons knew that they were in danger, they would leave, and he absolutely could not have that. He told the nearby receptionist to get him a drink, and the man promptly ran off, not wanting to make Swank any angrier than he currently was. After taking a few seconds to calm down, Swank spoke into the phone again, now much calmer, and ready to find out just what Campbell was planning.

"You didn't call me up just to insult me." Swank said somewhat calmly.

"Maybe I did." Campbell replied. "It's quite fun."

"Let's just get down to business shall we? You called me for something. Was it to threaten vengeance for betraying Layla, or…" Swank was cut off by a brief torrent of mocking laughter from Campbell. He felt his blood pressure start to rise again.

"Threaten? You don't get it do you? I don't need to threaten to kill you…because you're going to die today anyway. I just wanted my voice to be the last voice you ever hear." Swank froze, and sweat began to run down his face as his heartbeat sped up dramatically.

"You're bluffing." More laughter from Campbell.

"Something you should know by now Swank: I don't bluff."

"Bullshit. I've got security everywhere. Since Layla escaped I have made The Tops a fortress. There is no way in hell that you're getting in." Even more mocking laughter sounded in response to that. Swank was getting really sick of this.

"Swank, Swank, Swank. I've been two steps ahead of you all day."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't you get it? I'm already inside your precious casino." The receptionist returned with Swank's drink, but Swank was so shocked that he didn't even notice. _He's bluffing. _His mind suggested. _It's impossible; there's no way he could've gotten in. _"Before you say it…I'm not bluffing." Campbell said, as though reading Swank's mind. He had no idea if Campbell was telling the truth or not, but he decided to play along for now.

"Alright…let's be cool here." He said as calmly as he could, before grabbing the drink from the receptionist. "There's a dangerous lunatic in the casino. Tell all our guys to bring anyone acting suspiciously to me immediately." He whispered to the receptionist as he took the drink. The receptionist looked surprised, but he nodded, before running away to alert the guards.

"Did you tell your receptionist to raise the alarm? Won't do you any good."

"Campbell, I'm willing to make a deal here." Swank said slowly, sounding somewhat desperate.

"Are you really?" Campbell replied, sounding more than a little amused.

"Tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you. You want money? I've got plenty of that. Women? I know some girls who'll do whatever you want. Anything you want Campbell, just name it." There was a pause, as though Campbell was considering his proposal.

"Anything I want?" The insane merc asked eventually. Swank smirked. He had him now.

"Anything." There was another pause.

"Well…alright then." Swank almost cheered.

"I knew we could work this out like adults. Tell me what you want, and it's yours."

"I want you to keep begging for your life. It's really quite amusing." Swank's mouth formed a shocked O shape. "Though not as funny as your expression." Swank shook his head to pull himself together, before speaking into the phone again.

"Dammit Campbell, why are you doing this?"

"I work for Layla. She doesn't like you. It's not too complicated."

"Loyalty's never been one of your major personality traits Campbell. Why don't you ask that coin of yours what to do? I'm sure it'll tell you to make the right choice."

"It already has. It's told me to end your worthless life once and for all."

"Oh come on! Why are you so attached to Layla anyway? You barely know her!"

"She's my friend."

"So am I. Plus, you've known me for longer."

"Yeah, but I actually like Layla. You? Not so much."

"Alright fine, screw friendship and loyalty. Think about this for a second. Layla's employing you at the moment, but do you really think she'll be able to afford to pay you? She's being hunted by the NCR, and she's got nothing to her name. You'll be lucky to get a single cap out of her. I on the other hand have more caps than I know what to do with. Tell you what; you leave my casino, go to Layla, then bring her to me, and I'll forget this whole thing ever happened. I'll give you a few thousand caps and free drinks at The Tops for life, you stop trying to kill me; everybody wins."

"Including you. I don't want you to win."

"But I'm going to win anyway; you have to realise that. The only question is: will you be on the winning side, or not?"

"If you had two brain cells left to rub together…then you'd realise I'm already on the winning side." _Fuck! _Swank mentally cursed, trying to get his brain in gear as he continued to sweat. _This is getting me nowhere. _He thought rapidly. _He's not going to give up. I have to figure out just how he's planning to kill me._ Fortunately for Swank, Campbell was two things: insane, and needlessly extravagant. He did many unorthodox things and acted extremely over the top, seemingly because it amused him; calling the man he intended to kill and telling him of the planned murder was one such example. He also talked a lot. Keeping these traits in mind, it wasn't a huge stretch to think that Campbell would give away his plans if it gave him a chance to gloat.

"So, since you're going to kill me anyway, why don't you stop keeping me in suspense and tell me how you're going to kill me? I mean, it's not like I can stop you, is it?"

"Oh but Swank, don't you see? I've already told you how I'm going to kill you." Okay…that had been unexpected. Swank imagined that Campbell had a very self-satisfied grin on his face right now.

"What the hell are you talking about? You haven't told me!"

"I've said a lot of things over these past few minutes Swank. One of the things I said was a clue about how you're going to die. It was one of the first things I said too. Think about it, think about what I've said to you today." Swank's mind drew a blank. He tried to remember the merc's rambling as best he could, but nothing stood out. _This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to…wait. _Campbell said that the clue was one of the first things he had said. There was one thing he'd said earlier, after Swank had asked him what he wanted to talk about.

'_Oh you know, just the topics that interest me. Hacking, explosives, murder, revenge, you know, the usual.'_ Something about it had seemed…unusual. Now that Swank looked back on it, those four topics were relevant to things he'd mentioned. Hacking: he'd hacked into the security cameras. Murder: what he planned to do to Swank. Revenge: his main motivation for the murder. But he hadn't mentioned explosives. _Oh crap. _Swank thought, as the realization hit him like a kick to the crotch.

"Explosives…you mentioned explosives earlier." He said to Campbell. "You're going to blow me up." He heard Campbell clap on the other end of the phone, and bristled angrily.

"Bravo Swank! Nicely done." Campbell seemed quite pleased that Swank had solved his little riddle. "You've genuinely impressed me. It would seem I don't give you enough credit; behind the handsome features and the unbridled egotism, there is actually a fairly astute mind. They say a mind is a terrible thing to waste…which makes me feel a little guilty that I'm going to blow yours to kingdom come, along with your head the rest of your 'perfect' body." Fear began to fill Swank's mind, but he allowed his anger to take over. The worst thing he could do in this situation was to let Campbell intimidate him.

"So let me see if I've got this right. You somehow managed to infiltrate my casino, placed a bomb somewhere in order to kill me, then hid somewhere, hacked into the casino's security cameras, and decided to call me up just so you could taunt me?"

"That's about it." It sounded like Campbell was enjoying this immensely. Swank hoped to change that. "And yet you're smiling." Swank grinned up at the security camera, before talking into the phone.

"I don't know if you noticed, but I'm in the casino lobby. This is the most crowded area in the entire casino. There is no way in hell you could've placed a bomb here without someone spotting you."

"And what if I didn't plant a bomb there? What if I put it somewhere else, say…your suite?"

"Then I'm perfectly safe. I'll just stay here, while my guys find the bomb. You'll never be able to kill me here, where I'm surrounded by guards and witnesses." To Swank's utter annoyance, Campbell laughed again.

"Swank, you really do overestimate the effectiveness of casino security."

"My boys are more than good enough to stop you."

"You do realise I've been sneaking weapons into The Tops past those idiots for years right? Even when they find my guns, I just bribe them. Face it; your 'guys' are useless."

"They can shoot a gun, and there are a lot of them. I'm confident in my ability to survive should you come down to the lobby with a gun." There was a pause then, and Swank's grin widened. "What's the matter Campbell? Have you realised that I'm not going to die today after all? Have you…"

"Just because you run a casino, you think you're untouchable." Campbell interrupted. Swank was taken aback, as the merc's voice had changed completely. Gone was the jovial, joking tone he'd used earlier. Now his voice had taken on a much darker quality, and it chilled Swank to the bone. "Tell me Swank…was Benny untouchable? No, Layla stabbed him to death in his own suite. Marjorie? No, Layla killed her too. And I don't think I need to tell you what I did to Nero and Big Sal years ago; suffice to say, there was a lot of blood to clean up afterwards. Believe me Swank, you're not safe. You can stay there with your guards and your witnesses…but you're still going to die. I assume you heard what happened at Camp McCarran right? That was me. I turned that entire base to a pile of smouldering rubble. Take one last good look at The Tops, enjoy your legacy…because today it's going to die with you." Campbell's voice got harsher and harsher as he continued to speak, and Swank's fear began to take over. "Are you scared? Do you feel the anxiety fill you? Good. Hang on to that…let it be the last thing you feel before I bring this worthless shithole crashing down around you." At that moment, Swank had a brainstorm, and he sneered up at the camera as he spoke into the phone.

"Oh Campbell…I thought you didn't bluff."

"I'm not bluffing."

"Really? You're still inside the casino. You won't kill yourself to destroy this place." Campbell laughed bitterly.

"Do you really think self-preservation is on my list of priorities?"

"No, but serving Layla is…and you can't exactly do that if you're dead." There was a pause, and Swank grinned again. _I've got him now._

"Then I suppose I'd better leave."

"You're not getting out of here without my men finding you."

"You continue to overestimate your men. They won't find me."

"Then I'll find you. I'll stand right by these doors. They're the only way out, and you won't slip by me."

"Are you sure? After all…I've already slipped by you once today." Swank froze at that. _What? _"I even greeted you, and you still didn't notice me. Probably too busy being self-absorbed I suppose." _No…that…that's impossible. When did he…_The elevator. When he'd stepped into the elevator outside his suite, a lone Chairman had already been in there. He'd greeted Swank, then walked right past. Swank had paid no attention to him whatsoever.

"The elevator…"

"And the last horse crosses the finish line. Well done."

"Where are you?!" Swank growled from between gritted teeth. "Tell me!"

"I think not. I won't leave you completely in the dark though. Tell you what: I'll give you a clue. See if you can guess."

"Fuck you!" Swank said sharply, but Campbell ignored him.

"Okay, here's your clue: What is the only room in this entire casino in which one can find a pair of assless chaps?" Swank dropped the phone. He didn't stop to think, didn't stop to get backup, he just ran for the elevator. He charged through the casino, ignoring greetings from acquaintances and pushing aside anyone who got in his way. Once he reached the elevator, he dived in. An elderly couple were already in there, but he threw them out before hitting the button for his floor. As the elevator ascended, he drew his pistol from his jacket pocket, as his breathing got more and more panicky. He knew he should've just had his guys go up to the suite, but there was a chance that Campbell would be gone by the time they got there. He couldn't take that chance. As he made sure his pistol was ready to fire, the elevator doors opened. The smell of blood hit him immediately.

The two Chairmen who had been standing guard outside his suite, were dead. Both had been killed with a single bullet to the head…shots made by a professional. Swank gulped, before stepping over the pools of blood that had poured out of his useless thugs, and into his suite. Campbell was nowhere in sight. He looked around, pistol pointed in front of him, but the living room was empty. That meant Campbell was still in his bedroom. He knew if he had a second to think about this, he'd run away, so he didn't think, instead walking slowly towards his bedroom, pistol at the ready. Once he reached the door, he took a deep breath…before kicking it open.

"FUCK YOU CAMPBELL!" He yelled as he ran in…only to find that he was alone. His wardrobe was open, and so was the secret compartment in the back. His assless chaps had been spread on the bed…right next to a portable terminal. Swank ran over to the terminal, and spun it to face him. On the screen, he could see the feed from every security camera in the casino, and next to the terminal on the bed was a phone. Campbell had definitely been here…and there was a chance he was still here. Swank jumped away from the bed, before looking under it. Nobody there. He cursed under his breath, before stepping over to the only hiding place left in his bedroom…the ensuite bathroom. He charged in, barging the door open and pointing his gun in every direction. It was empty…but it was obvious someone had been in there.

Swank saw a photo taped to the mirror, and covered his mouth in revulsion as he saw the image on the photo. It was his eye…the eye that Layla had stabbed…the eye that made him sick to his stomach just from looking at it. Swank immediately felt bile rising in his throat, and managed to get to the toilet seconds before he fell to his knees and vomited. Once the horrible substance had left his body, he jumped to his feet. _That maniac took a picture of my eye…just to mock me._ That wasn't all he'd done. As Swank looked around the bathroom, he noticed for the first time that the walls were covered in writing...red writing. The writing was…unflattering, to say the least. Campbell had actually taken the time and effort to write insults all over the bathroom walls. 'Nice eye pretty boy', 'Mummy never loved you did she?', 'Compensating for something?' and other such mocking phrases covered his wall, and they seemed to be written in the blood of the dead Chairmen outside. Campbell was going all out in his manic attempts to ridicule Swank…and the casino owner was less than pleased. He screamed in anger and frustration, before firing his gun at the photo of his eye. Then he turned, and fired it at an insult on the wall. Then he shot another insult, and another, and another, and another. Eventually his gun clicked empty, and he threw it at the mirror, shattering the glass. He'd only just had that fixed after Layla had smashed it, but his anger would leave no items intact.

As Swank stopped to calm down, he looked away from the hideous photo, and saw an insult he hadn't read yet. It was on the wall just above the door, and it made Swank's eyes widen considerably. 'Check the email'. It said. _What fucking email?! _He felt his anger rise up…then he saw the terminal on the bed. He bolted out of the bathroom and jumped onto the bed, before checking the terminal. Sure enough, there was a single unread email in the terminal's inbox, and he hurriedly opened it. A message popped onscreen asking if he was sure, and he angrily punched the enter key to confirm. The email appeared onscreen…and as he read it, Swank felt his body go numb.

*Email*

_Hi Swank. If you're reading this, you've just signed your own death warrant. It's funny…you're the only person in the world who actually likes you, and ultimately, you've just killed yourself. I love irony. But you're likely confused; allow me to explain. You see, I did indeed place explosives; I placed them all over your precious casino. The basement, the air ducts, the support beams, and yes…even the casino floor that you were so sure I wouldn't be able to get a bomb on. However, more importantly, I placed a bomb in your suite. Nice suite by the way, very luxurious. I can tell a lot of work went into decorating the bedroom, but that's probably because you spend most of your life in there, on top of some poor girl. That bed of yours is especially noteworthy, just because of how damn comfortable it is. Probably the most comfortable bed I've laid on in a while actually. A lot of room under the bed too…more than enough room for a block of C4. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. The point is, I rigged every bomb in this place to go off 60 seconds after this email is opened. How did I do that? Complicated technical shit…never you mind. The point is…you opened the email. You triggered the bombs to blow, you destroyed your precious casino, and more importantly…you pressed the button to trigger your own demise. Getting a narcissist to unwittingly kill himself…it really is poetic justice isn't it? Well, you've only got a few seconds, so I won't make this email too long. Goodbye Swank._

_P.S: No hard feelings about this whole mess right? After all…it isn't murder if the victim pulls the trigger._

*Swank*

Swank lay on his bed as he read the email, and he didn't even have enough time to curse Campbell before the bomb under the bed went off. The bed was obliterated in the blast, and the explosion rocked the lavish bedroom, destroying most of its expensive decorations. Nobody would ever know if that bomb actually killed Swank, but if he did survive it, it's safe to say he didn't survive the other bombs. Less than a second after Swank's bomb went off, the other bombs did too. A series of explosions rocked The Tops, filling every floor with flames and sending rubble crashing down. Those on the casino floor died first, as the combination of bombs tactically placed inside slot machines and rubble from the collapsing ceiling ended the life of gambler and Chairman alike. The people on the other floors died next, as the entire casino collapsed in on itself. Some fell down several floors to their deaths, others were crushed under mountains of rubble, and some were trapped, to be burnt to death by the flames. NCR soldiers rushed onto the scene, but it was too late. They were cut off from the Strip after the loss of the Embassy and Camp McCarran, so it took them too long to come to the rescue. By the time they got there, the entire casino was a pile of smouldering rubble. There were no survivors.

*Layla*

Meanwhile, a district away from the rubble, on the balcony of the Lucky 38's penthouse suite, the Red Blade Witch looked across the city at the destruction of The Tops…and a satisfied smile appeared on her face. Revenge was a most delicious dish, whether served cold, or with the heat of a fiery explosion.

"Campbell does good work." Layla said with admiration as she looked at the destruction. Though it was a district away, she had had a perfect view of The Tops' demise from the top floor of the Lucky 38. Now she stared at the rubble, her smile widening by the second.

"You should've seen what he did to Camp McCarran." Veronica replied as she walked onto the penthouse balcony, before leaning over the railing next to Layla. "There was a lot more fire."

"I can't help feeling like I should reward Campbell for this." Layla said, highly impressed at just what Campbell had managed to do. "Maybe I should…you know…actually pay him, or something?" Veronica shook her head.

"Not a good idea. You give him money now, and he'll expect more. We're not made of caps."

"True." Layla said wistfully, and looked out over the city…until she felt Veronica's eyes boring into the side of her head.

"Is something wrong?" She asked as she turned to face Veronica. The former scribe grinned.

"No, it's just…I really like you as a brunette." Layla rolled her eyes. She, Veronica, Campbell and Arcade had hidden in Arcade's shack for 6 days after the fiasco at The Tops, and to get back onto the Strip, they'd had to wear…disguises. Layla's disguise had involved her dying her hair. When Campbell had brought it up, she'd been fiercely against it. She loved her hair; more specifically, she loved its colour. It was exactly the same blood red as her mother's hair, and she had no intention of changing it. Besides…she hated hair dye. Campbell had argued that her hair was her main distinguishing characteristic (That and her sword, which is why they'd left the weapon at the shack), and that any NCR soldier worth his salt would instantly recognise her from her hair. She hadn't been happy about it, but she'd conceded that he was right, so Veronica had died her hair a chocolate brown. Layla had been shocked the first time she looked in a mirror; it was like looking at a different person. It was a nice colour though…not that she planned on keeping it.

"I especially like you as a leggy brunette." Veronica's grin widened even more, as her eyes drifted down to look at Layla's toned legs, which were exposed thanks to the skirt she was wearing. Layla hated skirts and dresses, and avoided wearing them wherever possible. Of course, since the NCR were in possession of Campbell's dossier on her…they knew that she didn't like skirts or dresses. That made a skirt the perfect disguise; a skirt, and some other things that she'd never worn before…including a blouse, which she hated with a blind passion.

"Yeah well, don't get used to it." Layla said as she adjusted the skirt. "I hate these bloody things." She cursed as she looked down at the skirt. "From now on, I choose my own disguise."

"You won't change the hair back immediately will you?" Veronica asked. Layla raised her eyebrow.

"Why? Don't you like my normal hair colour?" An offended look appeared on Layla's face.

"Of course I do, I just…well…" Layla motioned for her to continue. "I have a thing for brunettes, okay?" Veronica seemed somewhat embarrassed, while Layla couldn't stop herself from grinning.

"Interesting…" Layla said nefariously." Remind me to dye my hair brown again and serve you breakfast in my underwear on your birthday." A look of utter joy appeared on Veronica's face.

"You…are an awesome friend." She said gratefully, practically drooling just from thinking about it. "And one hell of a tease."

"Years of practice." Layla said sagely. "While I was wandering the wastes, I'd sometimes seduce NCR soldiers, then kill them. It was fun, and a good way to get caps." A seductive look appeared on Layla's face, and she purred out a compliment. "I like you as a blonde." Veronica clapped.

"Impressive." She said, while taking off the blonde wig she was wearing as a disguise. "I'd sleep with you."

"Well I know that." Veronica stuck her tongue out, before stuffing the blonde wig into the pocket of the large coat was wearing as part of her disguise.

"I agree with you though…these disguises are annoying." She said as she took the wig out of her pocket and glared at it.

"At least you didn't have to dye your hair."

"No, I just had to wear a blonde wig that made me look like a bimbo."

"You didn't look that bad." Veronica frowned, as she put the wig back in her pocket.

"Some of the Kings were whistling at me as we passed their building."

"Well…the wig did make you look quite hot." There was a pause, then Veronica moved to put the wig on again. "I like your real hair though too." Veronica stopped, then smiled before putting the wig back in her pocket. "I don't know why you never show it."

"Because it's so short that it makes me look like a boy, and I absolutely hate the fact that it won't grow no matter what I do?"

"I used to have short hair." Veronica's eyes widened.

"You're lying."

"Nope. It was short almost my entire life, up till the Bitter Springs Massacre. It slowly grew after that, until it became the flowing mane you see today." She casually pushed her hair back over her shoulder. It was almost down to the small of her back now, whereas it had only reached her shoulders when she'd woken up in Goodsprings. She supposed that her hair could be viewed as a metaphor of how much she'd grown since starting her journey, but she wasn't poetic enough to give a crap. Veronica smiled, as she moved a hand to run through Layla's hair. _She uses those hands to beat the crap out of people…how can they be so soft? _Layla mentally wondered.

"I wish I could have hair like yours." Veronica pouted, as she looked at Layla's locks longingly.

"You will…someday." Layla said reassuringly…before changing the subject without any warning whatsoever. "So…you have a brunette fetish then?" Veronica suddenly moved her hand away, apparently quite shocked.

"I…I guess…but it sounds really sordid when you say it like that." She answered nervously, as she turned to lean back against the balcony railing. "I just like brown hair. That's all." Layla nodded.

"Any particular reason why?"

"No…" Veronica said unconvincingly. Layla couldn't help but laugh.

"Are…are you lying to me?" A look of shock appeared on Veronica's face.

"What?! Come on! Don't be…ridiculous." Layla smirked, causing Veronica to blush slightly.

"Wow…" Layla said, clearly astonished. "…I don't think you've ever lied to me before."

"I'm not…" Veronica tried to argue, but Layla cut her off.

"No…no, you haven't. You've never lied to me before. Ever. You've always spoken the truth."

"Layla…"

"So…why are you lying now?" There was a pause. Veronica looked extremely apprehensive, and Layla's tone softened. "Veronica…I'm not angry. I'm just curious."

"Can…" Veronica stuttered slowly. "…can…can I have just this one secret?" Layla looked surprised.

"So, the only thing in the world that you don't want me to know…is why you like brunettes?" Layla said dubiously. Veronica nodded.

"Please." There was another pause…before Layla clamped a hand down on Veronica's shoulder.

"Okay. For you, I won't ask why you like brunettes. That can be your one secret, the only thing you never have to tell me." A small smile appeared on Veronica's face. "On one condition." Veronica tilted her head to the side, clearly curious. "I get a secret too; one thing that I never have to tell you."

"Oh…so there's something you haven't told me as well?" Layla chuckled.

"Veronica, I am a well of secrets. There are many things you don't know about me. There are some things even I don't know about me." Veronica looked puzzled. "Thanks to the bullet Benny put in my head, I only know what happened to me up till the massacre at Bitter Springs. The time between then and when I woke up in Goodsprings is an utter blank."

"Wow…give or take a few months, three years of your memory have disappeared."

"Yeah. Mitchell said I might remember them in time, but I was too angry to care. I killed a shop owner in Goodsprings for a minor offence, and Mitchell too, all because I was pissed off that I'd lost some of my memory. It seems embarrassingly petty looking back on it now."

"So…what could you possibly want to keep secret from me?" Veronica asked. Layla smirked in response.

"If I told you that…it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?" Veronica shrugged.

"Fair enough." She looked behind her, through the giant window and into the penthouse, where Arcade sat in front of Mr House's oversized monitor. "This penthouse is actually pretty impressive. It's a shame that House never let me up here."

"I prefer the suite." Layla said as her gaze followed Veronica's. "It's more…cosy."

"Well yeah…but the suite doesn't have a balcony with a view of the whole city now does it?" As Veronica said that, she focused her gaze on Arcade. "We'd better go back inside before he does a runner." She said, clearly suspicious of the doctor. That made sense. He and she hadn't really gotten along ever since Campbell had kidnapped him. During the 6 days of recovery at Arcade's shack, he and Veronica hadn't said a word to each other, even though he'd been the one treating the wounds she'd sustained at the hands of the ghoul. Before Layla could agree, the radio in the pocket of the blouse she wore (Blouses…Campbell would NEVER select a disguise for her again if she had anything to say about it) began to beep.

"It's probably Campbell. You go inside; I'll be in in a second."

"Okay." Veronica said, before walking back into the penthouse. Layla turned to look off the balcony, and raised the radio to her lips. Before she could speak however, a sudden voice from behind scared the life out of her.

"Can I ask you something?" Layla jumped out of her skin, and damn near dropped the radio over the railing. She took a second to compose herself, before turning to Veronica to answer her question.

"Sure, ask away." She said with a smile. Veronica looked nervous, but she asked the question regardless.

"I know Swank was a huge arsehole, and I was high on the list of people that wanted to kill him…but was it really necessary to have Campbell blow up the entire casino just to do it?" Layla's smile faded slightly.

"There's no kill like overkill." She said happily.

"But…" Veronica seemed to have objections, but Layla cut her off.

"Veronica, listen. Benny, the Chairmen's first leader, shot me in the head, causing me to lose three years worth of memories, and he had sex with me…though that may have been my fault. Swank, the Chairmen's second leader, sold me out to the NCR, causing us to move out of The Tops and nearly get killed by NCR rangers, and he tried to have sex with me. These two men…these two BASTARDS…were the Chairmen's best and brightest, yet they are two of the worst people I've ever met. Trust me, those motherfuckers deserve nothing less." There was a long, awkward pause, before Veronica spoke again. All the while the radio continued to beep, but they both ignored it.

"Okay, but…what about the innocent people inside the casino, the gamblers and the patrons and the people who weren't with the Chairmen?" Veronica asked. Layla merely shrugged.

"Collateral damage." Veronica looked like she was about to say something else, when Layla moved to answer her radio. "Look, can we talk about this later? I need to talk to Campbell." Veronica nodded, before going back into the penthouse. Once the former scribe was gone, Layla answered the radio.

"Hi, sorry about the delay." She said into the radio.

"Don't worry about it." Campbell replied, sounding somewhat jovial.

"Sounds like you're in a good mood."

"Blowing up a worthless excuse for a human being along with his entire gang and all his clientele has a way of putting a spring in one's step." Layla grinned happily as she turned back over the balcony, and looked at The Tops' rubble once more.

"I saw The Tops collapse. Very nice job." She praised.

"I try." He responded with fake modesty. "It was a close one though. Swank nearly caught me when he went up to his suite. Luckily I managed to hide on top of the elevator as he rode up, then rode the elevator back down when he got out." People were running to investigate The Tops' demise now, and a large crowd was beginning to form around the ruined casino.

"Nicely done." Layla said as she watched the crowd. "Where are you now?"

"Just entering the Strip's first district now. I'll be at the penthouse in about a minute. That is…assuming you were able to kill all the NCR soldiers that were guarding the building."

"Campbell, you wound me." Layla said with mock offense. "Try not to trip over the corpses in the lobby." Campbell chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind. See you in a few." With that, the radio went silent. Layla put it back in her blouse pocket (How she hated blouses), before walking back inside the penthouse.

"So Mr House was a human?" Arcade asked as Layla walked in, clearly amazed. "I'd always thought he was an AI." It seemed Arcade and Veronica were in the midst of a conversation. Odd…they didn't talk much at all, and on the rare occasions that they did talk, they usually ended up arguing; about Layla mostly. Arcade was still wearing the tuxedo and brown wig he'd worn as part of his disguise. All Campbell had had to do was put on a suit, the lucky bastard.

"Oh no, he was human alright." Veronica said matter-of-factly. "He was very, very, very shrivelled, as is to be expected when you're over 200 years old, but he was definitely human." Arcade seemed intrigued.

"How do you know? Did you actually see him?"

"Well…no." Veronica admitted. "But Layla got a good view while she was killing him, and she's a very vivid storyteller."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Layla interjected as she entered the room, surprising both Veronica and Arcade.

"Arcade was just asking about Mr House." Veronica explained.

"He was a bossy, arrogant, pompous, know it all prick." Layla said quickly, while looking at Arcade. "Next question?"

"Why did you kill him?" Arcade asked.

"Well, Caesar made it clear he wanted House dead, but that's not why I did it." Layla looked at House's screen with no small amount of animosity.

"Then why did you?"

"Well…partly because he killed my robot, partly because he tried to kill Veronica and I…but mostly, I just didn't like him. At all." Arcade shook his head in disbelief.

"Your insanity never ceases to amaze me." The doctor said. Veronica visibly bristled at that.

"Hey, come on, let's keep this civil shall we?" She said quickly, desperate to avoid having Arcade and Veronica argue…again.

"Fine." Arcade said reluctantly. "So…why am I here?"

"What?"

"I can understand you bringing Campbell on this little mission because he does most of your dirty work, and I can understand you bringing Veronica because she seems to suffer withdrawal symptoms whenever she's not near you." Veronica scowled, but he ignored her. "However…that doesn't explain why I'm here."

"It's quite simple." Veronica said snidely. "You see…we can't trust you. At all. If you think we're going to leave you alone in that shack so you can run off and leave us…you're dreaming." Arcade looked angrily at her before turning to Layla.

"You haven't even told me what we're doing here. Where is Campbell? Why did we need to come to the Strip?"

"Let's just say we came here to make Swank pay, and leave it at that." Layla said seriously.

"Ah yes, because more violence will solve all our problems won't it?"

"DROP…IT." Layla ordered. Arcade looked shocked, but he didn't bring it up again. An uncomfortable silence sprung up after that, but was dispelled as Campbell walked into the penthouse.

"I'm back from my daring, life risking mission!" He announced as he walked down to the lower level of the penthouse and joined the others. "I performed above and beyond the call of duty, so I believe I have earned some manner of treat." He looked at Layla expectantly, and she motioned to her clothes.

"Have you seen what I'm wearing?" She said with exaggerated outrage. "You lost all rights to a treat when you dyed my hair and made me wear my two least favourite articles of clothing in the world: a skirt, and a blouse."

"It got us past the NCR checkpoint didn't it?" He retorted calmly.

"Next time…I choose my disguise, okay?"

"Have it your way…but I think you look really good as a brunette." Veronica laughed at that, and Campbell winked before walking over and sitting on the terminal by House's monitor.

"Alright, we're all here." Layla said seriously. "Before we do anything, there's a few things we need to get straight. For starters…we need to work out Arcade's allegiance." Arcade scoffed.

"Here we go again." He said irritably. "Look, I told you last time that I'm not helping you, so…"

"ACTUALLY…" Layla cut him off loudly, surprising the doctor considerably. "…last time, you agreed to hear me out. I'm holding you to that agreement now." There was a brief pause as her eyes drilled into him. Eventually, he sighed.

"Alright, fine. I'll hear you out."

"Good." Layla smiled slightly. "Veronica?" Veronica nodded, before explaining the situation to Arcade.

"Arcade…" She began. "…have you ever heard of the Enclave Remnants?" Arcade visibly shivered as she asked this.

"No." He had an atrocious poker face. Everybody in the room could see that he was lying.

"Well, as I'm sure you've heard, the NCR led some devastatingly effective campaigns against the Enclave many years ago, which all but destroyed the organization."

"I'm sorry, the Enclave? What is an Enclave? I…I don't follow." Arcade lied, clearly playing dumb.

"Give it a rest Arcade." Campbell interjected. "I know you have knowledge of the Enclave. Lenny the Nose told me, and while he is an untrustworthy, backstabbing little weasel, he never lies, and his information is always accurate. So, please, don't insult our intelligence by acting like an idiot." As Campbell finished, Veronica resumed her explanation.

"The NCR eliminated almost all trace of the Enclave, killing all its members. However, a small group of Enclave personnel fled during the NCR campaigns. They fled to the Mojave, and split up so that they could each start a new life. However, they also stored an obscene amount of weaponry and technology in a bunker somewhere in the Mojave, a holy grail of advanced equipment."

"We want to get into that bunker, and we want you to help us." Layla took over, finishing the explanation. Arcade didn't look like he was in a helpful mood.

"And what makes you think I know anything about this bunker?"

"Arcade, what did I tell you about insulting our intelligence?" Campbell scolded.

"But…"

"Let's list what we know about you, shall we? Nobody knows what you did before joining the Followers, you're skilled with advanced technology, you know how to handle a plasma rifle, you're obviously familiar with vertibirds as you had no trouble flying in one, and you have a mysterious knowledge about the Enclave. Personally, I think it's pretty obvious what you're hiding. I don't think the ladies here have figured it out yet though, so why don't you be a gentleman and enlighten them?" Arcade froze, and Layla felt confusion fill her. _He's hiding something? _She thought. _What? What's he hiding? _ Eventually, Arcade sighed a weary sigh, before speaking.

"Alright, fine. I…I grew up among the Enclave. I'm essentially a member." Yet another awkward silence filled the penthouse. This time, Veronica was the one to break it.

"What?" She said simply, clearly not believing what she was seeing.

"How long have you known about this?" Layla asked Campbell somewhat angrily.

"I never knew for sure, I just had an assumption." Campbell replied, infuriating Layla.

"Okay…how long have you ASSUMED this?"

"I didn't really figure it out until after the incident at The Tops. If I had to make a rough estimate of when it hit me, I'd say…three days ago." Layla pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, while Veronica looked at Arcade with utter rage on her face.

"You…you're with the Enclave?!" She asked, clenching her fist as she did so.

"Yes…and no." Arcade answered cryptically. Veronica started to step forwards. "I never officially joined the Enclave, I was just born into them. I grew up with them, but I never shared their mad xenophobia." Veronica slowed her stride slightly.

"Veronica, let him speak." Layla said forcefully. Veronica didn't look pleased, but she stopped moving towards him. "Arcade, explain. Quickly." She ordered. Arcade seemed somewhat reluctant, but he didn't exactly have a choice, so he did as he was told.

"As I said, I didn't join the Enclave…I was born into it. My parents both served in the Enclave, my father was an officer, while my mother was an Enclave scientist. After an incident involving an oil rig heavily crippled the Enclave, my parents moved to an Enclave base called Navarro. It was there, 35 years ago, where my mother conceived me. Apparently my father died when I was very young, but I have no idea how, since my mother made a great effort to hide the specifics from me. I grew up in Navarro with my mother and the remnants of my father's old squad. When the NCR began their campaign to wipe the Enclave out, I went on the run with my mother and the remnants, who would become the Enclave Remnants. We found ourselves running all over Post War America, barely staying ahead of our NCR pursuers. My mother…didn't survive the chase. Eventually, the Remnants and I reached the Mojave. The rest of the story, you got right. They hid all their weapons, tech and equipment in a hidden bunker, which would only open with a pass phrase split among them. I was a teenager at the time, and they sent me to live with the Followers of the Apocalypse until I became an adult, then went their separate ways. When I came of age, I decided to stay with the Followers to help them with their mission, and I haven't seen the Remnants since." With his story finished, Arcade stood there, waiting for somebody to speak. The only problem was, nobody could think of anything to say.

"For what it's worth, I understand what it's like to be born into an organization that nobody likes." Layla said kindly, as she walked up to him. "I also understand what it's like to have the NCR destroy that organization, and harm your family. It's precisely why I want to crush the NCR." Layla put a hand on Arcade's shoulder as she reached him, and felt no small measure of surprise as a genuine smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you." He said with what seemed to be actual happiness. "I know we don't always see eye to eye, but its good having someone who understands what my childhood was like." Layla smiled back, but that smile faded when Arcade grabbed her hand, and removed it from his shoulder. "Which is why I'm sad to say, I still can't help you." He stepped back, and a pleading look appeared on Layla's face.

"Arcade, please. There has to be something we can do for you." A wan smile appeared on his face.

"Unless you can rebuild my life, and get the NCR to leave me alone, I'm afraid not."

"Actually…" Veronica cut in. "…if you help us find the bunker, there's a very good chance we'll succeed in our quest to wipe out the NCR. If there's no NCR in the Mojave, then you won't be hunted. Therefore, it's actually in your best interest to help us." Arcade actually laughed at that, surprising all of them.

"As…creative…as that plan is, I'm afraid I'm going to need something else."

"How about this?" Campbell asked casually as he threw a small bag at Arcade's feet. A strikingly large quantity of caps poured out of the bag, but Arcade didn't look impressed.

"Money?" He asked Campbell dubiously. "Are you serious? Do I look like the kind of man who's interested in monetary gain? What can I possibly do with money?"

"It's not for you." Campbell said coolly, earning a confused look from the scientist. "It's for the Followers. They need money right?" Arcade nodded slowly. "Well…help us find the bunker, and they'll receive a very generous financial donation that could help buy all the medicine and medical equipment they'll ever need." Arcade went silent, apparently considering Campbell's proposal.

"Can you guarantee that they'll get the money?" He asked.

"I plan to give them half of the money tomorrow, and the other half after we find the bunker. You can come to the Mormon Fort with me tomorrow and watch me give it to them, if you wish."

"Well, do we have a deal?" Layla asked, as a thoughtful look appeared on Arcade's face.

"Against my better judgement, I'm inclined to accept your proposal." He said slowly and carefully. "However, I have one condition that you absolutely must follow, otherwise the deal's off."

"Alright, what's your condition?" Layla asked, and Arcade took a deep breath before answering.

"The Remnants are, first and foremost, warriors. They've spent their best years on the battlefield, but by now they'll be getting worried that they'll die peacefully of old age. There is no doubt in my mind that they'll be looking for any opportunity to go out in a blaze of glory. Basically, they will want one last, great battle before dying, and they'll likely see the upcoming conflict at Hoover Dam as the perfect opportunity. They're not stupid, they'll know who you are, even if you don't tell them, which means they'll know that you're connected to the battle at Hoover Dam. You're their link with the battle, their way in. They don't care who they fight against in the battle, they just want to fight again, and they **will** ask you if they can help. What I'm asking you…no, what I'm begging you…is to say no. Please, don't let them join the battle. More importantly, don't let them help Caesar's Legion. To see my oldest friends fighting alongside the Legion…I don't think I could take that. The deal is simple: I help you find the Remnants, so that they can unlock the bunker for your use. In return, you give the Followers a sizeable financial donation, and do not, under any circumstances, recruit the Remnants for the Legion. Do you accept my terms?" Everybody in the room looked at Layla, and she smiled.

"We just want the weapons Arcade, we're not trying to turn the Remnants into a Legion strike force. I promise you that whatever happens, the Remnants will not help the Legion in the coming battle." Arcade returned her smile.

"In that case…I'm in." Layla cheered, surprising Arcade.

"YES!" She said joyfully. "Finally! Goddammit, you are a very difficult man to get on the good side of, let me tell you." Arcade smirked, and Layla cleared her throat. "Anyway…welcome to our merry band of lunatics."

"Good to have you on board." Campbell said in a friendly tone. "I look forward to many chess games in the future." Having been welcomed by both Layla and Campbell, Arcade turned to the only remaining member; Veronica. Her expression proved impossible to read.

"I know we haven't exactly seen eye to eye." He said to her in a civil tone. "And I know that you obviously aren't too keen to have a member of the Enclave on board. However, I'd like to put all that behind us. I want us to move past our disagreements, and have a civil, friendly relationship. Is that something you'd want?" Veronica didn't reply for a time.

"I guess…I have been a little hard on you." She said eventually. "For a member of the Enclave, you don't actually seem that bad. I suppose, if you want us to start over, I wouldn't mind giving it a go." She smiled warmly, before offering her hand. He returned her smile, and walked up to her, before accepting her hand.

"Glad to see you two finally getting along." Layla said with no small amount of relief as the two shook hands. "Now that that's settled…" She said seriously, changing the subject. "…there was something else I wanted to talk about." With that, she turned to Campbell. "Campbell…is there any chance of us being able to move into the Lucky 38 again? After all, the NCR Embassy and Camp McCarran are both history; the NCR has no grip on the city. Shouldn't it be safe to move back in now?"

"I don't think so." Campbell said sadly. "Though the NCR don't have much power on the Strip, they still have checkpoints outside the city, and they still station guards here. They know where you live, and if you move back in here, not only will they find out about it, but they'll send a hit squad to make this building your tomb. I'm sorry to say, that I think the only way you can move back in here, is if the NCR lose all their power in the Mojave." Layla sighed in annoyance.

"Shit." She cursed. "So what's the plan? Where will we be staying?"

"Arcade's shack is still the safest place, as almost nobody knows of its existence. Once we begin our search for the Enclave Remnants, we can live on the road, making camp as we go to avoid the eye of the NCR. Once we find the bunker…I suppose we could stay there. It'll likely be easy to defend, and we could furnish it to make it comfortable to live in."

"Alright." Layla said as she absorbed the information. "I guess that's it. We'd better leave Vegas, and get back to Arcade's shack."

"The vertibird's waiting outside the city."

"Oh joy…flying." Layla said with a spectacular lack of enthusiasm, already feeling sick.

"Are we leaving now?" Veronica asked as she put her wig back on.

"It'll be easier, since everybody's likely distracted by what happened to The Tops." Campbell said. Arcade seemed confused.

"Wait, what happened at The Tops?" He asked.

"You don't want to know." Layla answered simply.

"You're probably right there." He replied.

"Okay then, without further ado, let's move out." Campbell said. Everybody nodded, before making their way towards the elevator. As she walked up the stairs, Layla couldn't help but smile. Not only had Swank gotten his comeuppance, but she'd finally gotten Arcade to help them in their quest. It seemed like things were finally taking a turn for the better.

"Layla?" Arcade asked from the top of the stairs. Layla looked up, just realising that she'd stopped. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, I'm fine." She replied.

"Good, then let's get out of here." With that, he walked to the elevator.

"Sounds good to me." Layla called after him. _I can't wait to get this fucking dye out of my hair._

_**Well, would you look at that? Swank, a man I've always thought of as some ultra seductive fusion of Johnny Bravo, Charlie Sheen and Hugh Hefner, is now dead. He's not alone though, as every living being in his casino is now dead too. It's safe to say the Chairmen are finished, and nobody will ever say the words: "Ring-a-ding-ding!" again. Tragic.**_

_**In other news, Layla has finally converted Arcade! Now that those negotiations are done with, we can focus on the main point of the Enclave Remnants story arc (Which started in Chapter 45); having Layla and co search for the Remnants, while on the run from the NCR at the same time. Hopefully you'll enjoy the show.  
><strong>_


	49. No Intermission

_**See, they're going back to Jacobstown, and the last chapter set in Jacobstown was called 'An Intermission', hence the name of this chapter. **_

_**Red Slayer, bringing you crappy titles since 2011.**_

No Intermission

"I miss Rex." Veronica said sadly as the two of them walked up the lonely mountain road. Layla walked alongside her, clad in her recon armour and with her hair now returned to its natural colour. The red haired one sympathised with Veronica; she missed the cyberdog too. The last time they'd walked up this road, he'd been killing mantises, as happy as could be. Now however, they were alone, as their beloved pet had received a bullet through his brain, courtesy of Craig Boone. _Bastard. _Layla thought to herself.

The red haired one felt a small amount of sympathy for her friend, as when Veronica had heard they were going to Jacobstown, she'd expected a weekend of relaxation, like their last visit. Unfortunately, this was all business. According to Arcade, there was a Remnant in Jacobstown, and since the girls had been there before, they were the best ones to go check it out. She felt sorry for Veronica, as the former scribe could certainly use a break. She'd run herself ragged while Layla had been recovering from Boyd's torture, not to mention the trauma and psychological damage she'd experienced over the past couple of months. Veronica seemed like she could crack at any moment, but there was no time for relaxation. The sad truth was that they needed to get the Remnants together as soon as possible, and there was just no time for them to have a short holiday like the old days. Veronica had seemed somewhat despondent for their whole journey.

"I miss him too." Layla said gravely, before a determined expression slowly formed on her face. "Just another victim of the NCR; more specifically, a victim of Boone. I'll make him pay for it, don't worry." Veronica sighed as they turned a corner, her feet crunching in the snow with every step.

"Layla…can we not talk about murder for a while please?" Layla raised an eyebrow as Veronica asked this.

"I like murder." She replied, confused. "I thought you were starting to like murder too?"

"I was…but I think I'm going off it again." Veronica hugged her arms around herself to shield herself from the cold. This was the only place in the Mojave where it ever actually got cold. Nights in the Mojave were chilly, but the mountains around Jacobstown were freezing at the best of times.

"Shame…I really like the new, crazy Veronica." Layla said jokingly. Veronica sounded uncharacteristically serious when she replied.

"I don't." She shivered, either from the cold…or something else. "Crazy me scares me." Veronica sped up after that, walking ahead and forcing Layla to run in order to keep up with her.

"Veronica…is something wrong?" Layla asked as she caught up to her friend, and found her sitting under a snowy tree. "You didn't speak for the rest of the day after we left the Lucky 38 yesterday, and you've barely spoken while we've been walking to Jacobstown. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Veronica muttered. "I just…I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"What Campbell did at The Tops." Layla was confused.

"You mean…when he killed Swank?"

"No, I mean when he blew up an entire casino and killed a few hundred people just to kill one man!" Veronica snapped, before an embarrassed look appeared on her face.

"Veronica, we've been over this." Layla said calmly. "Swank deserved to die, and so did the Chairmen; every last one of them."

"But what about the other people?" Veronica argued. "The innocents? The gamblers? The hotel guests? Did they deserve to die? They had nothing to do with Swank or the Chairmen, and Campbell just callously killed them all without a second thought…on your orders." Layla sighed, and a stern look appeared on her face.

"Look Veronica, we're trying to wipe out the most powerful organization in the Mojave. They have hundreds of soldiers, unlimited resources, and no regard for the lives of civilians. If we want to kill them, we have to do some bad things."

"But…" The former scribe looked like she was about to object, when Layla cut her off.

"We're not heroes Veronica. We're not trying to help civilians and save the day. When it comes right down to it, we're trying to destroy the NCR, no matter the cost. If we have to kill a few civilians to do that, then so be it."

"But if we kill the innocent, then we're no better than the NCR!" Veronica retorted, getting to her feet as she did so. "What's the point of trying to destroy the NCR if we resort to the same horrible tactics that they do? The main reason I agreed to help you is because I want the NCR out of the Mojave, so that nobody else can lose their family the way we did. I don't mind killing NCR soldiers, but if we kill people who have no relation to our enemies…then what's the point? Sure, we either destroy the NCR or drive them from our home forever, but there's no point if we become just as bad as them through doing so." Veronica seemed very passionate about this, but Layla wasn't having any of it.

"The NCR **needs** to fall. I'm sorry if what we're doing makes you uncomfortable, but the fact of the matter is, if we go easy on the innocents, the NCR will win. If we try to protect civilians, the NCR can use that against us. They won't hesitate at all; they'll use innocents as human shields if they have to."

"Layla please, think about this. You're my best friend in the world, I know you're not the kind of person who would throw innocent people into the fire if it would help the NCR burn." There was a pleading look in Veronica's eyes, and Layla felt somewhat guilty. She swallowed that guilt however as she replied.

"Veronica…I'm a bad person, okay? I know that, and I've always known that. I was never meant to campaign for truth and justice, or help the innocent. My only goal is to crush the NCR, and if I have to steamroll over a couple of civilians in order to flatten the NCR, then I will do it. We can't risk failing our quest by helping some people we don't even know. If we have to kill a few non-combatants, then so be it."

"You mean like the NCR killed non-combatants at Bitter Springs? Like they killed your mother?!" An uneasy silence followed, and Veronica's jaw slowly dropped as she realised what she'd said. "Oh my God." She walked closer to Layla, but the red haired one turned away, hiding her expression. "Layla, I'm so sorry. I…I didn't mean to…" Layla walked away before Veronica could finish, forcing her to follow. Layla walked strikingly quickly, making it difficult for Veronica to keep up. "Slow down!" Veronica said, but Layla was having none of it. She sped up instead, prompting Veronica to reach out and grab her by the arm to stop her from escaping. "Would you just slow down and listen?" She asked as she firmly grabbed Layla's arm. Usually Layla didn't seem to mind physical contact between the girls, if anything she enjoyed it. However, today was different…mostly due to what Veronica had said.

"Let go." Layla said darkly, scaring Veronica. She'd never heard her friend talk like that to her before. Layla had never been angry at her before; the one time they'd argued, Veronica had been the angry one. Now though, Layla sounded like she was a few seconds away from ripping Veronica's arm away from her, and probably ripping it from her body in the process.

"But…" Veronica tried to object, to apologise for the horrible thing she'd accidentally said…when she was interrupted by an inhuman scream nearby. Both girls forgot about the argument, and turned to the corner at the end of the path up ahead. Before their eyes, a super mutant ran around the corner, screeching in pain. His pain was understandable, since his body was covered with countless bullet wounds, each pouring out blood and utterly drenching him.

"Help…" The mutant tried to say, only for more blood to force its way out of his mouth in a series of violent coughs. Veronica immediately let go of Layla's arm, and ran over to the injured mutant. Layla followed much more slowly, her hand on her katana as she walked. "You…you have to…" The mutant still found speech difficult, and he fell to the ground as pain seemed to overwhelm him.

"Slow down." Veronica said soothingly as she reached the injured mutant. "Tell us what happened." The mutant lay on his back in the snow, and nodded slowly, before attempting to speak again.

"They…they came out of nowhere."

"Who?" Veronica asked, as Layla stopped to stand behind her.

"Soldiers…armed to the teeth…and led by…five soldiers wearing…fearsome black armour. They…walked into town…and started shooting. I tried to stop them…but they overwhelmed me. They left me to die…and burst into the lodge. I tried to escape…to get help…but I won't even make it a mile away from the town."

"It's okay." Veronica said reassuringly. "We're friends of Marcus. We'll help you."

"We?" Veronica was confused, until she turned around and saw that Layla was gone. She turned back towards the mutant, about to say something, but there was no point. He lay deathly still on the ground, his eyes looked blindly ahead, and his mouth hung open. No life flowed through him. Veronica sighed, before getting to her feet and running onward. She had a pretty good idea where Layla had gone. _She was behind me until the mutant mentioned his attackers. Soldiers in black armour…it can only be the NCR; and if Layla's pissed off, the first thing she'll do is find some NCR bastard to kill. _Veronica picked up the pace, hoping she could catch Layla before she did something stupid.

*Meanwhile*

"Fuck…me." The soldier panted tiredly, dropping to his knees as the mutant he and his friend had been fighting finally fell. They'd been fighting that mutant for the past five minutes. It had been a nightkin, one of the toughest types of mutants they could face. Weirdly, it had also worn the kind of hat that an old woman would wear, and had been babbling about its 'grandson'. The freak would've been a joke…if not for the oversized sword it had been swinging at them. The thing looked like it had been ripped right off a vertibird, and it had damn near cut them in two. "These ugly sons of bitches take WAY too many bullets to kill." The soldier moaned, completely exhausted. His friend laughed, holding his rifle back over his shoulder and using his other hand to light the cigarette in his mouth.

"Don't worry, we won't be killing any more of them today with any luck." The soldier with the cigarette said in a sly tone. "All we have to do is stay out here. Grissom, his rangers, and the rest of our squad will kill all the muties inside, while we just stay out here and relax." The first soldier laughed, before getting to his feet and turning to his friend.

"You're a fucking genius." He laughed. "Now give me a smoke." His friend obliged, throwing a spare cigarette his way. The soldier caught it, before putting it in his mouth. He then got out his lighter, only to drop it to the ground. "Son of a bitch." He cursed, before turning around and reaching down for the lighter. As he bent over however, he saw a girl running through the town gate and heading their way…a girl with red hair and a sword. "Is that the…" He didn't even get the chance to finish his question before the Red Blade Witch sliced his head off.

"Holy shit!" The other ranger cried, frantically trying to aim his rifle as she rushed him. He never stood a chance. By the time he'd finally managed to aim properly, she'd already slashed his stomach open. He fell to his knees, looking down and crying as his guts poured out of him. She simply pushed the dying man aside as she slowly walked up to the lodge's front door.

*Layla*

Layla was in a very bad mood. What Veronica had said had hurt her very much…and pain, both physical and emotional, made her **angry**. Usually when she was angry, she destroyed/killed whatever or whoever had made her angry, but the last thing in the world she wanted to do was hurt Veronica. Another thing that helped when she was angry, was to take it out on something else, whether it be an inanimate object or a particularly unlucky schmuck. Fortunately, there was no shortage of NCR soldiers in Jacobstown. _I need to stab something. _Layla thought, her mind filled with rage as she kicked open the lodge's door, and walked into a warzone.

All around her, soldiers and mutants fought each other, and neither side seemed to have the upper hand. Corpses of both species littered the lobby, and the carpet was positively drenched with blood. Ignoring the gunshots and battle cries all around her, Layla looked at the balcony above. An NCR stood with his back against the railing, firing his rifle wildly at an unseen foe. Said foe made its presence known seconds later, as a towering super mutant barrelled into the soldier with the force of an automobile. The force of the impact smashed the railing, sending both human and mutant flying off the balcony. They landed in a heap on the floor in front of Layla, with the mutant on top. He looked about ready to rip the soldier's head off…when the soldier ripped the pin off a frag grenade on his belt. The grenade detonated seconds later, obliterating the both of them in a large explosion. The explosion was right in front of Layla, and she had to bring both her arms up in front of her to shield herself from it. When she removed her arms, pieces of the two combatants littered the lobby. The top half of the mutant's head, complete with his upper jaw, had landed on Layla's boot, staining it with blood.

She kicked the head away, just as a soldier was thrown across the lobby. Following the angle of the throw, Layla saw a powerful looking super mutant, as he lifted a soldier off the floor by his throat. He roared in the soldier's face…only for the soldier to interrupt him by putting a frag grenade in his mouth. The mutant immediately removed his grip, and began to panic to remove the grenade. The soldier rolled away, seconds before the mutant's head exploded. Once sure the mutant was dead, the soldier walked up to the corpse. He looked very pleased, until two meaty hands grabbed his waist. He didn't even have time to scream before the super mutant pulled his torso upwards sharply, violently ripping the top half of his body from the bottom. The soldier's legs fell to the floor, while the mutant threw the torso across the lobby. He howled in triumph…only for a missile to hit him square in the jaw, blowing a huge chunk out of the top half of the mutant's body, and killing him instantly.

"Take that you fucking mutie bastard!" The soldier who had fired the missile bellowed enthusiastically as the mutant dropped dead, minus his head and most of his shoulders. The soldier laughed to himself, clearly pleased with his kill, as he held his oversized missile launcher over his head in a gesture of triumph. As he saw Layla, that gesture turned into one of fear. Layla smirked; it seemed her mere presence was enough to destroy the bravado of even the most gung-ho NCR whelp. For some reason, that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. "The Witch is here! The fucking Red Blade Witch is here!" The soldier shouted to his allies, but they were too busy fighting mutants to here. "Fucking useless!" He gave the finger to every NCR soldier he could see, before taking aim with the missile launcher. "Fuck it…I'll deal with you myself you fucking bitch!" _Why do NCR soldiers swear so much? _Layla found herself wondering; not that she was anyone to talk, since she swore like a sailor herself.

While this random thought crossed her mind, the soldier fired a missile her way. Layla swore under her breath, before running and diving forwards. The missile flew right over her, and blew up the spot where she'd been standing moments ago, destroying the door and the doorway in a large explosion. Layla didn't give the soldier the chance to fire again, as she pulled a throwing knife from her belt with her free hand as she rolled to her feet, before throwing it upwards the second she was standing again. The soldier barely had time for his mouth to form a shocked O shape before the knife hit him right between the eyes. He died instantly, dropping his missile launcher off the balcony and collapsing into a dead heap.

Layla blew the hair out of her eyes, before looking around the lobby for another unlucky son of a bitch to add to her kill count. She saw one on the other side of the lobby, stood over an injured nightkin with a caravan shotgun pointed in the mutant's face. Layla firmly grabbed her blade with both hands, before charging towards the soldier. The soldier seemed to have some kind of annoying precognitive ability however, as he turned to look at Layla long before she reached him. A fearful look appeared on his face, and he promptly cocked his shotgun. Before he could fire it however, the injured nightkin firmly grabbed his arm, before crushing it in a vicelike grip. The soldier screamed in pain, dropping his shotgun in the process. Layla smiled sadistically, before finally reaching the soldier and driving her blade right through his neck.

"Look what I'm reduced to…helping humans! Sickening." Layla realised she recognised that voice. Sure enough, as she pulled her blade out of the soldier's neck and kicked the corpse to the side, she saw that the injured nightkin was none other than Keene, the unofficial leader of Jacobstown's nightkin population. Layla had had a…disagreement with him the last time she and Veronica had visited the small town.

"You're looking well." She said sarcastically, before taking a moment to wipe the blood from her blade as Keene got to his feet.

"This is typical!" He spat. "I knew that having a human here would end badly! Doctor Henry's presence has only brought more humans upon us, and now they're killing everyone!"

"Are you going to whine about it, or are you going to grow a pair and do something?" Layla snapped, not in any mood to listen to the mutant's whining.

"You dare insult me human?"

"Save it Keene." Layla said coldly, pointing her katana at him threateningly as she did so. "I am **not** in a good mood today." Keene growled, before looking at the balcony above…and growling again.

"Your foul mood is about to get worse human." Keene spat out the last word like he'd accidentally swallowed excrement, but Layla was too busy following his gaze to care. On the balcony above, four NCR soldiers stood. All had service rifles, and all were pointing their rifles at Layla and Keene.

"You hate humans so much Keene…let's see if you can kill a few." Layla said confidently as she gripped her blade tightly. To her surprise…Keene laughed.

"No need human." With that, he snapped his fingers. The NCR soldiers looked just as confused as Layla…until several angry nightkin suddenly materialised behind them. Before they could do anything, the nightkin were upon them. "Bah! This worthless scum make for poor sport." Keene spat at the ground as he said this, while his nightkin butchered the soldiers on the balcony above. Layla was about to look for someone else to kill…when she remembered why she was here in the first place. Managing to supress her anger for a second, she asked Keene an important question.

"Keene…where is Doctor Henry?" When Arcade had told Layla that Doc Henry was a Remnant, she hadn't believed it. He really didn't seem the type.

"How should I know?" Keene scoffed. "I care nothing for the comings and goings for that worthless pile of…" Layla cut him off by pointing her sword at him again…though this time it was only inches away from his neck. Changing to a much more threatening tone of voice, Layla repeated her question.

"Keene…where is Doctor Henry?" The mutant hissed at her, before sighing and pointing his muscular arm in the direction of the doc's lab.

"Bah! The human is in his lab, as always. Do us all a favour, and take him with you when your business here is concluded." Layla smirked as she pulled her blade away from him.

"Believe me Keene…that's exactly what I intend to do." With that, Layla turned and walked towards the lab…

"You won't get to see him though."…only to be interrupted midstride by Keene's voice. She sighed, before turning back to face the mutant.

"And why is that?"

"Because of…the phantoms." To Layla's surprise, Keene actually sounded…fearful. It was unnerving to say the least…but she still had no idea what he was talking about.

"Phantoms?" She asked, confused.

"Yes, phantoms. Black phantoms, faster, stronger and more formidable than the soldiers that came here. There are five of them, and they've all holed up in the lab with Henry. You don't stand a chance against them." _Black rangers…terrific. _Layla thought, before turning away from Keene again.

"Always fun talking to you Keene." _You fucking lunatic. _Layla said (And thought), before walking towards the lab. As she neared it, she saw one of the 'phantoms' get lifted off the floor by an angry mutant, a beefy hand wrapped around his black throat. The mutant pulled back his arm, obviously preparing to punch the ranger, only for the ranger to draw a revolver. She just had enough time to realise it was a Ranger Sequoia (Like the one the black ranger at Hoover Dam had used), seconds before the ranger raised it up to the mutant's eye and fired. The mutant howled in pain as the bullet blew half of his face apart, but he didn't loosen his grip, and didn't seem to die from the shot…so the ranger fired again. And again. And again. The series of shots blew off most of the mutant's face, causing him to finally let go of the ranger. He still seemed to live however, as he struck out madly at the ranger. The ranger simply raised his revolver to the forehead of the charging mutant however, and fired the last shot in his chamber. With that last shot, the horribly disfigured mutant dropped dead, while the ranger immediately reloaded his weapon without so much as a taunt. This one was all business it seemed. The ranger's cold, silent, professional manner reminded Layla of Boone.

"Grissom, we…" Another black ranger said from behind the first, only to stop as he saw Layla. "Well, well, the Red Blade Witch again. And so soon too!" The second ranger, the one without the Sequoia in his hand, said cockily, before taking off his helmet…revealing that he was the ghoul from The Tops. "No vertibird to help you this ti…" The ranger with the Sequoia, the man the ghoul had called Grissom, interrupted the ghoul's monologue by pushing the zombie back into the lab. He then rolled to the side, and Layla's eyes widened as she saw the missile launcher from earlier. When the soldier had dropped his missile launcher, it had landed right next to the lab…and Grissom picked it up. He didn't taunt, or let out a witty one liner, or do anything that Layla's foes usually did…he just fired. He didn't fire where she'd expected either…shooting the missile up at the ceiling just outside the lab. Layla didn't time to do anything before the missile exploded, sending several tons of wood and rubble crashing down. Grissom dived into the lab as the rubble dropped, sealing him and the other rangers in the lab…along with Doc Henry. Layla was mildly displeased.

"Fuck!" She cursed loudly, before looking for the nearest NCR soldier to behead in frustration. She saw a soldier taking cover near the reception desk, and she looked forward to painting her blade with his blood. Unfortunately, she never got the chance, as someone else beat her to it. Before she could run over to him, a particularly large mutant dropped down from the balcony above. The terrified soldier tried to shoot the mutant in the back with his service rifle, failing to realise that the mutant wore armour. The bullet bounced harmlessly off said armour, catching the mutant's attention. The soldier squealed as the mutant turned to face him, but was silent as the mutant ripped out his throat.

"Nicely done." Layla said in admiration as she walked over to the familiar mutant. No doubt recognising her voice, he spun around, before smiling as he saw her.

"Layla." Marcus said in his characteristically deep, yet polite voice. "This is certainly a surprise."

"It looks like Jacobstown's not in the best state." Layla remarked as she reached him, before kicking the corpse of the NCR soldier he'd killed.

"That's putting it mildly. The entire town is a warzone."

"When did all this start?"

"About…half an hour ago, I think. The soldiers appeared out of nowhere, sniping our gate guards before marching into town. I was in the lodge at the time, so I wasn't there to stop them as they swarmed the town like a plague, killing any mutant they came across. We've been fighting ever since, and though we're holding our own, their reinforcements seem endless. Plus…the ones in black don't make it easy."

"Veteran rangers." Layla said seriously. "I've tangled with them twice before. Those experiences weren't fun."

"The rangers are the only reason we haven't won yet. Though there's only five of them, they are exceptionally skilled. Not even my most skilled warriors have been able to kill one."

"It isn't easy." Layla said gravely. "I've only ever killed one."

"That's more than anyone else here."

"Yeah, but for me…that's embarrassing." Marcus chuckled slightly, but was interrupted as a voice shouted over to them.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Veronica shouted as she burst into the lodge. "Thank fuck! Don't ever run off like that…" An NCR soldier attempted to stab her with his knife. With movements too fast for him to follow however, she wrenched his arm behind his back, before using her power fist to cave in his skull. "…again!" Layla huffed, before turning back to Marcus as Veronica dropped the corpse and walked over.

"The rangers barricaded themselves in Doc Henry's lab." Layla said. Marcus looked confused.

"But why?"

"I think it's because they want Henry." Marcus' confusion only grew.

"I don't understand. What could they possibly want with Doctor Henry?"

"The Enclave maybe?" Veronica suggested as she reached them. Marcus' eyes widened considerably at the comment, while Layla made an effort to not even look in Veronica's direction.

"What do you know of the Enclave?" Marcus asked, in the most serious tone of voice they'd ever heard from him.

"Only that Henry used to be one of them." Layla answered. "It's probably where he got his cyberdog knowledge from." Marcus looked…disquieted. "I'm guessing you don't like the Enclave every much?"

"I fought them many years ago." Marcus responded. "Working with an old friend, I infiltrated their main stronghold at the time, a massive oil rig. I saw what they were doing, what they had planned. It…it was horrible. The Enclave are…were…complete monsters."

"Henry's not one of them anymore." Veronica said sympathetically. "We need his help." There was a pause…then Marcus nodded.

"Very well. I won't ask what you need his help for, but if you help us win this battle, then you can take him with you."

"The best way to win this battle is to kill the veteran rangers in Henry's lab." Layla said. "Is there another way in?" Marcus paused for a moment to think.

"Yes…I believe so. You can crawl through the air ducts on the second floor, down into Henry's lab." Veronica looked sceptical.

"That sounds monumentally dangerous. What if we get stuck?"

"Take us to the nearest way into the ducts." Layla said firmly, ignoring Veronica's misgivings.

"You're going to rescue Henry?" A familiar voice barked. They turned around, to see Keene walking towards them. He was stained with blood, some of which probably wasn't his, and was dragging an NCR soldier along by the leg. "Why? That pitiful human is probably the reason the NCR are now swooping down on us!" As he spoke, Keene stood on the soldier's neck, killing the random sod with an audible crack.

"Actually Keene, we're going to kill some phantoms. So stay here and kill grunts if you want, or follow us and have a real battle." Layla gibed. Keene growled, before throwing away the NCR corpse and cracking his knuckles.

"Lead the way." He growled. Layla and Marcus smiled…while Veronica shook her head.

"Hello? We could get stuck! I don't like the idea of being stuck in some dark, narrow tunnel, unable to move, and left with nothing to do but wait until I starve to death. Layla? Marcus? Goddammit why is nobody listening to me?!" Veronica protested, but Layla and the mutants were too busy walking away to respond. Veronica groaned, before slowly walking after them.

*Meanwhile*

"Why did you do that?" The ghoul asked angrily as he got to his feet. Grissom, the commander of his unit, threw away the missile launcher he'd used to seal the exit, before turning to the ghoul.

"That was the Red Blade Witch." Grissom replied calmly. "I sealed the entrance to the lab to make sure she couldn't get in here. We don't want to fight her near civilians." As he said the last word, he pointed to the corner of the room, in which Doctor Henry and his ghoul assistant were tied up.

"I could've killed her." The ghoul growled.

"If that's true…then why didn't you kill her when you encountered her at The Tops?" Grissom retorted, before walking over to where the other three veterans under his command stood, waiting for orders. "It's because you're careless, overconfident, and prone to taunt your opponents instead of simply killing them. It's unprofessional, and it's the main reason the Witch hasn't been killed yet." The ghoul looked like he was about to respond, but Grissom cut him off by giving orders to his men. "Clark, Hill, use the air vents to get out of the lab, find the Witch, and kill her. Martin, guard the civilians. If they try anything, you have my permission to shoot them." The three rangers saluted, before going about their tasks. Two rangers removed the metal covering on the nearby air vent before climbing in. The other ranger drew his Ranger Sequoia, before walking over to Henry and his assistant.

"And what about me?" The ghoul asked with mock enthusiasm. "What important task do you want me to do?"

"Guard the windows…and try to do it professionally." Grissom replied, before scooping the ghoul's helmet up off the floor and throwing it at him. The zombie caught it, before muttering something to himself as he put the helmet back on and walked towards the nearest window. Ignoring the uncooperative ghoul, Grissom turned away from the zombie and began to reload his Sequoia. How that ghoul had survived long enough to earn his black armour, Grissom would never know. He decided to turn his mind away from the zombie however, instead focusing on the appearance of the Red Blade Witch.

He had no idea what she was doing in Jacobstown, but it hardly mattered. She was the most feared person in the Mojave, was at the top of the NCR's hit list, and if her file was to be believed, she was a one woman army. Still, Grissom had a theory as to why nobody had managed to kill her yet. Anyone who fought her decided to take a moment to taunt her instead of finishing the job. He'd watched security tapes of some of her battles; specifically, the ones in The Tops. For some reason, whenever she fought someone, her opponent decided to take a few moments either to taunt her, or ask her to surrender. These brief moments usually gave her a chance to turn the tables. Even NCR rangers, supposedly the best fighters in the Mojave, fell prey to this bizarre taunting urge. It wasn't professional, and it made Grissom sick. No matter; he'd trained his men to be cold, emotionless killers. They would get the job done, and if they didn't…Grissom would save his taunts until after he pulled the trigger.

*Layla*

"Can we talk?" Veronica asked, as she Layla, Marcus and Keene walked down one of the upstairs corridors. Predictably, Layla ignored her. "Look, I feel awful okay? I'm sorry I said that, but it was just a slip of the tongue! You can't ignore me forever just because I said something hurtful by accident." Layla took a second to scowl at the former scribe, before looking away. "Well…you looked at me. That's a start I guess." Layla promptly picked up the pace, leaving Veronica behind her and walking next to Marcus.

"Is something wrong?" Marcus asked politely as they turned a corner.

"No." Layla said sharply.

"You seem to be upset with Veronica." Marcus observed. Layla sighed.

"She just…said something that really hurt me. As punishment, I'm not talking to her."

"For how long?"

"I don't know."

"That seems impractical."

"It's a human thing." Marcus nodded slowly, as though he finally understood.

"Ah. I haven't been human for nearly a century, so your ways confuse me a little. Mutants don't exactly have lover's spats, so you can understand why your actions would be confusing for me." Layla nodded in understanding…until she realised what he'd said.

"Wait…lover's spats?"

"Yes. You know, a case where two people who are romantically involved have an argument over something quite minor? Both lovers usually blow the incident quite out of proportion, and one may decide to punish the other in some strange way, such as withholding sexual relations until the offending party apologises. That's what you're doing now isn't it?" Layla nearly tripped as Marcus' explanation shocked her.

"Hey wait, hang on a second!" Layla said loudly, before realising that Veronica could overhear and lowering the volume of her voice. "Are you implying that Veronica and I are lovers?!"

"Yes." Marcus replied simply. Layla's mouth fell open.

"Well we're not." Marcus raised his eyebrow, exasperating Layla. "We're not! We're just friends okay?" Marcus looked over at Veronica dubiously, before looking back at Layla.

"Are you sure?" He asked, causing Layla to bring both hands to her face and groan loudly.

"YES! This isn't a lover's spat; this is just a regular spat. She offended me, so I'm ignoring her, that's it. We're not lovers, and I'm certainly not withholding sex, okay?"

"So you **are** having sexual relations?"

"NO! We are **not **having sexual relations, because we're **friends**, and **friends **don't have sexual relations with each other!"

"Your denial is suspiciously specific."

"No it isn't! Can we just drop this? Please?!"

"As you wish." Marcus said apologetically. Layla thanked him, and they both looked ahead, focusing on walking instead of continuing their conversation, which was growing more awkward for Layla by the second. "Just one thing first." Layla sighed, before looking over at Marcus. "Just because I haven't had a lover for over 50 years, doesn't mean I can't recognise romantic affection when I see it." With that, he nodded over at Veronica, and smiled knowingly. Layla felt a deep, growing urge for the floor to swallow her up…or to get shot in the head again, whichever would end this conversation sooner.

"This conversation is making me uncomfortable." Layla said honestly.

"Why?" Marcus asked, genuinely confused.

"Most humans don't like to talk about their sex lives. It's a human thing."

"I see." Marcus said, still seeming quite confused. "Well, I apologise if I have offended you."

"That's quite alright Marcus."

"Would it put you more at ease with we talk about my sex life as well?" With that, Layla slowed her walking to a crawl, until Marcus passed her by. She fell back into step with Veronica, but remembered she was ignoring her, and so slowed down even more, until she fell into step with Keene at the back of their little procession.

"What do you want human?" Keene asked in his typical abrasive manner.

"I don't want to talk to either of them." Layla replied, pointing to Marcus and Veronica as she did so. Keene cocked his head to the side.

"Yet you wish to speak to me?" He sounded puzzled, and Layla understood why. She'd somehow managed to get herself into a situation where she'd rather talk to **Keene **of all people, instead of her best friend in the world and the mutant that she actually got along with.

"Believe me; the absurdity of the situation hasn't escaped my notice." Layla said wearily. Keene looked thoughtfully ahead for a few seconds, before turning back to Layla.

"Is it because you and the hooded one are having a lover's quarrel?" _FOR FUCK'S SAKE! _Layla inwardly screamed, before turning and staring intensely at Keene. He recoiled in horror, as though his gaze was physically harming him. "Stop!" He demanded, but she resumed. Unable to stop her, Keene growled before activating his stealth boy and disappearing from her sight. Layla grinned triumphantly, before turning to look ahead, pushing all thoughts of Veronica from her mind as she did so. _I REALLY need to kill something. _She thought to herself. Luckily, fate was all too happy to oblige.

"You can get into the vents right around here." Marcus said as he turned a corner up ahead…only for a grenade to land at his feet. He didn't even have time to curse before the grenade sent him flying. He smashed through a nearby door, utterly destroying the wooden door, before landing in one of the lodge's hotel rooms. Layla gripped her blade tightly, before running ahead and turning the corner that the grenade had come from. She was met with a veteran ranger, wielding two knives. As she prepared to do battle, another ranger climbed out of the air vent behind the knife ranger, and he was wielding a hunting shotgun. Before he could do battle however, Keene suddenly appeared behind him.

"DIE YOU WORTHLESS FILTH!" Keene roared as he wrapped his huge hand around the ranger's head, before lifting him off the ground. The ranger with the knives tried to help, but Layla was upon him far too quickly for that. She let out a series of slashes with her blade, which he dodged with speed and skill typical of black rangers. She finished her combo by driving the blade right for the glowing eyepieces on his helmet, but he ducked before aiming a stab at her face. She deflected the strike with the handle of her blade, only for him to surprise her with a quick kick to the midsection. Layla was knocked off balance, and the knife wielding ranger went in for the kill. He aimed a stab right between Layla's ribs, and Layla knew she couldn't dodge. Seconds before the lethal attack hit however, Layla felt a strong hand on her arm. She looked back to see Veronica, seconds before the former scribe used her grip to pull Layla back and out of range of the attack. She pushed Layla away from the ranger, before running in to attack him herself.

Keene meanwhile had a firm grip on the other ranger's head. He started to squeeze the head, slowly crushing the helmet around the ranger's skull. He cackled madly, only for a comically surprised look to appear on his face as the ranger unfastened the claps on his helmet, and dropped right out of it. He landed on the carpeted floor, hunting shotgun still in hand, before cocking it and firing it at Keene's face. Keene screamed to the heavens in rage and agony as the blast blew half of his face off. The ranger, a young black man, looked confident…until Keene backhanded him, sending him flying down the corridor. Half blind and frenzied by pain, several unidentifiable, but obviously **angry **noises escaped Keene's mouth, as his hands went to his devastated face. The ranger recovered quickly from the backhand, but when he did a kip up to get to his feet, Keene had vanished.

Not letting Keene's shouts and screams distract him, the knife ranger shot a barrage of kicks at Veronica. Veronica countered every kick with one of her own, before trying to punch the ranger with her power fist. He danced behind her however, before trying to stab her in the spine. Layla grabbed his trenchcoat mid-stab, and used it to pull him towards her. He promptly wriggled out of it however, before kicking her to the floor. Veronica rushed him from behind, before jumping and aiming a flying kick at his head. He spun to face her at the last second however, and rolled under her attack. Veronica landed in a roll a few seconds later, before rolling into a crouch and getting to her feet right next to Layla. The ranger prepared to throw a knife at her, only for Layla to spring to her feet and throw her own knife.

The knife stabbed into his bicep, but he ignored it before throwing his own knife. Veronica charged at Layla, pushing both of them to the side to dodge the flying knife. The knife flew right past them, only to bounce off some familiar armour.

"You are not welcome here." Marcus said in the most threatening voice either girls had ever heard from him, apparently not hurt in the least by the grenade. The ranger backed away slightly, before using his free hand to draw the Sequoia from his belt. He raised it, but had trouble firing it, as an invisible hand promptly wrenched his arm off. Layla couldn't help flashing her sadistic grin, as she heard a black ranger cry out in pain for the first time. It was a strange cry, the cry of a man who isn't used to expressing pain, as he's so good he never experiences it, or he at least never experiences pain bad enough to draw a reaction from him. The ranger had some pipes on him, as his cry filled the entire corridor. It was promptly ended however, as Keene appeared in front of him, before lifting the stunned ranger off the floor by the throat, and slamming him back down. The ranger landed painfully, before going silent.

The ranger with the shotgun backed away slightly, obviously a little nervous about having to take on the Red Blade Witch, a crazy hooded martial artist with a power fist, and two angry super mutants, all at the same time. He didn't show any lack of confidence however, instead simply cocking his shotgun, and firing. Keene vanished with his stealth boy before the ranger even fired, while Marcus dashed in front of the girls. Just as the ranger's finger reached the trigger, Marcus brought his arms up protectively in front of his face, using himself as a large shield to defend the girls against the blast. The ranger fired, and Marcus grunted as several shells filled his arms, and he was knocked backwards. He skidded down the corridor slightly, nearly tripping on the carpet as he did so. His arms were mostly armoured, but a few of them were still hit by the buckshot. Regardless, the injury didn't slow him down at all, as he roared loudly before charging the ranger.

The ranger rushed forward himself to meet Marcus' charge, before sliding right through the mutant's legs. He tried to fire a shot at Marcus' back, only for Veronica to kick the shotgun from his hands. Not deterred, he shot his own kick back. Veronica jumped back to dodge, while Layla tried to stab his eyepiece with her blade. He barely managed to dodge, clearly not used to fighting in such close quarters with so many opponents. He backed away slightly, only to bump right into Marcus. He turned to face Marcus just as the mutant let out a powerful punch. The punch shattered one of the ranger's eyepieces, and knocked him to the floor. He slowly got up, only to see Layla and Veronica walking towards him on one side, and Marcus walking towards him on the other. He drew the Sequoia from his belt, only to see it crunch before his very eyes as an invisible hand grabbed it. Keene appeared right in front of him before grabbing him by the neck. The ranger bombarded Keene with a flurry of punches as the mutant's mighty hands wrapped around his throat, but every blow was ineffective. Half of Keene's face smiled (The other half was too damaged to do so), as his hands gripped tightly…and twisted. A loud snap told everybody that the ranger was dead, and Keene pushed his corpse to the floor before laughing.

"Phantoms? Bah! What was I thinking?" He said confidently. "Marcus, these whelps are no tougher than the other NCR filth. And to think, you all spoke so highly of their abilities." Keene was clearly riding high from his victory, but Marcus decided to set him straight.

"You wouldn't have won if we weren't here to help Keene." Marcus reminded him, only for Keene to wave his hand dismissively

"Bah! You don't know what you're talking about Marcus. These black suited weaklings are nothing more than…" Keene never finished his sentence, as a sudden shotgun blast blew off a piece of his head. The first shotgun blast had severely damaged the right side of his face, this shot blew off the left side of his scalp, as well as his left eye and the left half of his nose. Keene roared in anger, as the ranger who had been using knives, the one who'd received a chokeslam from Keene, got to his feet, the other ranger's shotgun in his hands. Now fully blind, Keene tried to turn towards the ranger, but the ranger interrupted him by blowing a hole straight through his stomach. Keene let out a sound dangerously close to a whimper, before collapsing to the floor. Having never liked Keene much, Layla didn't feel much concern. Marcus however, was different. As she looked on, Layla could see the calm veneer disappear from Marcus' features. He was letting the brutality inherent in all super mutants take over, and Layla had a feeling the ranger's life was about to be cut very short. Veronica tried to run forwards to help, only for Layla to grab her shoulder.

"What are you…" Veronica began, only for Layla to shush her without a word. Before Veronica could speak again, Layla pointed to the battle unfolding in front of them. Marcus beat his chest in a primal manner, before charging at the ranger with speed surprising for one so large. Layla imagined the ranger's eyes were widening considerably beneath his helmet, as a ten foot tall mutant with bloody murder in his eyes charged in a mad fury. The ranger didn't even have time to fire before Marcus was close enough to wrap a giant hand around the arm that held the shotgun. Marcus seemed ready to break the arm, only for the ranger to draw a combat knife with his free hand and stab it into Marcus' arm with great force. Marcus looked down at the knife with what seemed to be boredom as blood poured out of his heavily muscled arm. He then looked back up at the ranger, before lifting him off the floor. The ranger kicked Marcus in the face rapidly but the mutants shrugged it off. He grabbed one of the kicking legs with his free hand and let out a bellow that could shake the heavens, before throwing the ranger forwards. The sheer force of Marcus' throw caused the wall to crumble as the ranger flew into it. The wall fell apart, while the ranger flew straight through, no doubt with several broken bones all over his body. Marcus followed the ranger into the room, meaning Layla and Veronica didn't see the rest of the fight. From what they heard however, it was clear Marcus didn't show the ranger any mercy. A few seconds later, Marcus walked back through the hole, carrying the ranger's head in one hand, with the bloody, partially broken spine still attached.

"I…apologise." Marcus said sheepishly as he reached them, before dropping the head and spine to the floor. "I…lost my composure. Normally I am in complete control of my baser mutant instincts, but seeing them harm Keene just…" Marcus stopped midsentence, seemingly remembering that Keene was injured. He ran over to the wounded nightkin, who lay on his back in a rapidly spreading pool of blood. Marcus dropped to his knees next to Keene, covering his knees with blood but not caring in the slightest. He looked his fellow mutant over…and realised that this would be the last conversation they ever had. Keene was in an atrocious state; the majority of his face had been blown off, including both eyes, half of his jaw and most of his nose, part of his scalp had been blown off, exposing some of his brain, and there was a gaping hole in his chest. Mutants could survive a lot of punishment…but nothing could survive this.

"Marcus!" Keene called out from the floor, pain colouring his words. "Marcus, where are you? Everything is dark…I can't see." To the surprise of everyone present, Keene then burst out laughing. "I…I can't see! Marcus…do you see the irony? As a nightkin, I never wanted to be seen, and I hated being looked at. Now…I can never look at anything again. Such…poetic justice." He tried to laugh more, but only coughed up blood instead.

"Keene…I'm afraid you don't have long left." Marcus said sadly.

"Thank you Marcus, I may not have been able to determine that by myself." Keene responded with biting sarcasm.

"I…I'm sorry. It's my fault that…" Marcus began, only for Keene to interrupt him.

"Don't be absurd Marcus. You had nothing to do with it. I'm the one who took my eye off the human." He growled as he said the last word, before slamming the floor with the last of his strength. Even though he was rapidly dying, and most of his strength was surely gone by now, he was still strong enough to leave a fist sized hole in the floor. "Bah! A human! A human ended my life! Can you believe it Marcus? It's utterly disgraceful! A human, a member of the most pathetic race imaginable managed to kill me, the greatest of nightkin. I'm going to be a laughing stock." He chuckled, before breaking into another coughing fit.

"I'm sorry we weren't able to find a cure."

"Would you stop apologising Marcus?! It's getting old. Stop the pathetic display of self-pity for a moment and pay attention." Keene gestured for Marcus to lean closer, and he did so. "Out of all the mutants I've ever met, you're the only one who's nearly as formidable as me. Though I hate to admit it…I respect you. Because of that…I want you to lead my nightkin after I'm gone." There was a surprising amount of sincerity in Keene's voice, and Marcus looked absolutely gobsmacked.

"Keene, I'm not sure if I can…"

"If you try to refuse, or show any measure of humility, I swear I will drag you down to hell with me you bloody fool." Keene interrupted, before reaching out a hand. Marcus took the hand firmly, and smiled a wan smile.

"Very well Keene. I promise I'll lead the nightkin well." Keene nodded slowly.

"There was never any doubt in my mind." There was a pause, before the nightkin spoke up again. "Marcus, you're smart. You've always been more intelligent than me, so tell me…what happens after you die?" Layla and Veronica stepped closer to the scene, and Layla was shocked to see a single tear roll down Marcus' cheek.

"When you die…you're sent to a paradise designed solely for you. There, you can live out your wildest dreams, and anything you've ever wanted is yours." Keene's response was quiet. His voice seemed to be getting quieter every second…a sign that his end was near.

"So…I'd be invisible all the time?" Marcus nodded.

"That's right. Nobody would ever be able to look at you again." Layla saw more tears roll down Marcus' cheek, but the mutant didn't move to wipe them away.

"Marcus…how stupid do you think I am?" Keene scoffed. "That tale is absolutely ridiculous." He stopped to cough up more blood, before tightening his grip on Marcus' hand considerably. "And yet…" He looked up, to where he assumed Marcus' face was. "…I hope it's true." Marcus looked like he was about to say something else…when Keen's head fell back. His entire body went limp, and his grip on Marcus' hand loosened significantly. Marcus sighed, before letting go of Keene's hand. He placed Keene's hand on the corpse's chest, before getting to his feet and turning to face the girls.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." He seemed to be trying to put on his regular voice…but a noticeable hint of sadness seeped through.

"Were…you and Keene close?" Veronica asked nervously. Marcus looked down at the corpse, and surprised the girls with a light chuckle.

"No…quite the opposite." He said with a wistful smile. "We were always at each other's throats, our goals constantly differing. After I got him to bring his nightkin here, we never exchanged a friendly word. The only times we spoke were if I was giving him an order, if he was calling me a coward or a fool, or if I was chastising him for doing something reckless and stupid."

"Then…why are you sad?" Layla asked, confused. "You didn't like him, and he didn't like you, so why shed a tear at his death?"

"I never said I didn't like Keene." Marcus said as he wiped the tears from his face. "We may have never got on, but we respected one another. Deep down, I sensed a good person in him. I hoped that, after Doc Henry cured the nightkin's schizophrenia, Keene and I could put aside our differences…and actually become friends." He cast the corpse one last sorrowful glance, before retrieving the shotgun from the ranger he'd recently brutalised. "Alas, it seems that will never be the case." Layla was still confused, but Veronica seemed to understand, and she walked forwards before placing a hand on Marcus' muscular arm.

"I understand." She said sympathetically. "My family was much the same. I didn't get on with most of them, and they were always blinded to the truth…but I always sensed something more in them. I thought they were capable of breaking out of their rut, of going out into the world and helping people. Unfortunately, the NCR wiped them out before I could ever see if I was right about them." A downcast look appeared in Veronica's eyes, and Layla felt a tug on her heartstrings. She'd been so caught up about what Veronica had said about her mother, that she'd forgotten Veronica had experienced loss too. _God I've been an ass. _She realised, as Marcus clasped Veronica's hand, the size difference between their hands clearly evident.

"Thank you." Marcus said gratefully, and Veronica smiled. A few seconds later, he released Veronica's hand, before taking all the shotgun shells he could find from the two corpses. "The opening into the vents is there. It's fairly linear; just keep crawling and you should reach Henry's lab before too long. Layla nodded, before walking over to the opening. Veronica meanwhile watched Marcus as he started to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Veronica asked as Marcus walked to the corner they'd turned on the way there, hunting shotgun in hand.

"The vents are too small for me." He called back. "I'll find another, less subtle way into the lab. Don't worry, I'll meet up with you later." Before he turned the corner, he stopped, before glancing back at Layla. "And Layla…leave some alive for me."

"I thought you didn't like violence?" Layla called back, a smirk on her face.

"This is a special occasion." With that, Marcus turned the corner, leaving them alone.

"I guess we'd better go then." Veronica sighed as she walked over to the opening. "Not that you'll touch, look at or speak to me for the entire journey through these goddamned vents. I'll be all alone, in my own little claustrophobic hell, and you won't even say a word."

"I'm sorry." Layla said suddenly, knocking Veronica for six.

"You…you spoke to me!" Veronica said happily, before a look of confusion appeared on her face. "Wait…why are you apologising? I pretty much compared you to the guys who killed your mother. What did you do wrong?"

"I overreacted for one." Layla said apologetically, as she grabbed Veronica's hand. "I was being selfish. I'm not the only one who's lost loved ones. You lost just as many as me, but you lost them more recently."

"What're you saying?" Veronica asked, still quite confused.

"I'm saying…I'm sorry I let your slip of the tongue get to me so much. I know you'd never intentionally hurt me, physically or emotionally."

"And I'm sorry I even said that stupid thing in the first place." Veronica replied. She smiled warmly, and the two hugged. "There we go…our lover's spat has officially been resolved." Layla rapidly released the hug, before staring at Veronica, a dumbstruck look on her face.

"Lover's spat?" She asked slowly. "You…you heard everything Marcus said to me earlier didn't you?"

"Yep." Veronica replied with a cheeky smile. "Your reactions were hilarious. I certainly hope you don't plan on withholding sex from me in the future." She said jokingly, and Layla brought her palms up to cover her face wearily.

"Just get in the vent."

"I don't want to." Veronica protested with puppy dog eyes. "I'm afraid I'll get stuck."

"You're smaller than me, so if you get stuck, I'll definitely get stuck too."

"Is this supposed to comfort me?" Layla smiled at her warmly.

"Yes, because if you do get stuck, I'll be there to talk to you, to tell you everything will be all right. No matter what happens, I'll be there." Veronica returned the smile

"That…is actually quite comforting. Thanks."

"It's the least I could do, since you helped me with my fear of flying." Veronica grinned.

"Wow…you're really getting soft." Layla rolled her eyes.

"I repeat: just get in the vent."

*Meanwhile*

"Sir, I've lost contact with Clark and Hill." The veteran ranger called Martin informed his commander. Any ranger who earned their black armour was experienced enough to know to always answer their radio, no matter what situation they found themselves in. If the two rangers Grissom had sent after Layla weren't responding…then they were dead.

"The Witch got them." The ghoul spat, saying what they were all thinking. He was wearing his helmet now, though he didn't seem happy about it. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd sent me after them!" He barked at Grissom. The commander's response was characteristically devoid of emotion.

"You're right, because if I **had** sent you after the Witch, she would've gutted you while you took the moment to taunt her." Grissom turned to his two remaining rangers, before giving orders. "If Layla did kill Clark and Hill, then she'll be coming through the vents after us. Martin, guard the opening leading to the vents." Martin saluted, while the ghoul looked displeased.

"What about me?"

"Keep an eye on the civilians." The ghoul looked like he was about to object, but he clearly thought better of it, instead stomping over to Henry and his assistant. Grissom shook his head, before looking over at the opening leading to the vents as Martin approached it. Martin pressed himself against the wall just below the vent, assault carbine in hand, and prepared to look into the vent. There was no need however, as a frag grenade dropped out a few seconds later. The ranger reacted immediately, diving away seconds before the grenade detonated.

The ghoul turned at the sound of the explosion, while Grissom just readied his Sequoia. As the smoke started to clear, and Martin started to get to his feet, Layla dropped out of the vent, sword at the ready. Grissom didn't copy his compatriots by stopping to taunt; he simply fired. Layla rolled behind a nearby counter seconds before the bullet hit, while Martin climbed to his feet. He readied his carbine, before slowly walking around the counter to where Layla was hiding. Grissom grasped his revolver with both hands, just waiting for Layla to show herself so that he could fire. As he watched, Grissom heard quiet footsteps nearby. He didn't realise anything was wrong…until a hooded young woman suddenly appeared in front of him, before knocking him to the floor with a roundhouse kick.

*Veronica*

_Thank God for Keene's stealth boy. _Veronica thought to herself, grinning slightly.

"Well, well, look who's come back for more." A familiar, raspy voice said. Veronica turned in the direction the voice had come from, and scowled as a ranger on the far side of the room threw off his helmet, revealing the face of the ghoul that had bested her before.

"You." Veronica said with obvious fury.

"Yeah…me." The ghoul said with a sneer, before rushing her. As the ghoul neared, Veronica sensed movement behind her, and realised that the ranger she'd kicked was getting to his feet. She darted to the side, just as the ranger fired his Sequoia. The shot missed her, but hit the ghoul in the chest, knocking him to the floor. Veronica turned to the Sequoia wielding ranger…just in time to be kicked in the face and knocked into one of the nearby counters.

"You must be Grissom." Layla said from across the room, as she tried to stab the ranger with the carbine. Layla slashed madly, but the ranger sidestepped every blow, before putting his carbine right under her chin. Thinking quickly, Veronica grabbed a Bunsen burner from the counter next to her (This was a lab after all), before throwing it at the head of the ranger that Layla was fighting. The ranger saw the burner coming however, and dashed backwards to dodge it. While he was doing that however, Layla had a chance to dart forwards and deliver a powerful kick to his face. He was sent flying, dropping his carbine in the process.

"Enough of this." Grissom said with obvious frustration, before firing in Layla's direction with his Sequoia. Layla went prone behind the counter to dodge, while Veronica rushed Grissom. She fired a volley of kicks at his face, but he batted every blow away with one hand, before pointing his Sequoia right between her eyes. His finger moved to the trigger, ready to fire without any hesitation.

"No." The ghoul said sternly. "She's mine. I want the pleasure of beating her myself."

"Your pleasure does not concern me." Grissom said in an annoyed tone, forgetting about shooting Veronica for the moment so that he could berate the ghoul. "This is a mission. Our mission is to kill every mutant in this town, as well as anyone who resists. We are not here seeking enjoyment or entertaining battles, we are here to do a job, so stop distracting me and let me do that job." As Grissom said this, he kept his Sequoia pointed at Veronica, but turned his head ever so slightly towards the ghoul. This was all that Veronica needed.

The former scribe shot her knee upwards, smacking Grissom's hand and knocking the Sequoia airborne. Now that her foe was disarmed, Veronica tried to end the fight with a power fist punch to the face. Grissom wasn't going to go out that easily however, as he moved his head to the side to dodge the punch, before kicking Veronica in the side of the head. His Sequoia landed on the floor, and he ran to it…only for a bullet to impact the ground in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Not so fast." Layla said, now on her feet with That Gun in hand. "What did you mean when you said that your mission was to kill the mutants here?"

"Just that." Grissom replied calmly, not in the least bit worried about being held at gunpoint by the NCR's most feared criminal. "The mutants here killed some NCR hired mercenaries a few months ago. The mutants were deemed a threat to the security of NCR citizens, and we were brought in to eliminate them." Layla looked confused.

"Wait…you mean you're not here for Doc Henry?"

"No…but seeing as you have some interest in him, I will be sure to interrogate him after this is over."

"I have a question." Veronica asked, raising her hand as she did so. "Why are you telling us this? Isn't it classified NCR information?"

"It is. This however, is a distraction to allow Ranger Martin to kill the Witch." Layla's eyes widened, and she looked to the side…just in time to be struck in the face by the butt of Martin's carbine, and knocked to the floor. No longer held at gunpoint, Grissom rolled over to his Sequoia. He grabbed it midway through his roll, before stopping in a crouch and pointing the revolver at Veronica.

"Stop." The ghoul said, but Grissom ignored him. He took aim at Veronica's head, and his finger moved to the trigger…only for a deafening explosion to cause the ceiling above him to collapse. He dived away from the collapsing ceiling, and rubble bombarded the spot where he'd been standing moments ago. Something else dropped into the lab…but it wasn't rubble.

"Get out of my town." Marcus said in a threatening tone, hunting shotgun in one hand, and NCR missile launcher in the other hand.

"Marcus?" Veronica asked, gobsmacked by the scene unfolding before her. "How did you…"

"I acquired a missile launcher from an NCR soldier, before proceeding to an area on the second floor which just happened to be directly above the lab, and using the missile launcher to destroy the floor and drop in." Marcus explained in his characteristically polite tone. Martin looked at the mutant for a few seconds, clearly dumbstruck, before snapping out of it and opening fire with his carbine. Marcus ignored his gunfire, instead throwing the now empty missile launcher at the ranger's head. Martin ducked, only for Layla (Who was lying on the floor in front of him) to drive her sword directly upwards into his ball sack. Martin howled in pain, and Layla promptly got to her feet, grabbing That Gun with her free hand as she did so. Once she was on her feet, she pressed the gun against the injured ranger's eyepiece, and fired. There was a loud thud inside the helmet, before Martin dropped dead, leaking blood through his shattered eyepiece as he did so.

"Looks like we have the advantage of numbers now Grissom." Layla said confidently as she climbed over the counter, before running over to join Veronica and Marcus. Grissom stood crouched a few feet away from the trio, Sequoia still in his hand. "Surrender now, and maybe…" Grissom clearly wasn't in the mood to listen to their taunts, as he fired his revolver as soon as Layla started to speak. The bullet would've perforated the red haired one, had Marcus not moved himself in front of Layla at the last second. The bullet bounced harmlessly off his armour, and he raised his hunting shotgun…only for the ghoul to take a running jump towards Marcus from a nearby countertop, before delivering a flying kick to the mutant's face. The surprise blow knocked Marcus to the floor, and the ghoul landed between the two girls. He immediately kicked Veronica away from him, before ducking as Layla slashed him. Layla tried to stab downwards at his ducking form, only for him to kick her towards Grissom.

*Layla*

Grissom raised his revolver to Layla's face as she stumbled towards him, but she wasn't about to go down that easily. She used her lack of balance to deliberately fall into Grissom, knocking both of them to the floor. He easily pushed her off of him, before rolling to his feet and pointing his Sequoia at her face. Layla got to her feet at much the same time, before pointing That Gun at his face. They stood there, both pointing their guns at each other, locked in a stalemate. Luckily, Layla had a tiebreaker: a 10 foot wall of muscle that was currently running straight at her opponent. Both she and Grissom saw Marcus in the corner of their eyes, but only Grissom reacted. He knocked Layla back slightly with a rapid kick, before diving over the nearby counter as Marcus ran full pelt into it. Layla took a second to glance over at Veronica, and saw the former scribe locked in unarmed combat with the ghoul. She silently wished Veronica luck, before focusing on her own opponent once more.

Grissom landed in a crouch on the other side of the counter, and stopped for a moment to reload his Sequoia. Layla was determined not to give him the chance however, and she vaulted over the counter before landing next to him, sword and That Gun at the ready. Grissom looked up at her briefly…before pulling the pin of the smoke grenade on his belt. Seconds later, smoke burst forth from the grenade, concealing Grissom from Layla's view. She slashed downward at where he'd been crouching moments ago, but hit nothing. She cast her eyes around, searching for him…only for his boot to introduce itself to her face. Layla was knocked sprawling, and she hit the back of her head painfully on a random stool seconds before hitting the floor. Her vision swam for a moment, but it was clear enough for her to make out Grissom standing over her, reloading his Sequoia. By the time her head had stopped spinning and her vision had returned to normal, he had his fully loaded revolver pointed right at her face.

He didn't seem to be the taunting type, and she was confident he'd blow her head off without a second thought. Fortunately, Marcus rushed him before he could get the chance. Having circumvented the counter from earlier, Marcus approached Grissom as quickly as his sizable frame would allow, before pointing the hunting shotgun (Which he held with only one hand) at Grissom's head. Grissom jumped back seconds before the shot hit however, before raising his Sequoia to fire at Marcus' face. Marcus grabbed the revolver by the barrel however, before introducing his meaty foot to Grissom's mid-section with a surprise quick. Grissom was knocked onto his back, leaving his Sequoia in Marcus' grasp in the process, but quickly rolled backwards onto his feet, as Marcus threw the revolver away and ran towards him. The mutant tried to strike Grissom numerous times with the powerful fist of his free hand, but Grissom used his superior speed to evade every blow. As this went on, Layla got to her feet, before walking over to Grissom's Sequoia.

Grissom meanwhile sidestepped every one of Marcus' mighty blows, before drawing a combat knife from one of the sleeves of his trenchcoat. Marcus raised his hunting shotgun, but before he could fire, Grissom slithered out of his trenchcoat and threw it over the mutant's face. Marcus fired regardless, but the ranger easily dodged, before moving to Marcus' side. He climbed onto the counter behind Marcus, before using it to jump onto Marcus' back and drive his combat knife into the mutant's neck. Marcus roared in anger, before using his free hand to throw the trenchcoat off him. Once his head was free, he shot it back to headbutt the ranger. Though Grissom was wearing a helmet, Marcus' skull was hard enough to match the helmet's strength, causing both of them to take damage. Grissom was dizzied, but he succeeded in hanging on, before slashing the back of Marcus' head, leaving a bloody scratch. Fed up of this, Marcus allowed himself to fall back first to the floor. Grissom let go however, and rolled to the side seconds before Marcus landed on him. He got to his feet, only for a bullet from That Gun to hit him in the forehead. His head shot back slightly, but he recovered quickly…not that it did him any good, as Layla had two guns pointed at him.

"Not bad." Layla said in an impressed tone, even as she pointed That Gun and the Ranger Sequoia at Grissom's head. She held one of the guns in each hand, while her katana had been returned to its sheathe. She wasn't exactly used to dual wielding or using revolvers, but killing this annoying bastard with his own gun was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"You won't fire." Grissom said confidently. "Your file says you don't use revolvers."

"It doesn't mean I don't know how." Layla retorted.

"Then shoot." This was odd…Grissom wasn't exactly the chatty type. _Except when he's trying to distract me. _Layla realised too late, as Grissom threw his combat knife at her. She rolled to the side to dodge, while he ran towards Doctor Henry, obviously planning to take the doc as a hostage. Determined not to let that happen, Layla fired madly with That Gun and the Sequoia. A hefty barrage of bullets shot towards the running ranger, but he manage to avoid every one. He avoided the last two by sliding across the floor towards Henry, and Layla swore as both of our guns clicked to signify that they were empty. As Grissom got to his feet, Layla dropped both her guns, before grabbing a throwing knife from her belt. It wouldn't be an easy shot, but she wasn't worried; she'd always been more accurate with a thrown knife than with That Gun anyway. Grissom stood up, and reached out to pull Henry into a hold, while Layla threw her knife. Grissom's arm grabbed the collar of the doctor's lab coat…only for Layla's expertly thrown knife to fly right into his forearm. He hissed in pain, while the doctor wriggled from his grasp. Layla immediately attempted to close the distance between herself and her prey, running towards him as fast as she possibly could. She scooped That Gun up off the floor on the way, while drawing her katana again with her other hand. Grissom had just barely had enough time to get over the pain of having a knife thrown into his arm, when Layla's blade came crashing down towards his neck.

He hopped back to dodge the lethal slash, before firing off a quick kick to keep Layla at bay. Layla deflected it with her forearm, before returning That Gun to her thigh holster, grabbing her sword with both hands, and making a solid effort to remove Grissom's head from his shoulders. She tried all manner of rapid slashes, but her ranger adversary managed to dodge them all, moving out of the way of each strike with skilled movements and impressive speed. Despite his expert dodges however, Layla pushed him back with every strike, until he found himself with his back against the wall. She flashed him her trademark sadistic grin, before driving her blade straight forwards, attempting to skewer his neck. Unbeknownst to her however, this was exactly what he'd been hoping for. Seconds before the blade hit, Grissom darted to the side, leaving Layla's blade to stab into the wall that had been behind him moments ago.

"Fuck!" Layla cursed as she accidentally drove her blade into the wall. She pulled with all her might, but proved unable to pull the blade out. She was so occupied with trying to free her blade however, that she completely forgot about Grissom. With her eyes focused exclusively on her blade, Layla had no way of seeing Grissom as he grabbed the back of her head, before pushing it forwards. Layla's forehead smacked right into the hilt of her blade, cutting it and drawing blood. While Layla was dazed by the impact, he kicked her legs right out from under her, causing her to drop to the floor.

He stood over her as she lay flat on the floor, but didn't have time to capitalise on it before Marcus rushed him, shotgun at the ready. He rolled to the side as the bulky mutant fired his shotgun, causing the blast to miss and destroy a selection of beakers on a nearby counter. Grissom rolled to his feet, before rapidly sidestepping as Marcus's giant fist shot right towards him. Marcus' blow missed, instead going straight through the nearby wall. Marcus effortlessly pulled his fist out, while Grissom smashed a nearby glass beaker, before picking up one of the glass shards and rushing Marcus. He leapt upwards, trying to stab Marcus in the neck. Marcus was too fast however, striking Grissom with the back of his meaty hand and knocking the ranger flying. Grissom landed on a nearby wooden table, but wasted no time in climbing off it before throwing his glass shard at Marcus. The mutant swung his shotgun like a bat, smashing the shard as it flew towards him, but while he was doing that, Grissom bolted towards his Sequoia. He retrieved his revolver, before raising it and firing a shot at Marcus's face. The mutant brought up his free hand to block the bullet, but while he did, Grissom rushed him.

Marcus swung his fist with great force as Grissom reached him, only for the ranger to duck under the blow, before firing a bullet at the arm that held Marcus' shotgun. Marcus gritted his teeth as the bullet perforated his bicep, causing him to drop the shotgun. Grissom wasted no time in holstering his Sequoia, before catching the falling shotgun and shooting Marcus in the ribs at point blank range. Marcus roared in pain as the shot knocked him back against the wall, while at the same time punching through his armour and spraying his blood everywhere as the buckshot impacted with his chest. Clearly injured quite badly, Marcus used one hand to support himself against the wall, while using the other hand to strike Grissom. The ranger was faster however, dodging the blow with little effort before pressing the shotgun against the underside of Marcus' chin. He didn't have a chance to fire however, before Layla's katana slashed into his right arm.

He growled in pain as Layla's slash left a bloody gash on his arm, before bringing up his shotgun to block as she slashed downwards. He successfully blocked the slash, only to be knocked backwards by a backhanded smack from Marcus. Despite Marcus' obvious physical strength, Grissom managed to stay on his feet. Layla aimed a horizontal slash at his neck, only for him to sidestep her. Layla shot past him, and he moved behind her before striking her in the back with the butt of his shotgun. Layla was knocked to the floor, while Marcus managed to recover enough to charge Grissom. The ranger raised his shotgun at the charging mutant, only for Marcus to effortlessly slap the gun out of his grasp. Grissom didn't even have a chance to blink before Marcus followed the attack up with a fist to the ranger's chin. Despite the power of the blow, Grissom stayed on his feet, before ducking as Marcus attempted to clothesline him. While Marcus passed him, Grissom pulled the pin off one of the grenades at his belt, before throwing it over his shoulder. Marcus turned back to Grissom, only to find two things: 1) Grissom had his back to him, and 2) There was a flashbang sitting at his feet.

Marcus was blinded and deafened seconds later, while Grissom removed his belt. Said belt had a very, very large number of grenades on it, and Grissom removed the pin of every grenade before turning around and pouncing on Marcus. He climbed a short way up Marcus' shoulders, before wrapping the belt (Covered with live grenades) around Marcus' thick neck. By the time Marcus had recovered from the flashbang, Grissom had managed to get far away from him. Marcus's eyes widened considerably as he noticed the grenade ridden belt around his neck, and he rapidly tried to untie it. Failing that, he simply ripped it in half, before throwing the two pieces away. The pieces of belt didn't get far before the grenades detonated however, the resulting combined explosion knocked Marcus flying. He landed on the same table that Grissom had landed on earlier, and the table smashed beneath his great weight as he hit it. He lay on the floor amidst the broken pieces of wood, completely unmoving. Having disposed of the mutant, Grissom turned back to Layla, just in time to dodge another one of her slashes.

"You'll pay for that." Layla threatened, bristling with anger as she slashed at Grissom again and again. The ranger didn't respond, instead dodging her attacks effortlessly, before grabbing her wrist. Layla spat blood as be brutally kneed her in the gut, before elbowing her in the jaw and flipping her over his shoulder. Layla's sword flew away from her as she landed awkwardly and painfully on the floor, and she gritted her teeth in a pained expression before getting to her feet. This proved to be a mistake however, as Grissom wasted no time in grabbing her by her red mane (Her love of long hair came back to haunt her), before dragging her across the lab. He was impressively strong, and Layla failed completely to escape, though not from lack of trying. She fought viciously in his grasp, but he successfully managed to drag her over to the windows, before pulling her that she lay flat against his front. She had no idea what was going on…until he threw her towards the nearest window.

*Veronica*

Though she would never admit it to herself or anyone else, Veronica didn't think she would be able to win this fight. She was tough; she knew that for a fact. She'd bested Layla in a physical altercation after all, something very few people had ever managed to do. She was a skilled fighter…but unfortunately, the ghoul was better. He was faster than her, stronger than her, and he likely had several decades worth of fighting experience (If not a century worth), while she had less than two decades. She seriously doubted her chances of success, but carried on regardless. If she was going to lose against this prick, then she was determined to at least make him bleed and/or break one of his bones before throwing in the towel.

While Layla and Marcus double teamed the head ranger, Veronica was at the other end of the lab, engaged in a heated fist fight with the ghoul. Their fight was something to behold, a frenzied battle between two highly skilled individuals, and one that would most certainly have drawn a crowd if there had been anybody around to watch. Fast, fluid blows flew between the talented fighters too fast to track, and the battle looked to be quite even. Every blow was countered, every punch blocked, every kick deflected, every grab reversed, and every taunt returned with a taunt to match. Despite how even the battle was however, Veronica was getting tired…and she doubted he was. Ghouls didn't exactly tire easily, and since this particular ranger was an experienced ranger, she had a feeling his stamina would be even more impressive than that of a regular ghoul. Even now, she could feel herself slowing, her attacks getting more sluggish, and each time she dodged, she dodged by a narrower and narrower margin. She doubted she'd last much longer.

"Feeling tired?" The ghoul asked mockingly as he shot out a straight kick.

"What can I say? You bore me." Veronica shot back, as she brought up both arms in an X shape to block the kick. "Your uncreative taunts get a little dull after a while." She aimed a punch at his face with her power fist.

"Hey, I'm bored too. There's only so long I can fight an inferior opponent before I start to daydream." He weaved to the side to dodge her attack, before firing off a series of quick jabs. She barely managed to block them.

"Yeah, well there's only so long I can listen to your spectacularly crap taunts before I start contemplating taking a Bunsen burner to my ears." Despite her cocky façade, Veronica felt anxiety fill her. She had no idea how she was going to come out of this in one piece. As the ghoul prepared to return fire with a taunt of his own, Veronica decided to end the fight as quickly as possible, by aiming a roundhouse kick at his face. Unfortunately for her however, the ghoul caught her foot midway through the kick.

"Got you." He said with a frighteningly dark sneer, before grabbing her foot with both hands, and twisting. Veronica cried out as he twisted her ankle, and he smiled a malicious smile, before dropping her foot. Veronica struggled to stay on her feet in spite of her ankle, and he immediately struck. He punched her viciously in the throat, before kicking her in the gut. Veronica could barely stand, and he kicked her in the knee, then struck her with the back of his gloved hand, leaving three bloody scratched on her right cheek and knocking her to the floor. She landed on her backside, and she sat there, barely conscious, while, he raised his leg, preparing to bring it crashing down on her head. "Sorry kid, but once again, I win. I win quite easily, as a matter of fact. And to think, that jackass Grissom said I taunt too much. What a load of shit. Like I could ever be so busy taunting someone that I'd get hit by a surprise attack. As if." The ghoul laughed to himself, but was interrupted by a sudden whistle. Confused, he lowered his leg, before turning to the sound of the whistle. His milky white eyes widened in shock, as he saw Doctor Henry standing nearby, untied and holding a glass beaker filled with a pale liquid. "You? How did you get free?" The doctor didn't answer. Instead, he just splashed the beaker's contents all over the ghoul's face.

Watching this scene unfold from the floor, Veronica found herself wondering what the liquid in the beaker actually was. She didn't wonder long however, as the liquid touched the ghoul's rotted face, and started to burn it. The (Obviously acidic) contents of the beaker scorched the ghoul's face, and the ghoul screamed in agony as what little skin remained on his face was burned away. The skin burned away to reveal muscle, and the muscle burned away to reveal bone, until the zombie's face was even more nightmarish than before. Even worse, some had gotten into his eyes, and he covered them as they were likely dissolved. Seeing her chance, Veronica tried to get to her feet. Due to her dazed, injured state, and her twisted ankle, she only managed to get to her knees. It was enough for her to reach her foe however, and she clenched her power fist hand tightly before shooting her arm up and delivering a powerful uppercut. The ghoul's screaming was put to an abrupt halt, as Veronica's power fist shot upwards through his head, destroying everything it came across, be it bones, skin, or brain matter. Her fist shot out of the top of his skull a few seconds later, though not much of it was left by then. Having had almost all of his skin and facial muscle burnt away, most of his skull and brain destroyed, and his face quite literally punched off, the ghoul was most definitely dead. He flopped face first to the floor a few seconds later, and Veronica breathed a sigh of relief, before falling from her knees onto her back, and lying on the floor. She took a few deep, exhausted breaths, before she noticed that Doc Henry was extending his hand down towards her.

"Veronica, right?" He asked calmly, as though the horrid death he'd just experienced hadn't fazed him in the slightest. Seeing as he'd once been a member of the Enclave, that much was probably true.

"Yeah…" Veronica answered nervously. "How did you know my name?"

"You brought your cyberdog to me a while ago, and you told me your name then." Veronica felt like slapping herself; how had she forgotten that?

"Oh…right…sorry." Feeling quite silly, she took the doctor's hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She winced as she accidentally stood on her twisted ankle, and he helped her over to a nearby wooden chair. She gratefully sat down, before asking him a question. "We hardly know each other doc, so why did you help me?" Henry shrugged.

"I don't know. Was I supposed to help the NCR rangers who tied me up, and were likely going to lock me up for helping mutant 'terrorists'?" Veronica smiled slightly.

"Fair enough, but where did you get the acid?"

"This is a laboratory."

"Okay…how did you escape from the ropes?"

"You learn many things in the Enclave." Veronica damn near fell off her chair. She hadn't been expecting him to be so open about his Enclave related past.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh come now; I may be old, but I'm no fool. Your red headed friend thought that the rangers were here for me. Why would she think that, unless she knew about my time in the Enclave? That's why the two of you came here isn't it?" Veronica was gobsmacked, but she straightened her face and tried to come up with a response.

"Okay, yes, we came here for you." She admitted.

"Obviously not to kill me, or we wouldn't be having this conversation." Veronica shook her head.

"No, not to kill you. You see, the thing is…" Before Veronica could continue, she heard glass breaking behind her. "What just happened?" She asked Henry, as she couldn't quite turn around. Henry didn't sound pleased when he replied.

"The man named Grissom…just threw your friend through a window."

*Layla*

The first thing Layla felt as she awoke, was the sensation of something cold right against her face. _What the hell is_ _that? _She mentally wondered, as she slowly woke up from her brief blackout. Her eyes felt like 50 ton weights, but she managed to open them, only to see pure white right in front of her. Moving her head back, she realised that the white was snow. The white substance covered the front of her body, as she lay on her stomach, spread eagled in the snow. It was understandable that she hadn't realised this earlier, as she'd never touched snow before in her life. She'd never had any contact with snow at all in fact, apart from walking in it.

After she got used to the feel of the snow, the second sensation she felt was pain. It was a familiar feeling, but there was a lot of it. Her whole body hurt; her bones ached, and she could feel several sharp objects stabbed into several parts of her body. As he brain finished waking up, she remembered being thrown through one of the lab's windows, and realised that the pointy objects were glass shards. Her face felt damp too, not just from the snow, and she realised that it was likely covered with blood. Sure enough, the snow that her face had touched was stained red.

Before she could wonder how long she'd been unconscious, a sudden kick to the gut made her cry out in pain, and caused her to roll onto her back. Being on her back allowed her to see the beautiful environment around her. She was surrounded by snow and trees, with the Jacobstown lodge serving as the only manmade structure nearby. The sky was a beautiful vibrant blue, and the sun shone brightly. It was a shame that a familiar ranger had to ruin the beauty of the scene. Grissom stood over her, a little worse for wear, but definitely in better condition than her where injuries were concerned. He pointed his Ranger Sequoia down at her, and she realised that she didn't have enough strength left to stop him.

"What? No taunt? No clever quip before you kill me?" Layla asked, trying to stall him for a few seconds so she could figure out what to do.

"No." He replied simply, before firing. Layla had no need to worry however, as a large hand crushed the barrel of the revolver as it fired, ruining the shot. Grissom turned around, just in time for a very angry Marcus to lift him off the ground. Marcus' armour was ruined, his body was covered with burns, and some shrapnel was stabbed into his head, but still he stood…and he had bloody murder in his eyes. He ripped off the chestpiece of Grissom's armour before throwing it away. Grissom fought in his grasp, but Marcus was far too strong for him. Marcus raised the ranger high above his head, before slamming him downward. He brought Grissom crashing down onto his outstretched knee, and Layla grinned slightly as she actually heard the ranger's spine snap. With that attack, Grissom went silent, and Marcus dropped him next to Layla. With Grissom dealt with, Marcus' anger seemed to fade away. He took a deep breath, then walked to Layla (Purposely trampling Grissom in the process), before helping her to her feet.

"Thanks." Layla said with a grateful smile as she stood up, before scowling down at Grissom. "Is he dead?"

"I don't think so." Marcus replied.

"I should change that. Could you hand me his gun?" Marcus nodded, before retrieving the ranger's gun and handing it to Layla. "Take his helmet off." Marcus did so, ripping the veteran ranger helmet from Grissom's face before throwing it away into the snow somewhere. Grissom's face was unremarkable, and Layla smiled sadistically before pointing the Sequoia at said face. She spat down at Grissom, before firing every shot the Sequoia had left into his unremarkable skull. Once the gun clicked empty, Layla threw it down at the corpse, before allowing Marcus to escort her back inside.

*An hour later*

Layla winced slightly as she sat down in one of the chairs in Marcus' study. Her entire body still hurt from being thrown through a window, and even though the glass shards that had been stabbed into her had been removed, she was still covered with cuts and scars. Looking down at her recon armour, which surprisingly enough hadn't protected her at all from the glass, Layla considered getting some more durable apparel. Campbell would probably be able to help with that. To her surprise, it turned out Doc Henry wasn't a medical doctor, he was a science doctor. Because of this, Layla and Veronica hadn't exactly had much medical treatment beyond a dose of Med X each. Layla didn't mind though; most of her injuries would be dealt with by her regenerative implant, and she could tend to the others once she and Veronica were back at camp with Campbell and Arcade.

"How are you feeling?" Marcus asked as he sat down behind his desk. Both the desk and the chair were much larger than ordinary office furniture, and Layla had a feeling the mutants might have made them especially for Marcus' use.

"I'm alright." Layla assured him with a smile. "After what I've been through, being thrown through a window is nothing." Marcus nodded, and a silence fell among them, as neither could think of anything to say. Layla took this silence as an opportunity to look around Marcus' study. It was certainly an impressive room, surprisingly large and absolutely filled to the brim with books. Both the left and right walls were occupied by towering bookcases, filled with more books than Layla could ever read in her life. Considering what Layla knew about Marcus, she suspected every one of those books had been read. The bookcases were made of solid mahogany, and the walls were wood panelled, while the carpet was the colour of moss (Not that Layla had ever seen moss). Layla's chair was positioned right in front of Marcus' desk, while Marcus sat behind the desk. Behind him was a window, which offered a great view of Jacobstown, and the snowy mountains past its borders.

"So…the NCR soldiers have been dealt with then?" Layla asked eventually, breaking the silence. Marcus nodded.

"Yes. Without the veteran rangers backing them up, the remaining soldiers were quite easy to dispatch. We suffered heavy losses though. A large number of mutants died here today, Keene among them." Marcus looked saddened, and Layla leaned forward over the desk to grab his massive hand.

"I'm sorry." Marcus looked at her.

"Forgive me for saying so…but I sense you've done this before." Layla raised her eyebrow.

"What, you mean comfort a friend over the loss of a loved one?"

"Well…calling Keene a 'loved one' is a bit of a stretch, but yes, I feel you've had to comfort a grieving friend before. In fact…you seem quite experienced at it." Layla's eyes glazed over slightly, and she nodded.

"You're not wrong." She said, smiling wanly and looking away from him. "Let's just say…I seem to attract death and misery." A sympathetic look appeared in Marcus' eyes, as he tightened his grip on her hand ever so slightly.

"That must be hazardous to your social life." Layla nodded.

"You have no idea." Before Marcus could respond, Layla freed her hand from his grasp, looked back at him, and leaned back on her chair. As she put her feet up on his desk, she immediately changed the subject. "So…why did the NCR attack here anyway? I thought they were here for Doc Henry like me and Veronica, but they didn't seem to know a thing about his Enclave related past." Marcus nodded.

"I suspect it has something to do with the mercenaries that attacked when you were here last."

"You mean the ones I killed?" Layla asked.

"Indeed. They were under orders from an NCR senator to harass us until we either left, or struck back. It's bad for the NCR's image if one of their senators sends soldiers to attack some peaceful mutants, but if the mutants attack first, then the attack is seen as justified. When you and I killed the mercenaries, that was all the excuse the senator needed to send in an NCR attack squad."

"So…all of this is my fault." Layla said, feeling extraordinarily guilty when she realised what she had brought upon the mutants. "Marcus, I'm so, so sorry for causing all this; especially with what happened to Keene."

"It's not your fault." Marcus said comfortingly. "You couldn't possibly have known what would happen as a result of killing those mercenaries. And we fought them off, that's what really matters."

"But…you lost so many mutants."

"We'll endure Layla; it's one thing mutants are good at." He smiled reassuringly, and Layla slowly smiled back. "So, is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Layla sighed, before taking her feet off the desk.

"Actually…there is." She took a deep breath before continuing. Unbeknownst to Veronica, seeking Doc Henry hadn't been Layla's only reason for coming here. There was another.

"Marcus…I was wondering…if you'd given any thought to the proposal I brought up last time I was here." Marcus narrowed his eyes slightly, and his voice took on a serious tone.

"I see." Last time Layla and Veronica had come to Jacobstown, Layla had tried to convince Marcus to lend his aid in her fight against the NCR. He'd been reluctant to discuss the matter, and had eventually ended the discussion with a noncommittal: 'I'll think about it'. With the situation as bad as it was, what with Layla and her friends being on the run, and the NCR having almost complete control over the Mojave, Layla could use the help of the mutants now more than ever.

"Look, I know you don't want to talk about this, but I could really use your help." Layla said, with a desperate look in her eyes. Marcus sighed.

"Layla…"

"I know you don't like fighting, and you're low on manpower at the moment, but you have to think about this. You've seen today just how evil the New California Republic really is. The town I grew up in suffered an NCR attack on my 18th birthday, an attack much like the one Jacobstown suffered today. Unlike you however, we didn't win the battle. Everyone in the town was killed in the attack, with me and one other as the only survivors. That's what started me on my path to obliterate the NCR. After seeing them at their worst, killing innocent mutants just so some piece of shit senator can win an election, surely you see that the NCR has to be stopped?!" Marcus looked away from her slightly.

"Layla…I know how passionate you are regarding this issue, but I'm afraid I must decline." Layla felt her spirits sink.

"Marcus, please…you can't just ignore what they've done here today. They have to pay for their crimes. What about all the mutants that died here today? What about Keene?"

"Layla, I have made up my mind. I have neither the desire, nor the resources to seek vengeance over an organization as powerful as the NCR."

"But I do. If you join up with me…"

"You mean join up with the Legion?" Layla went quiet. "Layla, you have to see that things will be worse with the Legion in power, especially for you. They detest women, and it's reasonably safe to assume they aren't fond of super mutants either.

"So what are you going to do then? Are you going to just wait here, rebuild, and hope the NCR don't send another death squad after you?!" Layla snapped, rapidly losing her cool.

"No…we're leaving." Marcus' answer knocked her for six, and she felt all her anger fade away, to be replaced by confusion.

"I…what?"

"You said it yourself, the NCR will likely attack here again, and with the losses we've suffered today, Jacobstown would likely be wiped out. The Mojave isn't safe for us anymore, so we're leaving. We'll find somewhere else, somewhere where we can live in peace."

"If we drive the NCR from the Mojave, then you can continue to live in peace."

"Under Legion rule? Unlikely." Marcus looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry Layla, but this is something we have to do. I'm afraid neither I, nor the mutants under my protection, can aid you in your campaign against the NCR." Layla sighed, before getting to her feet.

"I understand." She said sadly, before turning away.

"Layla?" Marcus said, causing her to turn back around. "Thank you for what you did here today. I know you probably only fought beside us so that you could get Doctor Henry, but for what it's worth, I appreciate your assistance." Despite her sour mood, Layla smiled.

"I was happy to help."

"Because you got to kill NCR soldiers?" Layla grinned.

"Partly, but mostly because…this place, Jacobstown…it reminds me of home." Marcus cocked his head to the side, curious. "The people I grew up with were outcasts, hated by everyone, and just trying to make their way in the world. They were misunderstood, and all in all, good people. You and your mutants are much the same. What I'm trying to say is…I feel a sort of…kinship with you and your people." Marcus smiled, before getting to his feet and walking around his desk towards her.

"I'm humbled." He said sincerely, before holding out his hand to Layla. "Though I may not agree with your goals, I will always think of you as a friend Layla. Whatever happens, just know that you and your allies are always welcome among my tribe of mutants." Layla's grin widened, and she took Marcus' hand before shaking it.

"Goodbye Marcus." Layla said, her grin taking on a bittersweet quality.

"Goodbye Layla." With that, Layla released her grip on Marcus' hand, before turning and walking away. As she left his study, Layla got an uncomfortable realization: it was likely she'd never see Marcus ever again.

*A few minutes later*

"Wait…you're sure? Don't you want to at least think about it?" Veronica asked Doc Henry, surprised that the man could make his mind up so easily. Henry didn't even have to think before replying.

"I'm an old man Veronica; thinking is something I've done far too much of over the years. Trust me, I'm sure."

"But what about your research? Weren't you trying to cure the nightkin?"

"Most of the nightkin are dead, and the mutants are leaving the Mojave. I can't cure the nightkin on the move, and I have no intention of leaving the Mojave anyway, so I think my time here has come to an end. I stand by my answer."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Why is this so difficult for you to believe?"

"Sorry, it's just…I thought convincing you to help us would be a lot more difficult."

"You don't know much about old people do you? Being old is very, very dull. If the other Remnants are like me, you'll have to beat them off with a stick." Veronica smiled at that. "So…when and where shall we meet?"

"Once we've found all the Remnants, we'll send a brief message on a securely encoded Enclave radio frequency. Once you get that signal, meet us in Novac." Henry wrote down the details on a notepad as Veronica spoke. The Enclave radio frequency she spoke of was something Arcade had told her, Layla and Campbell about. Way back before the NCR and Brotherhood of Steel had declared war on them, the Enclave had had covert outposts all over America, researching the various cultures that had sprung up. One such outpost had been in the Mojave. The Enclave personnel in these outposts had set up a secure radio frequency which only they could access, and used it to communicate covertly. Even after the Enclave's destruction, the radio frequency still remained.

"Novac…alright, I'll meet you there. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to speak with my assistant. She'll be travelling with the mutants and continuing my research, so I need to bring her up to speed, make sure she knows what she's doing." He nodded briefly at Veronica before heading back into the lab. Veronica stood alone in the lodge's main entrance, and took the chance to look around. All around her mutants were resting, rebuilding, and dealing with their dead. She couldn't help noticing that the lodge didn't seem as crowded as it usually was. The mutants really had suffered some bad losses.

"Hey!" Veronica called out, as she saw Layla coming down the stairs. Layla looked somewhat disheartened, but her expression brightened up as she noticed Veronica.

"Hey." Layla called back with noticeable glumness, before walking over to Veronica as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "How'd it go with Doc Henry?"

"Surprisingly well." Veronica answered, looking back towards the lab as she did so. "I didn't even have to convince him; I just asked for help and he jumped at the chance." Layla seemed just as surprised as Veronica.

"That's…unexpected."

"I think it's about time we had some good luck, don't you?" Veronica smirked. "Though judging by your expression, I'd guess you had some bad luck." She tilted her head to the side, curious. "What did you and Marcus actually talk about anyway?"

"Oh you know, the same as last time." Layla said, in a disappointed tone. "I asked Marcus for help against the NCR, but he declined. He has no interest in joining our war, and even if he did, he doesn't have the manpower to spare. He and the other mutants are leaving the Mojave."

"Yeah…Henry mentioned something about that." Layla sighed sadly on hearing this, before looking down at the floor. "Hey, don't be sad." Veronica said, before clamping both her hands down on Layla's shoulders. Layla looked up, but her expression didn't brighten. "We don't need the mutants, we can still beat the NCR!" Veronica said supportively.

"I guess." Layla replied gloomily, but Veronica wasn't having any of it.

"No, we will! Come on, together we can do anything! And it's not just us, we have Campbell too, and Arcade, and now we have one of the Remnants too! We're well on our way to finding the Remnant's bunker, and when we do, their weapons will help us finally crush the NCR!" Layla looked up at Veronica, her bleak expression slowly twisting into a smile.

"Yeah…you're right…"

"Of course I'm right!" A wide smile broke out on Layla's face, and Veronica removed her hands, content that her friend had been successfully cheered up. "You okay?" She asked. Layla nodded in reply.

"Yeah…yeah, I think so. Thanks for the pep talk."

"Anytime."

"And…I'm sorry again about the whole…ignoring you thing." Veronica rolled her eyes.

"Layla, it's okay. We agreed that we were both being idiots, and the argument is done with. Okay?"

"I suppose so. You want to leave?"

"Hang on." An excited look appeared on Veronica's face, as she rooted around in the pockets of her robe. "I got something for you." Layla raised an eyebrow.

"What? When?"

"While you were talking to Marcus. Hang on…wait…ah! Here it is." Veronica took something out of her pocket, and Layla's eyes widened.

"Where did you find…"

"Doc Henry showed me an area outside where they grow." Veronica grinned, showing off the small, red flower in her hand as she did so.

"You seem to have an unnatural ability to find flowers in a desert."

"Only the best for my favourite girl." Layla smiled warmly.

"Thanks."

"Do you like it?"

"You picked it out, so of course I do." Layla took the flower from Veronica, before looking it over. Veronica blushed slightly, before putting both her hands behind her back and fidgeting as she spoke.

"I got it because…it reminds me of you." Layla looked surprised.

"How so?"

"Well…it's red on top…and it's really pretty." Layla just stared at Veronica, and it was as plain as day that the red haired one's heart was melting.

"Aww." That word/sound had never left Layla's lips before, which was a testament to just how touching she found the gesture to be. She tucked the flower behind her ear, before wrapping Veronica in an affectionate hug. Veronica returned the hug without hesitation. Mutants around them began to stare, but neither of them gave two craps. "Let's never fight again." Layla said softly.

"Deal." With that, they released the hug, and Layla held out her hand.

"Also, for what it's worth…I decided you're right. Seeing the NCR kill the mutants here…I don't want to be like that. I don't want to kill those that don't deserve it." Veronica beamed at her, before taking her hand.

"I'm glad."

"You know, before I met you, I would never have said that. You're making me a better person."

"And how does it feel?"

"It burns a little actually." Veronica playfully slapped her on the arm, and Layla laughed. "Shall we?"

"After you." With that, they left the lodge, hand in hand, and infinitely closer. Meanwhile, upstairs in his study, Marcus stood behind his desk, and turned to look out the window. Outside, he saw the two girls going on their way, linked by their hands. The two best friends, the two companions, closer than sisters, willing to die for each other, enriching each other's lives…and certainly not in any kind of romantic relationship whatsoever.

"Yeah right." Marcus said to himself with a grin as he watched them go.

**_Wow...look at all the ship teasing. And all the moments of heartwarming. And the odd tearjerker. Yeah, this one's a bit of a mixed bag. Lots of stuff going on here. Good stuff hopefully. I hope the ship teasing between the two main ladies has endeared you towards their relationship (Which I personally find adorable), or at the very least has made you impatient for them to get together and consummate the bloody thing already._**

**_Anyway, Keene is dead (Hopefully that scene at least brought a stray tear to your eye, because I tried to make it sad), along with many of Jacobstown's other mutants. The sharp ones among you will also realise that I killed off insane grandmutant Lily Bowen offscreen too. Sorry about that. Also, the ghoul from Chapter 47 (Obligations) came back...and died. And, in response to a particular one of my fans who says that Layla's NCR foes taunt her too much, I gave her an adversary who lampshaded this, and didn't taunt her once...and he died. Ah...I love the smell of death in the morning.  
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**_In addition to the death, Marcus and his mutants are leaving the Mojave, dashing Layla's dreams of smiting the NCR with an unstoppable mutant army. Oh well. She'll just have to settle for smiting the NCR with an unstoppable army of roman soldiers wielding laser guns, since she found the first Remnant. Four more to go now. Anyway, please tell me what of this mixed bag tickled your fancy by reviewing. Please...reviews...I need my fix.  
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	50. Gather Round the Campfire

**_Oh my God...THE 50TH CHAPTER! Holy shit...I never thought I'd reach this amazing milestone. Thank you one and all for continuing to read and inspiring me to keep writing this goliath of a story (And for putting up with my terrible, horrific, unforgivable update schedule). This thing has taken over my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  
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**_Now, to celebrate my landmark 50th chapter, I have a special treat for you: a large, heaping dollop of character development! No blood, no violence, no death, and no explosions; just Layla and her friends, sitting around a campfire. They'll talk, share stories, and learn more about one another. Please, sit back and enjoy, because this chapter is all for you. If you've read or reviewed the story so far...thank you. :)  
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Gather Round the Campfire

"Good job on the camp." Layla said as she sat in a chair, while Arcade stood behind her, stitching up a nasty gash on the back of her head. Normally this would be quite painful, but thanks to the Med X in her system, she couldn't feel a thing. As Arcade went to work, Layla thought through how the day had gone. She and Veronica had left Jacobstown a few hours ago, heading to a location that Campbell had selected for their campsite that very morning. The campsite had already been set up by the time Layla and Veronica had arrived, complete with a roaring fire and a tent for each of them. Where Campbell had gotten tents, Layla had no idea, but by this point, his unexplainable procurement of random, obscure items ceased to surprise her.

As soon as they'd gotten back, Veronica had all but ordered Layla to get medical treatment from Arcade. Layla had resisted, saying Veronica's ankle should be treated first. The former scribe was impossible to argue with however, and despite only being able to limp, she had all but dragged Layla into Arcade's tent. The red haired one sat in there now, with enough Med X in her system to drop a deathclaw. All the shallow cuts that she'd gotten during her trip through a glass window and the cut on her forehead had already healed thanks to her regenerative implant, but the cut on her back of her head was still looking bad, so the good doctor had immediately set to work on it.

"Don't look at me." Arcade said modestly. "It was all Campbell's work. I have to admit, he may be just as dangerously insane as you…but he is **very **good with his hands." Layla nodded, but Arcade grabbed her head to keep it still. "Please don't move your head. It's hard enough to stitch this cut up as it is. There are so many cuts and bruises back here, I'm afraid of opening up a previous wound."

"Sorry." Layla said meekly, while Arcade let go of her head, then went back to work. "So…how much longer now?"

"Bored?" Arcade said with a smirk that Layla couldn't see.

"Extremely." He chuckled at that.

"Not much longer now."

"Good." There was a brief pause, before Layla thought of something else to say. "So…how's my head?"

"Well...it doesn't look good."

"Really?" Layla sounded somewhat worried. Arcade gave her a nod that she couldn't see, before replying.

"Yep, it seems to be pretty bad. From what I can tell…you're completely insane, and a danger to not only yourself, but everyone around you." Layla rolled her eyes.

"I didn't mean mentally, I meant physically. How bad is the injury?"

"Not too bad, compared to the other healed wounds I can see back here. Can I ask what you did to cause this particular cut?"

"It's hard to say; the whole battle at Jacobstown is a bit of a blur." Layla suddenly snapped her fingers, as realisation hit. "No wait, I've got it! I got kicked in the face, and was knocked flying, then I smacked the back of my head on a stool as I hit the floor." Arcade shook his head in disbelief.

"I feel sorry for your regular physician."

"Oh, you shouldn't. I probably make up half of Doctor Usanagi's regular income. I'm guessing she'd go bankrupt if I didn't keep getting myself into stupid situations and getting nearly fatal injuries every other day."

"She must be a millionaire by now."

"Well, she's undoubtedly getting close." They shared a brief chuckle, before Arcade's voice took on a more serious tone.

"But really Layla, you should be more careful. Retrieving the Remnants' stockpile won't do you any good if you're too brain damaged to use it." Layla laughed at that, surprising the good doctor. "What's so funny?"

"Arcade… I was shot in the head a few months ago." Behind her, a shocked expression appeared on Arcade's face. Through sheer surprise, he messed up his sewing, jabbing the needle inside the wound he was treating. If Layla hadn't been doped up on painkillers, he was certain she'd be swearing exuberantly right now.

"What?" He asked, failing to keep the amazement out of his voice. Layla now had his attention, so much so that he forgot he was supposed to be sewing her head up.

"Oh yeah, got shot right in the head…twice…at point blank range." She put two fingers to her forehead as she said this, and mimed firing a gun. "As you may have noticed, I'm still here."

"But…that…that's…" Arcade sounded absolutely bewildered, which Layla found hilarious.

"Impossible? Yeah, I suppose it kind of is. It's also impossible for such a small group of people to deal so much damage to an organization as large as the NCR…but Campbell, Veronica and I have done our best. Anyway, considering what I've survived…you can understand why brain injuries don't really scare me." Behind her, Arcade shook his head in disbelief.

"But still…medically speaking…something like that shouldn't be possible."

"What can I say? I'm a walking medical miracle. I've been shot, stabbed, blown up, burnt, concussed, and received a nice little bullet to the head, and yet here I am, alive and well enough to give you lip while you sew my head up." Remembering what he was supposed to be doing, Arcade shook his head, before continuing where he left off. As he started sewing again, a thought entered his mind.

"Have you considered that your obvious psychopathic tendencies have something to do with being shot in the head?" Layla laughed at that, surprising him again.

"Oh no, I was like that before getting a bullet to the skull." Behind her, Arcade raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" He asked. He sounded curious, so Layla elaborated.

"Oh yeah. I've always been quite violent."

"And when did you become insane?" Layla laughed.

"Hard to say. My childhood was probably the start of it. Don't get me wrong, it was a very happy childhood; I wouldn't change it for the world. I grew up with the Great Khans though, and they are by nature violent, so it was natural that I'd follow suit. My dad taught me how to fight, and I loved it. He was also the camp's interrogation expert, and he let me watch some of his torture sessions." Arcade's mouth fell open like a draw bridge.

"He what?"

"Oh relax, I enjoyed it. Violence never made me squeamish; I think I got that from him."

"Still, seeing torture as a young child…that must have scarred you in some way?"

"Nope." To his surprise, Layla sounded almost…wistful, like she was missing those torture days of yore. _Good God. _Arcade thought to himself, as he looked at Layla's head in front of him. _Just what the hell is wrong with your brain? _He mentally asked Layla's skull, before shaking those thoughts from his head and getting back to work.

"Does my happy childhood unnerve you?" Layla asked with a smirk, sensing Arcade's unease.

"No, your obvious insanity unnerves me." He replied bluntly.

"Oh relax." Layla said casually. "So I'm insane, big deal. I'm still a perfectly nice person, when you get to know me."

"Yeah, but by the time I get to that point, you'll likely have driven me insane like you did to Veronica and Campbell." Layla sniggered at that.

"Oh believe me, Campbell was insane long before I met him. And Veronica…" Layla paused, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Veronica…" Arcade repeated, trying to make her continue.

"Veronica…has had some bad experiences." All the good cheer left Layla's voice at that.

"Because of you?" Arcade asked, with an obscene lack of tact.

"Because of the NCR." Layla snarled, her anger surprising Arcade.

"And why did the NCR do it? Could you have had anything to do with…"

"Arcade…" Layla began, fists clenching as unmistakeable rage bubbled into her voice. "…I'm trying to be your friend here, so I won't turn around and use that needle on you in a very painful way, but still…CHANGE THE SUBJECT." Arcade needed no further motivation than that.

"So…you were telling me about your childhood?" Layla's fists unclenched, and when she spoke again, happiness had returned to her voice.

"Since you're so interested in mental scarring, I should probably tell you when I think I really went over the edge. I suspect it was right around the time that the NCR destroyed everything that I'd ever known and killed my parents in cold blood."

"You mean the Bitter Springs Massacre?" Layla seemed surprised by that.

"How did you…oh wait…I mentioned that to you didn't I?" He nodded behind her.

"When we first met; a day that will forever live in infamy in my mind."

"It was a happy day for me too." Layla said sarcastically. "Anyway, if I did properly snap, it was probably on the day of the massacre. That was the day I swore to destroy the NCR for what they'd done."

"You swore vengeance on an entire governmental organization; how sublimely sane." Arcade's tone was dripping with sarcasm, causing Layla to roll her eyes.

"I get it; you think my goal's insane. I'm starting to get a bit offended to be honest."

"I'm stitching your head up with the skill of an expert sewer over here, so I think I'm entitled to say whatever I want." Arcade replied in an impudent tone, smirking behind Layla's head.

"You'll be saying: 'Ow you just stabbed me with a sewing needle!' in a short while if you don't watch what you say." Layla shot back, with a grin that made it difficult to tell whether or not she was joking.

"Now, now, is that any way to thank your doctor?"

"You should be glad you're a doctor, because you're going to have to remove a sewing needle from your thigh very soon." Layla chuckled to herself, while Arcade had a strange expression on his face. It was a mix of confusion, and worry.

"Just so we're clear, are you joking…or threatening me?" He asked, earning a shrug from Layla.

"I don't know." She answered nonchalantly. "I haven't decided yet." Arcade furrowed his brow.

"I'm disturbed at just how little that fazes me." Layla grinned.

"I suppose you're just getting used to my obvious insanity." She suggested.

"Actually…I think that you're driving me to an insanity of my own. You're making me insane, just like you and your friends." An incredulous look appeared on Layla's face.

"You only joined us yesterday." She pointed out.

"I know; it's a testament to just how strong your insanity is. I've studied many diseases in my time Layla, but your insanity is more contagious than any of them." Even though she couldn't see the smile on the doctor's face, Layla could somehow tell he was joking. She immediately returned fire.

"Oh Arcade, you're such a charmer." Arcade laughed at that.

"I'm sure you say that to all the handsome doctors that sew your head up."

"Only the ones that attempt to drown me with an endless stream of snide insults."

"My insults aren't snide!" Arcade replied with mock offence. "My insults are snarky. There's a huge difference."

"I don't know…either one puts me in a stabbing mood."

"Simply breathing air seems to put you in a stabbing mood." Layla slapped him lightly on the leg, and they both laughed briefly. After that, silence took over, as neither could think of what to say. "So…how did it go with Henry?" Arcade asked eventually, providing them with a new topic of discussion.

"Quite well actually." Layla answered, idly kicking her legs in front of her to stave off the mind numbing boredom that come from sitting still in a chair for so long. "He pretty much jumped at the chance to join us. I think he's just bored, left with nothing interesting to do in his old age."

"I told you that would happen." Arcade remarked, before his voice took on a serious edge. "But make sure he only joins us to unlock the bunker, not to help the Legion at Hoover Dam." Layla waved a hand dismissively.

"I know, I know. I'm not an idiot Arcade; I remember our deal."

"Good."

"Here's a question: why do we need all the Remnants anyway? Can't Henry just open the bunker for us?" Arcade shook his head behind Layla, but vocalised his answer when he realised she couldn't see him.

"The Remnants sealed the bunker with a passphrase, five words that, when spoken in sequence, would unlock the bunker. They each took a single word from the phrase and committed it to memory, so that the bunker could only be opened if they reunited."

"So…Henry only knows one word of the code?"

"Exactly. We need the other four Remnants if we want to get into the bunker."

"Great…more work for us." Layla moaned, and Arcade grinned despite himself. "Arcade…did you know Henry well?" Arcade was surprised by the question, but he nevertheless attempted to answer it.

"Henry was probably the Remnant that I spoke the least to back in the day. Nobody spoke to him really; he was the type of person that always kept to himself. He was quite a misanthrope, never seemed to like anyone. I don't think he liked the Enclave either, but if that's true, then it didn't seem to matter much to him. To be perfectly honest…I have no idea why he was even in the Enclave. He never spoke to anyone, and he never seemed to care about the organization's ideals. I think the work was all that ever interested him. He didn't care what scientific work he was doing, or why, or what its applications were, he just went straight to it. He was the kind of man who only seemed to enjoy himself when he was solving a problem; it didn't matter if the problem was: 'How can I improve the stopping power of the standard issue Enclave laser rifle without sacrificing accuracy and firing speed?' or 'How can my allies and I successfully evade a pursuing NCR task force when they have greater numbers and we're all suffering from mild sleep deprivation?', all that mattered was that he had a problem to work on."

"Doesn't sound like he was very popular." Layla commented.

"Well I doubt there'll be a teary funeral when he dies. I still sense that he's a good man though. He never harmed innocents with his experiments, and he's probably saved more lives than I ever will." Arcade sighed wistfully. "You know, it's funny. All these years, I never thought once about the Remnants. Now that we're trying to find them though…I realise that I miss them. They're the closest thing to a family I ever had."

"I know the feeling." Layla said sympathetically. "I haven't had a family for three years. Bear in mind though, that you've got us. Me, Veronica, Campbell…we can be your family. Hell, the three of us have pretty much become a family for each other. You're welcome to join." Arcade didn't sound too eager when he responded.

"While I appreciate the thought, and the sentiment behind it…I fear for my sanity if I stay with you and the group for too long." Layla sighed, and Arcade laughed, before returning the conversation to its original topic. "So…what about the battle that you mentioned earlier?" As he asked this, Arcade felt Layla tense up.

"There were some…complications on the mission."

"Who did you attack?"

"Nobody!" Layla sounded comically offended, which prompted Arcade to smirk. "The damn NCR beat us to Jacobstown though. They were there to kill the mutants under orders from an NCR senator, so that the fucker could look good for an upcoming election. Most of the mutants were slaughtered." There was a pause, as Layla's words sank in.

"Killing innocent mutants to win an election…that's horrible." Arcade said, clearly having trouble believing what he was hearing. "How could somebody possibly justify that to themselves?"

"You see now why I want to destroy the NCR? They're scum!"

"You know…some would argue that you're scum." Layla stomped the floor of the tent angrily. "…Not that I'm one of them, but still. Also, the Legion are no better."

"The Legion and the NCR are the fucking same." Layla bit back. "The only difference is that the Legion kills innocent people openly, while the NCR kills people in secret, and uses propaganda bullshit to cover it up."

"If they're so similar…then why are you working for the Legion?" Layla huffed.

"If you can find another army that I can use to drive the NCR from the Mojave, then by all means point them out to me." Layla snapped.

"For what it's worth, I agree that the NCR aren't exactly nice, but I'm not sure if your crusade against them is entirely justified." Layla clenched her fists again. Arcade recognised this as a bad sign.

"Arcade, it would be wise not to follow this line of discussion while there is a needle in the room."

"But…"

"You weren't there, okay?" Layla cut him off, voice brimming with hatred. "Around fifty mutants, innocent mutants, butchered horribly. They were peaceful, they hadn't hurt anyone, and they weren't going to hurt anyone. The NCR didn't care though. Because of fucking politics, those innocent mutants were put to the slaughter. The mutants…they didn't deserve that. I've killed many times before Arcade, and I've had many different reasons for doing so. I've killed for business, I've killed for pleasure, I've killed for revenge, and I've killed because somebody pissed me off. But killing just so you can win an election? That's fucking sick. I'm a murderer, but at least I have standards. The NCR are a virus, they only care about growing bigger and stronger, no matter who they have to infect and kill along the way. This is just the latest in a long line of atrocities committed by those bastards, and it's just another reason for me to destroy their whole corrupt organization." When Layla's passionate speech came to an end, Arcade stood in stunned silence for a moment. The utter hatred that filled her words…he'd known that she abhorred the NCR…but he'd never imagined this. He could almost feel the fury bubbling off her.

"Wow…you really hate them don't you?" He'd stopped sewing for a moment, so Layla turned her head to face him, an utterly dumbfounded look on her face.

"Did you really just ask that question?" She asked in disbelief. Arcade made a turning motion with his finger, and she huffed before turning back round. Once the back of her head was facing him again, he went to work once more.

"No, I mean…your hate…I've never seen anything like it before. People generally hate things, that's normal; but you're different. The way you hate the NCR…to hate something that much…I don't know how it can even be possible."

"Well it is possible." Layla replied, practically seething with rage. "If it takes me the rest of my life, I will watch that fucking organization burn." Arcade was feeling quite nervous now. He knew Layla was angry, and asking this might get him killed, but he just had to know.

"Okay…well…as a concerned bystander, I feel I have to ask: just what will you do to destroy the NCR? Will you destroy anything or anyone that gets in your way? Are the people of the Mojave safe?"

"I…I…" Layla was still bubbling with anger, and it took her a moment to understand what Arcade had asked her. Her fists unclenched, and she brought a hand to her head as she started to get a migraine. "Veronica talked to me about this today. We discussed it, and I came to a decision. The NCR…they tend to steamroll over people to get what they want. Innocents don't matter, as long as their goals are met. I…I don't want to be like them. I'm not a good guy, I know that. I know it's very likely I'm going to Hell…no, fuck that, I know it's **certain** that I'm going to Hell. I want to wipe out the NCR by any means necessary…but if I use their methods…if I kill innocents without a second thought…then I'm just like the bastards that I'm trying to stop. In that sense, I won't win anything; the NCR will be gone from the Mojave, but I'll be just like them. So, to answer your question…the people of the Mojave are safe." Arcade breathed a sigh of relief, letting out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding. "They're safe…unless they work for the NCR, in which case I will brutally murder them." _Damn…and here I thought she was nearing a breakthrough. _He thought to himself, as evidence of Layla's insanity continued to shine through. _Oh well…it's a start I guess. Who knows, maybe I'll turn her sane yet? _

"That's good to hear." Arcade replied eventually, in a tone that suggested he was greatly relieved.

"Still think I'm insane?" She asked, sounding much happier than she had been before.

"Very much so, yes." Arcade replied instantly, without needing even a second to think. They both laughed at that, before falling into silence as Arcade finished his stitching.

"Food's ready!" Campbell called from outside the tent, and Layla immediately perked up in front of the good doctor.

"Thank God." She said gleefully. "I haven't eaten a thing all day." She grinned widely, and started clapping her hands together in anticipation of the feast to come. Arcade raised an eyebrow at this, as seeing such a hardened killer clap her hands in excited joy was quite abnormal. A few minutes ago she'd been a raging ball of anger, fanatically talking about how much she wanted to butcher every last person in the NCR, but now she seemed like a completely different person. _She's a complex one, that's for sure. _He thought to himself as he finished sewing cut up, and put down his tools.

"Okay, I'm done. Go enjoy your food." Layla turned to face him, a questioning look on her face.

"Aren't you coming to eat with us?" She asked, surprising Arcade. It almost sounded like…she wanted his company. _But why would a relentless psychopath possibly want to hang out with me? _He mentally wondered. The whole situation made no sense. He shook the thoughts away however, as he realised he'd gone a full ten seconds without answering her.

"I've got a few things to do in here first. I'll be out there in a little while." Layla was silent for a moment, but she eventually shrugged before getting to her feet.

"Suit yourself." She replied happily, before turning to walk out of the tent. "I'd hurry though if I were you; Campbell's a hell of a chef." With that, Layla quickly left the tent, obviously eager to get her hands on some food. Arcade shook his head, before looking down at the needle he'd been using to sew up her head._ I could've killed her. _He realised suddenly, the thought surprising him with its abruptness. _She was right there in front of me, doped up on painkillers, as vulnerable as could be. I have all kinds of drugs in my medical kit…I could've easily put her to sleep without her realising it. Then, it would have been a simple matter of slitting her throat with my scalpel, and the most dangerous woman in the Mojave would be dead. The Legion would lose their ace, and the Mojave might actually have a chance of surviving the coming storm. Instead…I chatted with her. She's a complete and utter monster…and I chatted with her. _He knew that he'd missed the perfect chance to save the Mojave, and he felt like an idiot. He knew that Layla would likely kill again now because of him…so why…why the hell was he smiling?

As Arcade looked into the metal tray where he kept his surgical tools, his own smiling face reflected back at him. It wasn't a particularly wide smile, it was quite small in fact and barely noticeable, but the fact of the matter was that he was smiling, and he had no idea why. _I just chatted with a serial killer for several minutes; a smile is not a normal expression to have after an experience like that. _And yet, he was smiling. More than that, he felt…happy. The crazy woman had somehow lifted his spirits, and he had no idea how she'd done it. She couldn't have done it on purpose…could she? As Arcade pondered this unusual situation, more thoughts of murder entered his mind. _I could slip some poison chemicals into her food, or slit her throat while she sleeps, or…_But he stopped those thoughts before they could take root, as he was rocked by a stunning realization: he didn't want to kill her.

Sure, he thought she was completely out of her mind, he didn't agree with her politics or her goals, and he didn't particularly like her too much…but he had no desire to kill her anymore. It was preposterous; she was probably the closest thing to true evil he'd ever met. It felt silly for him to use the word 'evil', as it suggested the world was completely black and white, and he knew for a fact that it wasn't, but regardless, she was evil. He knew she was evil, he knew it without any shred of a doubt…and yet he felt no major urge to kill her. Even the murder methods swimming around in his mind were just thoughts and what ifs, not drives or calls to action. In fact, he almost felt that he was…forming a kinship with her.

It was ridiculous, and yet…they had so much in common. They'd both lost their parents to the NCR (Well, he'd lost his mother to them…he had no idea what had happened to his father), they'd both grown up in organizations that were looked down on by the community, and both of those organizations had been driven to the brink of the collapse by the NCR. Their personalities were completely different though. He saved lives; she ended them. He detested violence; she seemed to live for it. He was quiet and reserved; she was loud and noticeably blunt. He was built for science and quiet reading; she was built for violent pursuits and loud combat. Their personalities were as different as night and day, and he knew she was a complete lunatic, yet he couldn't help getting along with her. In the small time they'd known each other they'd formed an odd little rapport; he'd call her insane, she'd threaten him, and occasionally they'd say nice things to each other. He found that he was actually enjoying being with her group…and it scared him. What if he became like her? What if he started enjoying the murder and the combat? What if…

_That won't happen. You're only staying with her until the job is done. After that, you'll go back to the Followers and never see her again. _The rational side of his mind said, and he nodded subconsciously. His mind wasn't finished though; it had more things to say to him. _This affection you're feeling towards her, it's likely the onset of Stockholm syndrome. You're starting to identify with your kidnappers. _Of course…that made perfect sense. Occasionally the Followers found some poor souls who had been held captive by Fiends. It was frightening just how frequently the captives spoke positively about their kidnappers, calling them genuinely good people. These 'genuinely good people' were murderers, rapists, junkies and basically complete monsters…yet their captives felt positively towards them…or in the more serious cases, actually felt sexual attraction to their captives. Bruises usually found on the captives showed that the Fiends like to take advantage of this attraction. It made Arcade sick just thinking about it, and made him feel sorry for those poor, poor people. Clearly, they didn't receive any affection in their lives, so a single kind act from a captor, no matter how minor, spawned an unhealthy obsession

Arcade himself wasn't exactly being held captive by Layla…but he had been kidnapped by her. Twice. Still…he knew for a fact he wasn't attracted to her. Sure, he didn't get much affection in his everyday life since he was basically a shut-in, but neither did he actively seek affection. He knew he was perfectly sane, yet his sudden warm feelings towards Layla suggested that he did indeed have Stockholm syndrome, or at least the beginnings of it. _Just avoid Layla, speak as little to her as possible, and basically stay out of her way until she has the Remnants. Once she as access to the bunker, she'll let you go, then all will be well. _Yes, that made sense. Feeling better now that he had a plan of action, Arcade set about cleaning his tools so that he could go and eat his food. As he got to work however, he couldn't help wondering just how difficult it would be to avoid Layla.

*Layla*

As she stepped out of Arcade's tent, Layla was taken aback by just how beautiful the night was. A tranquil silence hung over the camp, making it seem like the entire world was asleep. Layla had gotten used to the constant hustle and bustle of New Vegas, not to mention the noise, but the camp was still and silent, bringing a sense of peaceful serenity that caused a relaxed smile to appear on her face. The darkened sky was filled with stars, and the moon was full, meaning that a magnificent sight awaited anyone who looked up. As luck would have it, Veronica was looking up right that very second. She was sat in the middle of the camp with her back to Layla, right in front of a roaring fire that Campbell had made earlier. When she'd first arrived in the camp earlier that evening, Layla had asked him how he'd created the fire, expecting him to wow her with his survival skills. Instead, he explained that he'd used a flamer. She could only assume that he'd used the same flamer to cook their food.

The camp itself was small, but noticeably well put together. There were four tents, one for each of them, and a fire right in the middle which Veronica was currently sat close to. There was a workbench on the far side of the camp, on which some of Campbell's guns currently lay, and a latrine in the other corner, which nobody seemed to have used yet. The merc had even taken the time to put up a washing line, which had caused Layla to do a double take when she'd first entered the camp. Clothing items belonging to each of the group members currently hung from the line, dripping wet from being washed in the small lake next to the campsite. As Layla walked over to the fire, she wondered whether there was much of a point to making the camp so elaborate if it was only going to be used for one night. Despite these thoughts however, she was resolute in her belief that Campbell had done a damn good job at putting the camp together. _Hopefully he's done a damn good job with the food too. _She thought to herself as she reached the fire, and plopped down in the dirt to Veronica's left.

"Hi!" Veronica greeted her chirpily, turning away from the bowl in her lap for a second to flash Layla a happy smile.

"Hey." Layla replied, before looking at Veronica's feet. The former scribe had removed her boots, and was currently warming her feet by the fire. "How's your ankle?"

"Still a bit sore…" Veronica replied, biting her lip slightly as she followed Layla's gaze. "…but I think it's getting better." She smiled, before reaching to her side. She grabbed a second bowl, identical to the one in her lap, before handing it to Layla. "I assume you came out here for food?" Before Layla could answer, her stomach rumbled.

"You know me well." The red haired one said with a grin as she took the bowl. A delicious aroma caressed her nostrils, and she licked her lips as she looked into the bowl and saw an appetizing stew. "That smells…" Layla started, but paused, unable to think of a good enough word to describe the stew's aroma.

"Orgasmic?" Veronica finished for her, and Layla nodded.

"Very orgasmic." Layla grinned cheekily, before looking down at the stew. Several small pieces of meat floated in its depths, as well as other things that she didn't recognise, but smelled delectable. "So…how's it taste?" Veronica didn't even have to think about her answer.

"Better than sex." She replied simply, while grinning widely and handing Layla a spoon. Layla was surprised by her friend's bluntness, but didn't need any more motivation than that, so she grabbed the spoon tightly and dived in. A few seconds later, her taste buds were enraptured by the amazing taste of the stew. Layla moaned in bliss, causing Veronica's eyes to widen.

"My God." Layla said in utter disbelief as she swallowed her first mouthful. "That…I…how the hell did Campbell learn to make something that tastes so good?" Veronica laughed.

"I've been spending the past minute asking myself that very same question." She commented, before bringing her spoon to her lips, and taking a large mouthful of stew. "So…" She asked once she had finished her mouthful. "…how did it go with Doctor Grumpy?" Layla smirked, despite herself.

"You mean Arcade?" Veronica rolled her eyes.

"No, I mean Boone. Yes Arcade! Do you want to stab him yet?" Veronica's last sentence sounded a little too enthusiastic, and Layla couldn't help but laugh. Once she'd finished laughing, she had another spoonful of stew before answering Veronica's first question.

"It was pretty much what you'd expect. He sewed up the cut on the back of my head…" Layla turned around to show Veronica the back of her head, before turning back around and continuing. "…we talked, we joked, he called me insane…you know, the usual." Veronica looked moderately offended.

"He called you insane?" She asked, clearly annoyed.

"He's not exactly wrong." Layla pointed out.

"Well…yeah…but it's not polite to say it." Layla chuckled. "Want me to hit him for you?"

"I'm perfectly capable of hitting him myself." Layla continued to eat her soup, while Veronica responded.

"Yeah…but I really want to do it." Layla removed her spoon from her lips, before casting an askance glance at Veronica.

"Why? I thought you two agreed to try and be friendly towards each other?"

"We did, and I tried…but I gave up last night." Veronica explained, while looking into the fire. The look in her eyes suggested that she wished Arcade was in that fire, slowly cooking on a rotisserie. _Okay…that was a weird mental image. _Layla thought to herself, as the odd thought conjured an unusual image in her mind. "I don't know…something about him just…you know…rubs me the wrong way somehow."

"I aim to please." A familiar voice said sarcastically, and Veronica cringed.

"He's right behind me…of course he is." She mumbled.

"Hello Arcade." Layla turned to the doctor as she greeted him pleasantly.

"Layla." He replied stoically, before walking around the fire and sitting across from the two girls. "So Veronica…what don't you like about me?" He asked bluntly once he was sat down. Layla called to Campbell to bring another bowl of stew, while Veronica replied.

"Oh, I don't know…maybe the fact that you're never happy?"

"Happiness is overrated. Besides…you're never sad." Veronica laughed harshly at that.

"You know nothing about me Arcade. Believe me…I've been sad before."

"And I've been happy before. I just tend not to be happy when I'm around dangerous lunatics."

"Oh, you've been happy before? Yeah right. Like when?" Arcade paused for a moment, as though he needed to genuinely think in order to answer this question.

"My birthdays as a child were usually happy affairs." He replied eventually, before returning fire. "Your turn. Name an occasion when you genuinely felt sadness."

"Hmm…that's a tough one." Veronica replied, openly mocking Arcade by pretending to think about the answer. Layla tried not to be amused by this, shovelling food into her mouth to hide her rapidly growing grin. "If I had to pick just one, it would probably be the day the NCR murdered my entire family." The mood around the fire turned sour, and Veronica sat in glum silence while Layla continued to focus on her stew to avoid having to join the argument.

"You made that up." Arcade said suddenly, causing a look of shocked outrage to appear on Veronica's face and making Layla spit the mouthful of stew she'd been eating out of her mouth. _Oh shit. _Was her first thought, as she predicted this argument rapidly dissolving into violence.

"What?!" Veronica asked, clearly appalled. "I would not make up something like that!"

"Oh please." Arcade said confidently, while adjusting his glasses. The light from the fire reflected off his glasses, rendering his eyes invisible.

"Arcade…" Layla tried to cut in, but the doctor ignored her.

"Veronica, your sob story is exactly the same as Layla's. Family murdered by the NCR? Yeah right. You're obviously copying Layla's story so you can win this argument." Layla just sat there in stunned silence, while Veronica clenched her fists. _Arcade, you're a smart guy…but that was undoubtedly the stupidest thing you could have done._

"How dare you." Veronica said quietly, before putting her bowl down and rising to her feet. "I would never lie about that. My family **were** killed by the NCR you fucking prick!" Arcade didn't look convinced; even though Veronica's obvious anger should have tipped him off.

"I doubt…" He began, only for Layla to interrupt before he dug himself into an even deeper hole.

"She's telling the truth. The NCR attacked the Brotherhood's bunker, and killed them all. The main difference between our two stories is that Veronica's family were blown up, while mine were killed in straight combat." Before Arcade could disagree, Campbell called from across the camp.

"It's true! I should know…I pressed the button that blew them up!" With that, the merc went back to…whatever he was doing…while Arcade sat in stunned silence.

"You mean…"

"Yes…you just acted like a bastard." Layla said, before nodding her head towards Veronica. "I think you owe someone an apology." Arcade looked down at the ground, clearly ashamed of himself.

"Veronica…I'm sorry. I didn't realize that…" Veronica cut him off midsentence, by throwing a small rock at his head with deadly accuracy. "Ow!" The doctor cried out as the rock hit him right in the forehead, while Layla tried desperately not to laugh.

"It's fine." Veronica said surprisingly calmly, before sitting back down and picking up her soup again. "The four of us have all lost our parents to evil bastards, but I think it's best if we don't bring our individual incidents up, to avoid upsetting people. Is that okay?" Arcade didn't look at her, instead rubbing his injured forehead.

"Yes, that's fine. For what it's worth though…I really am sorry." He said sincerely.

"I know." Veronica replied with a lack of emotion, before eating her stew. Layla pulled Veronica's hood down, and stroked her hair affectionately before turning to Arcade. The doctor was looking straight at the ground, and seemed saddened by what had occurred. Layla sympathised, so she decided to cheer him up.

"Don't feel bad, you're not the first to argue with Veronica." Layla said supportively, causing Arcade to look up in surprise. "In fact, the two of us argued today." Arcade glanced at her with surprise evident on his face, before looking over at Veronica, then back to her again.

"Wait…you and her…" He pointed to Veronica, who was still eating. "…had an argument?" Layla nodded, and the surprise on Arcade's face only grew in intensity. "About what?" The event hadn't been pleasant, but Layla had gotten over it hours ago, so she was happy to recount the events for the bewildered doctor.

"Well, we were talking about Campbell blowing up…we were talking about something that I ordered Campbell to do…and Veronica accidentally said something horrible to me. I was very upset, and very angry, so I decided to give her the silent treatment. We made up later though, and agreed never to fight again. Isn't that right?" Veronica stopped eating for a second to nod, before smiling warmly. Layla returned her smile, and scooted closer to Veronica before wrapping an arm around her. The two girls leaned closer together, and Veronica leant her head on Layla's shoulder, before closing her eyes with a happy smile on her face. Arcade watched this with obvious interest.

"You two seem very close." He said a few seconds later.

"Oh, we are." Layla replied as she used her free hand to stroke Veronica's hair, while the former scribe put another spoonful of stew in her mouth.

"So…how long have you been romantically entangled?" The surprising question caused Veronica to spit out her stew, while Layla's mouth opened like a trap door. Veronica rapidly put her spoon down, before escaping from Layla's grasp, putting her hood up, and blushing profusely.

"What the hell?!" Layla exclaimed angrily. "We are not a couple! Why does everybody keep thinking we are?!"

"Because it's painfully obvious." Arcade replied with a knowing smile. "I mean…come on. You two are pretty much always touching each other in some way, and Veronica has a look like a lovesick puppy on her face whenever you're around. You'd have to be blind not to OW!" Arcade's confident explanation was suddenly interrupted, as the still blushing Veronica threw another rock at his head. It hit him in exactly the same place, and had exactly the same effect. "Stop doing that!" Veronica ignored him however, tucking her already hooded face inside her robes to hide her blush, before turning away from Arcade.

"I…feel as though I might have crossed some sort of line." Arcade said slowly, as he observed Veronica's embarrassed reaction.

"Well…yeah." Layla looked at him as though he was stupid.

"But…all I was doing was stating the obvious."

"Just because it seems obvious to you, doesn't mean that it's true."

"Oh come on! I could tell you two had feelings for each other from the moment you kidnapped me." Layla was about to deny the accusations, when Arcade quickly corrected himself. "Well…actually that's not true." Layla titled her head at him quizzically.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Arcade seemed embarrassed, but he replied anyway.

"I…well…when you first kidnapped me…I had thought that you and Campbell were involved romantically. It seems silly now of course, but…" Layla cut Arcade off midsentence by breaking into uncontrollable laughter. Even Veronica, who was experiencing debilitating levels of embarrassment, couldn't help but join in. Two laughed loudly and uproariously for over a minute, completely unable to stop themselves. Eventually, their laughter ceased, and Layla wiped a tear from her eye, while Arcade looked completely dumbfounded.

"And what, pray tell, was so hilarious?" Trying desperately not to start laughing again, Layla replied.

"Nothing, it's just…you thought that…Campbell and I…" She looked over at Campbell, doing God knows what on the other side of the camp, and lost control again. She let loose a torrent of laughter, and Veronica immediately joined in, completely unable to stop herself. The two of them rolled around on the ground, as the sheer amount of laughter caused their stomachs to hurt. About a minute later, the two girls finally managed to calm down, and simply lay there in the dirt, trying not to start laughing again.

"Does the idea of you and Campbell having a romantic relationship really amuse you that much?" Arcade asked, eyes narrowed in mild annoyance. Through a great effort of will, Layla managed to stop herself from laughing. Veronica had less success, and started giggling to herself.

"Yes…yes it does." Layla replied, her voice hoarse from all the laughter.

"Why does that sound so unfeasible to you?"

"Because…it's Campbell." Layla looked at Arcade quizzically, as if she was amazed that he hadn't figured that out.

"But…" Arcade tried to object, but Layla cut him off.

"Arcade…come on. Campbell's more sexually attracted to his coin than he is to me."

"That is true." Campbell interjected, before dropping a bowl of stew next to Arcade and walking away.

"Do you think he heard everything we said?" Arcade asked.

"Yes!" Campbell called over to them from the other side of the camp. Veronica's giggling immediately evolved into all out laughter, and Layla had to eat a large spoonful of stew to avoid joining in.

"And now I am embarrassed." Arcade said, before blushing slightly and lying back on the ground.

"I meanwhile am choking myself on stew so that I won't burst out laughing." Layla replied, an amused grin on her face. Feeling how cold the night had become, she scooted closer to the fire, and began to use its heat to warm her hands. "Arcade, can I ask you something?"

"As long as I don't get a rock thrown at my head for answering, I don't see why not." Veronica finally finished laughing, and pulled her hooded head out of her robes, before grabbing a small rock. Arcade's eyes widened at this, but Layla didn't notice.

"You've discussed Veronica's feelings towards me…" The former scribe started blushing again, and ducked her hooded head back inside her robes, "…and Campbell's feelings towards me…" The merc laughed from the other side of the camp. "…but what are **your** feelings towards me?" Arcade froze, and it was Layla's turn to flash him a knowing smile. To her surprise however, it was **his** turn to break into a wild fit of laughter. Veronica pulled her head out of her robes again, and both girls stared wide eyed as the normally miserable and snarky doctor laughed for the first time since they'd known him. And he didn't just laugh…he guffawed.

"I didn't think he could laugh." Layla whispered to Veronica in a puzzled tone, somehow managing to be heard even while the doctor was in the throes of laughter. "Did you?"

"No." Veronica whispered back, equally as confused. "I thought that he'd spontaneously combust if he ever showed any sign of happiness."

"I don't see him burning alive."

"Shame." As Arcade finished laughing, he pushed his glasses down onto his nose before wiping a tear from his eye.

"Thanks for that." He said with a rare smile as he put his glasses back over his eyes. "I don't think I've laughed like that in years."

""And what, pray tell, was so hilarious?" Layla asked, copying word for word the first question Arcade had asked her after her laughing fit earlier.

"Nothing…nothing…" Arcade smirked, clearly on the verge of bursting into laughter again. Layla narrowed her eyes slightly, and reached out for a nearby rock on the ground near her.

"Arcade, laugh at a girl when she asks you your feelings towards her…and she may get offended." Layla stated. Arcade looked completely lost.

"Wait…you're offended? Why?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you'd laughed as if I'd asked 'Hey, Arcade, are you attracted to that fire gecko?'. God, you'd think I was a fucking burn victim or something." Arcade still didn't seem to get it.

"I don't…"

"She thinks you don't find her attractive. NEVER tell a girl you don't find her attractive." Veronica interjected, sipping her stew nonchalantly as Layla quietly seethed.

"I still don't understand. Why should that bother her?" Arcade still looked heavily flummoxed, and Veronica chuckled to herself as he asked the question.

"You really don't understand women do you?"

"No man does!" Campbell called from the other side of the camp, and Veronica shook her head in amusement.

"Girls like to think they're beautiful." Veronica explained slowly, as if this was common knowledge. "If you tell them otherwise…they will throw a rock at you." Arcade raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"They'll what OW!" His question was interrupted as Layla grabbed the small rock she'd been reaching for and threw it at his head. Like Veronica, her aim was dead on.

"So you think I'm ugly do you?!" Layla asked, sounding very offended.

"Why do you care?!" Arcade asked hysterically, rubbing his injured head. Layla grabbed a bigger rock, and the doctor held up his hands in protest. "WAIT! I'm not attracted to you, but I'm not attracted to any other woman either!" Layla stopped mid throw, a confused look on her face. "I'm playing for the opposite team, okay?" Arcade blushed profusely after saying this, while Layla froze…and Veronica didn't show any reaction whatsoever. There was a pause, while both Arcade and Veronica eyed Layla, curious about what her reaction to this information would be.

"I don't understand." She said eventually, causing both Arcade and Veronica to bring their palms to their faces…at exactly the same time.

"Wow." Veronica said in annoyed disbelief, while Layla looked back and forth between her and Arcade, having no idea what she was missing.

"What? I don't get it. What does he mean?" Arcade pinched the bridge of his nose, apparently quite frustrated.

"Layla…" He began slowly. "I…"

"He's gay." Veronica interrupted with shocking bluntness, taking both Arcade and Layla by surprise.

"Could you possibly by any more tactless?!" He shrieked, but Veronica's only response was to shrug, and continue to eat her stew.

"Wait…" Layla dropped the rock she'd grabbed earlier, as realization dawned on her. "You…oh shit! Sorry about throwing the rock at you! I…I didn't…" Layla seemed extremely embarrassed, but Arcade calmly waved off her apology.

"It's fine." He assured her with a small smile. "Really, don't worry about it. I don't exactly fit any of the major gay stereotypes, so most people just naturally assume I'm straight."

"I had a hunch." Veronica said suddenly, causing the doctor to turn to her.

"Excuse me?"

"I've been watching you since the day we brought you to The Tops, and I always had a sneaking suspicion that you were gay." She closed her eyes, seeming very sure of herself, and brought her spoon to her lips to devour more of her stew.

"How?" Arcade asked dubiously, and Veronica smirked.

"Gaydar." She answered simply, causing Arcade to scoff.

"Oh please! Gaydar is only a myth." Layla seemed lost, so Arcade elaborated. "Gaydar is…basically…" Arcade seemed to be struggling for words, so Veronica sighed before taking over.

"I'm gay, so I can tell that Arcade's gay." Layla's eyes widened, while Arcade turned back to Veronica.

"And it's a complete crock! The very idea that somebody could simply figure out another person's sexuality so easily is complete…"

"Did you know that I was gay when you met me?" Veronica asked, cutting Arcade off mid rant.

"I…you…what?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"Did…you…know…I…was…gay…when…you…met…me?" She asked him again, but much, much slower this time. Arcade was silent a moment, before answering.

"Yes." He reluctantly admitted.

"Gaydar." Veronica threw up her arms to emphasise her point, but Arcade was quick to argue.

"No! I only knew that because you made it blatantly obvious. You flirt with Layla in pretty much every other sentence, and you're constantly checking her out. Why do you think I thought that you two were together?" Veronica blushed furiously, and Layla tried to intervene in the conversation. Veronica held a hand in front of her however, prompting her to stay out of it.

"And you're telling me that you've never once looked at Campbell's ass?" It was Arcade's turn to blush, and Veronica smiled smugly.

"What?! Of course I haven't! Don't be absurd!" No matter how much Arcade denied it, Veronica's smug smile only grew.

"If you spotted me checking out Layla, did you really think I wouldn't notice you checking out Campbell?" Arcade grew redder by the second.

"Alright fine, I've checked out Campbell…just please don't tell him."

"Arcade…he can hear everything we're saying."

"And I'm flattered." Campbell interjected casually as he sat down next to Arcade, bowl of stew in hand. "I can't say I blame you; mine is an ass forged by the gods." The girls both shook their heads, while Arcade tried to avoid eye contact with Campbell.

"Sorry." He said quietly, and Campbell looked at him in surprise.

"Why? So you're gay; big deal. You don't choose who you're attracted to." A look of absolute astonishment appeared on Arcade's face, and the merc just shrugged before beginning to eat his stew. "So…what are we talking about?" He asked, addressing the group as a whole. Arcade was too surprised to answer, and Veronica just stayed quiet, so it was left up to Layla to respond.

"I think we're talking about sexuality." She looked at Veronica and Arcade as she said this, before shrugging. "But I've been staying out of the conversation, so it's hard to be sure."

"Sounds like fun." Campbell remarked. "I'm straight by the way. I've only ever being attracted to ladies, so you two are very lucky." Veronica and Layla made gagging motions, while Arcade looked disappointed.

"Why are all the good men gay?" He asked nobody in particular, before blushing again. "Did…did I just say that out loud?" The girls and Campbell nodded, prompting Arcade to cover his face with his hands and groan loudly.

"I've got to be honest Campbell, I had suspicions that you were bi." Layla confessed, earning a smirk from Campbell.

"Nope, sorry."

"Guess my gaydar doesn't work as well as Veronica's." Layla joked.

"I think she's the only one here who's gaydar does work." Arcade quipped, removing his hands from his face and picking up his spoon again as did so.

"You haven't made a big point of your romantic interludes." Veronica said to Campbell. "And we never see you show any kind of attraction towards anyone…so are you sure you're not just asexual?"

"That's a thing?" Layla asked, confused.

"Yep." Arcade confirmed. "Some people just don't have any sexual interests at all."

"And I'm not one of them." Campbell said as he removed his spoon from his mouth. "I do find women attractive; I just…have had bad experiences with them in the past." His expression turned slightly downcast, and Veronica tried to change the subject. Before she could do so however, Arcade asked a tactless question.

"What, do you keep getting turned down?" Campbell laughed bitterly before replying.

"Oh no, quite the opposite. I'm more than capable of earning the attentions of women…but it tends to end badly."

"For you, or the woman?"

"Both." He replied grimly, before putting down his bowl and spoon, and getting a bottle of vodka out of one of his trenchcoat's many pockets. He poured the alcoholic beverage into his stew, before fastening the bottle and returning it to his pocket. Now that his meal was infused with liquor, he decided to elaborate on his previous point."I'm cursed. Every woman I've ever been in a relationship with has died a painful death. Most of the time…it's my fault." As Campbell had a spoonful of vodka stew, Layla remembered the story he'd told her about Jenny, his first love, and felt a strong tug on her heartstrings.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened to Jenny." She said supportively, looking directly at him from across the fire.

"It's quite hard not to, since I'm the one who pulled the trigger." He replied. Arcade and Veronica clearly had no idea what Layla and Campbell were talking about, but they stayed silent, content to listen. "It's not just Jenny though. Though I'm not even 40 yet, I've done a lot in my life…and I've been with quite a few different women. Not a single one of them is alive today. The most recent girl was two years ago. She was murdered. It was my fault, and caused me to declare war on one of the Three Families. That feud ended with a lot of bodies and me covered in blood. The surviving members of that family still check under their bed for me at night to this very day. I'm a fucking boogeyman to the Vegas underworld, and the Three Families take special care not to piss me off. I've received a gift basket from terrified gang members on more than one occasion." He laughed at the memory, and a bittersweet smile appeared on his face. "Still, the latest love of my life died because of my mistakes, and no matter how many gang members I killed…which was a lot…I couldn't bring her back."

"I'm sorry." Layla said sadly, while mentally kicking myself. _Why are those two words the only words of comfort I can ever offer to people?! _She thought angrily, while Campbell surprised her by smirking.

"I know you are…don't worry about it." He grinned, his mood spontaneously brightening. "So…where were we?"

"You just told us you were straight." Arcade reminded him.

"Yes, of course. So, first Arcade revealed his sexuality, then I revealed mine. We seem to be going anticlockwise around the fire." If the area around them was compared to a clock face, then the fire was the clock's hands, and Arcade was sitting at 10, while Campbell was sat at 8. Directly across from him was Layla…who was sat at 4, and next to her was Veronica…who was sat at 2. "If we keep going anticlockwise, then Layla's next." The response from the group was enthusiastic.

"I'm all for that." Arcade said, sounding surprisingly eager. "Layla's sexuality has been confusing me since the moment I got here, so I need to hear this." Layla looked less excited, but Veronica patted her on the shoulder.

"Go on Layla." She said supportively. "I know all about it anyway, and it's only Campbell and Arcade. They won't make a fuss or anything." Layla smiled, and nodded before turning to the boys.

"Okay, my turn." She took a deep breath, before proceeding. "Campbell, I'm sure you already know this or have at least guessed it…Arcade, you have no clue." She snickered, and Arcade rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Gentlemen…I'm bisexual." Veronica smiled, and turned her attention back to her stew, while Campbell and Arcade both seemed surprised. "Oh come on! It's not that shocking is it?" The men stayed silent.

"To be honest…I thought you were gay." Campbell said after a brief pause. Arcade nodded.

"Likewise. I think my gaydar's broken." Arcade's comment made Veronica stop moving her spoon to her mouth and giggle briefly. Once the giggle fit had subsided, she brought the spoon to her lips.

"Why did you think I was gay?" Layla asked.

"Your constant interactions with Veronica." Arcade replied quickly.

"And…you've never showed any interest in men while I've been with you." Campbell added.

"She slept with Benny." Veronica countered in a deadpan tone. "The whole Strip knows about it. You'd think that would tip you off."

"I thought it was just a rumour." Campbell replied.

"Well it wasn't…though it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience." Layla shuddered.

"When you showed absolutely no interest in me, I just thought you were solely attracted to women." Campbell said jokingly. "I have straight women all over me every day, and when you resisted my charms, I assumed that you weren't a straight woman. Of course, you didn't hear my masterful pickup lines because you were unconscious at the time, but still." Layla picked up the rock she'd dropped earlier, and threw it at Campbell's head. The merc's reflexes were much better than Arcade's however, and he easily ducked under the flying rock. He grinned, and Layla couldn't help but grin herself.

"So…you're sexually attracted to both men and women?" Arcade asked, his scientific curiosity shining through.

"Pretty much." Layla replied, a thoughtful look on her face. "I mean…my first ever sexual experience was with a girl, but I'd been attracted to boys before that too." Both Campbell and Veronica perked up once Layla mentioned her first sexual experience.

"Go back to the part about the sex." Campbell asked, with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Yeah, go back to that." Veronica said with equal enthusiasm. "I want to hear all about it." Layla seemed embarrassed by their request, but nonetheless, she complied.

"The girl was named Sasha, and she was my first ever romantic interest. She was the daughter of Alrik, the chief of Bitter Springs, and we were best friends since we were kids, even though our fathers rarely saw eye to eye. Over the years, we got closer and closer, until on my 13th birthday…we kissed. Being older than me by a year, Sasha thought she'd seduced me, and swore nothing like this would ever happen again. On my 14th birthday, we kissed again, but for much longer this time. We started developing feelings towards each other, but she said we'd be better off as just friends, and I agreed. On my 15th birthday, her dad and his entourage were away on a raid, leaving her to look after the longhouse where they lived. I went over, and we continued our birthday tradition by kissing again. One thing led to another, and we ended up having sex in the longhouse. It was the first time for both of us…and it was amazing. It definitely ranks as one of the best nights of my life." Both Campbell and Veronica were both hooked now, heads leaned forward as they listened to Layla's tale. Arcade seemed to have momentarily lost interest since there were no men involved, and he was quite clearly daydreaming as he finally began to eat his stew.

"My first time was incredible, and I know she enjoyed it too. Our feelings for each other were pretty strong by this point, but Sasha still didn't want us to have a relationship. I let it go for that one night, but the day afterward she pretended that it hadn't happened. I was crazy about her, and I could tell she felt the same way about me, but she fell into complete denial. Her father Alrik had always been somewhat of a bigot, both to people of other races, and those of other sexualities. It's one of the reasons he and my dad constantly quarrelled, and I think it affected Sasha too. She didn't want to believe she was gay, so she pretended our night of passion hadn't happened. To help her forget that night, she severed all ties with me, effectively destroying our friendship. To convince herself she was straight, she started dressing in skimpy outfits and sleeping around with all the boys our age. Two months later, she was making out with one of the perimeter guards, and he was too busy sticking his tongue in her mouth to notice the approaching swarm of Cazadors. My father and the other men fought the Cazadors off, and found Sasha's body by the perimeter. She'd been stung countless times, and her body was filled with a huge amount of venom. The guard had run away, leaving her to die…she never stood a chance. He was executed for his cowardice, but I'd still lost my first love, and it crushed me." Layla was saddened by the memories, and a gloomy expression appeared on her face.

"I'm sorry." Campbell said comfortingly, using the exact words she usually used to comfort him. Layla couldn't help it; she burst out laughing, and the merc grinned in triumph.

"Thanks." She said as her laughter died down, with a much brighter expression as her face. "I needed that."

"Anytime you need stupid humour, just call me." Campbell winked, and Layla smiled, while Veronica put a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Veronica asked, and Layla nodded, a wan smile on her face.

"Yeah…I'm alright. It was six years ago…I'm mostly over it." A relieved smile appeared on Veronica's face, before she turned to the others.

"So…what? Is it my turn now?"

"I…I was actually going to mention my first boyfriend." Layla said quietly. That got Arcade's attention, and he put his bowl down before shuffling closer to the fire.

"This I've got to hear." He said eagerly, and Layla couldn't help but smirk.

"Alright, alright, settle down. A year after Sasha's death, I was sparring in Bitter Springs' arena. I'd already beaten five boys into the dirt, and I challenged any other dumb bastard to try his luck. A boy I was unfamiliar with stepped forward, and accepted my challenge. Like me, he was 16, and like me, he had a love of violence. For the first time I can remember, a boy actually gave me a challenge in that arena. For ten minutes, we matched each other blow for blow, drawing quite the crowd to watch our fight. The boys supported him, while the girls supported me. We were evenly matched, but eventually he finally scored a hit. I went down, and the boys cheered loudly. The boy postured for the male portion of the crowd, while I lay in the dirt. As I regained my senses, I realised that he'd hit me…and my blood boiled. To the delight of the female portion of the crowd, I jumped to my feet and brought the fight to him. Filled with rage, the fight quickly swung in my favour, as I completely beat the crap out of the poor bastard. Two minutes later, I had a stinging pain in my knuckles, and the boy was unconscious, with a black eye and a broken nose. He was taken by the older Khans to get medical attention, while I was swamped by supportive girls. That night, I visited him in the medical tent, where he introduced himself as Kyle and complimented me on my fighting skills."

"Before I knew it, we'd become a couple, and we were inseparable. Our mutual love of battle turned into a raw, burning passion. I don't think it was proper emotional love like it had been for Sasha, but the attraction to Kyle was definitely strong. We exchanged saliva every chance we got, until one night he took my virginity in his tent." Layla smiled wistfully as she remembered her first time. "It was…different than it had been with a woman, but no less enjoyable. We fucked like bunnies after that, finding any excuse we could to sneak off and have sex. A few months later it was the anniversary of our fight, and I decided to surprise him in his tent. I sneaked there with a bottle of beer stolen from that dick Alrik, and silently infiltrated his tent…only to find him on top of some other girl."

"That fucking idiot." Campbell said, shaking his head mournfully.

"Bastard." Veronica spat.

"You'd already beaten him up once…so what on Earth was he thinking?" Arcade shook his head in disbelief.

"Exactly." Layla responded to their comments. "Knowing me…you can probably guess what happened next."

"I assume he became half a man after that?" Veronica asked hopefully, causing both Campbell and Arcade to look down at their genitalia with pained expressions.

"Well he was a Khan, so I couldn't kill him." Veronica looked disappointed. "I did however exact physical vengeance on both him and the girl, hurting my knuckles again and breaking the bottle over his head in the process. In a way, it was just like our fight, except that this fight ended a relationship instead of starting one. I left them there with cuts, broken bones, and a concussion each. They were discovered later, but both were too scared of me to reveal who had attacked them. I went to the medical tent the next day wearing very heavy boots, and Kyle tried to apologise. I smiled sweetly, then stomped on his crotch and dumped his worthless ass."

"I haven't had many relationships since then, but I have had a few sexual encounters with both men and women, though I can't remember most of them due to the three year gap in my memory." Her story finished, Layla looked around the camp, and noticed that she had the full attention of all three of her friends. "Okay…does anyone have a question about my sexuality?" Arcade shrugged, and Veronica shook her head. Campbell meanwhile crossed one of his legs over the other, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I have something I've always been curious about." He began. "Which is better; sex with a man, or sex with a woman?" Arcade and Veronica both seemed intrigued by the question, so Layla endeavoured to enlighten them all.

"That's…a little tricky." She started. "Sex with a man is completely different to sex with a woman, and vice versa. Sex with a man is a fast, frantic ride, where both of you are simply trying to get to your climax, and to hell with everything else. It's thrilling, to be sure. Sex with a woman however, is slower, more passionate; there's no rush, you're trying to make your partner feel good, as opposed to sex with a man where you're trying to make yourself feel good. Obviously there are exceptions, but for the most part, sex with a man is a wild rush, but sex with a woman is slower and more tantalising. It all comes down to preference really. Both are completely different…but being different isn't bad. If I had to choose…" Arcade, Campbell and Veronica leaned forward, desperate to learn the answer. "…I don't know." The three of them all sighed in disappointment, and Layla looked down at the ground. "Sorry." She muttered guiltily. Not wanting to see Layla sad, Veronica wrapped an arm around the red haired one's shoulders, and shuffled to sit closer to her.

"Don't worry about it." She said supportively.

"Yeah, we don't need to know the answer." Campbell added. Layla smiled, before leaning against Veronica.

"Well…I'm done." She said, before turning to the former scribe. "Your turn."

"Thank you." Veronica bowed her head, before turning to the two male members of the group. "This may shock you guys…but I'm a lesbian. I love girls, and have no attraction to men whatsoever. I especially like brunette girls…but I'm not telling you why." With that, Veronica went silent, and everybody looked at her.

"What…that's it?" Arcade asked.

"That was…brief." Campbell commented.

"So? You both knew my preferences anyway!" Veronica replied, while Layla focused on her stew. "I don't see why you needed an explanation in the first place."

"I have a question." Campbell announced, putting his hand up.

"Yes?" Veronica sighed.

"Have you ever had sex with a man?" Layla and Arcade were both curious, but they got their answer once Veronica burst into laughter. "What? Hell no!" She grinned widely as she managed to calm herself down. "I've never found men attractive in any way, and I've never had any sort of sexual desire towards anything that didn't have breasts."

"I'm the same way, but with the genders reversed." Arcade commented. "I've never felt any attraction to women whatsoever, and I've never had sex with a woman."

"Seems like Layla's the lucky one here." Campbell looked at Layla as he spoke. "Out of the four of us, she has the most choice. I can only imagine she's like a Fiend in a chem storage warehouse."

"Shut up." The red haired one said half-heartedly, before yawning and stretching as a sudden wave of tiredness washed through her. "Wow…I suddenly feel really sleepy." She said drowsily, as her eyelids began to feel a lot heavier.

"That may be due to the large amount of painkillers I pumped into you earlier." Arcade suggested. "Or maybe a day of killing people has just worn you out. Either way, you should go get some sleep." She was about to argue, but Arcade cut her off. "Go on; doctor's orders." She yawned again, louder this time, and decided that Arcade was right.

"Damn." She said groggily as she put down her bowl of stew and got to her feet. "Alright, I'm off to bed. Night everybody." The others bid Layla farewell, and she walked to her tent, struggling to stay awake as she did so.

*Veronica*

"Sorry, but I'm off too." Campbell said as Layla left, getting to his feet and stretching, while still holding his bowl.

"Since when did you get tired?" Veronica asked, cocking an eyebrow as she did so. "I've never even seen you sleep."

"Oh, I'm not going to sleep." He explained. "There's some weapons in my tent that need some urgent maintenance." With that, he walked towards his tent, but shouted back one last sentence as he distanced himself from them. "Have fun you two!" Veronica sniffed in response.

"Us two, have fun? Yeah right." With that, she put down her bowl and got to her feet, before turning towards her tent.

"Where are you going?" Arcade asked curiously as she started to limp away.

"Dreamland." She replied, stopping for a second as he shot another question her way.

"Going to snuggle up with Layla in her bedroll?" He raised his eyebrow and smirked as he asked, and Veronica turned to face him.

"I wish." A sad look appeared on her face, but it was gone in an instant. "But since no divine force out there cares enough to answer my wishes; I'm going to my own tent to sleep alone."

"Sounds riveting." The doctor replied sarcastically.

"Well there's nothing else to do here."

"We could talk."

"You and me? Unlikely." Arcade narrowed his eyes at that.

"And why, pray tell, is that so unlikely?"

"Because I don't like you." She answered bluntly. "And I'm quite certain you don't like me."

"I aim to fix that." He patted the ground, and the former scribe groaned before sitting back down.

"Fine, but I don't know what we're going to talk about." She said as she picked up her bowl of stew again.

"Well, we have a lot in common." Veronica looked at him dubiously.

"Like what?"

""We're both gay." She mentally kicked herself. _How could I have forgotten that? _She thought in annoyance.

"Alright, fair enough…but we have nothing else in common."

"I disagree."

"Oh really?" He nodded. "Well then, enlighten me doc. What else do we have in common?"

"Well, we both grew up in powerful organizations that were misunderstood by the NCR and the community at large." He pointed out. "The Enclave and the Brotherhood were actually quite similar."

"Yeah, apart from one major difference: the Brotherhood aren't a bunch of insane fascists with delusions of grandeur hell bent on committing genocide and wiping out anybody different to them."

"I'm not going to say the Enclave were perfect, because God knows they aren't…weren't." Arcade said, holding up his hands as he did so. "But the fact of the matter is, the two organizations were both very similar. I bet our childhoods were similar too."

"Unlikely. I spent my childhood tinkering and practicing martial arts moves. You probably spent yours staring at test tubes and dissecting small animals."

"That's…actually quite close to the truth, which is painfully sad when you think about it." Forgetting for a moment who she was talking to, Veronica grinned.

"Sounds absolutely thrilling. I bet your heart was beating like a drum for your entire childhood." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Arcade flashed her a wry smile in response.

"It picked up a bit when I reached my 14th year." He said wistfully. "Because I made friends with a boy my own age. His name was Adrian, and he was probably the first friend I ever had…maybe the only friend I've ever had, which again, is painfully sad when you think about it."

"Wait, wait…you…Arcade Gannon…" She pointed at him, a look of utter astonishment on her face. "…actually made a friend?" The doctor rolled his eyes at her in response.

"Only after putting a significant strain on my wallet. It's amazing what 14 year old boys charge for friendship." He replied, in the familiar tone that he always used when he was being sarcastic.

"Call me crazy, but I'm fairly certain my knowledge of 14 year old boys is pathetic by modern standards." Veronica's eyes widened as she found that…she was actually enjoying this conversation. _This can't be possible. _She thought. _Maybe I have a fever and it's making me delirious? _

"All sarcasm aside, I genuinely befriended Adrian, and we quickly became the best of friends. We were inseparable, doing everything together and hanging out at every opportunity. I was a scientist, while he was a soldier, but we still found a way to meet often."

"But…you were both 14. Why were you full, functioning members of the Enclave at such a young age?"

"We weren't really, but I worked as an assistant for my mother in the science labs. Adrian meanwhile, was drafted into the Enclave Youth; a small group formed by the military higher-ups, who wanted to give teenagers combat experience and weapons training so that they'd be more effective Enclave soldiers when they grew up, while being subtly brainwashed into being fanatically loyal to the Enclave. He had to train daily, and some days he even joined Enclave squads in raiding small settlements. Despite being so busy, we still managed to make our friendship work…until I hit puberty." Veronica cocked her head to the side. She hadn't been expecting that. Arcade sighed, before asking her a question.

"You know that part of your life when the opposite sex starts looking appealing to you?" Veronica narrowed her eyes, and looked at him with an annoyed 'Are you serious?' expression. "Oh…right…of course you don't. Sorry. Well…you know that part of your life when the **same **sex starts looking appealing to you?" She nodded. "Well, puberty hit me like a ton of bricks as I neared my 15th birthday, and I started to realise that I was attracted to men. Since I had no-one else to confide in, I told Adrian…and by some bizarre coincidence, found that he was starting to realise his homosexuality too. Over the next few months, we started to talk a lot about being gay and what we should do…while slowly becoming attracted to each other. Before I knew it, we'd started dating, and it was probably the happiest I've ever been in my entire life. Unfortunately, the commander of the Enclave Youth found out about our relationship…and he was not pleased."

"He was homophobic." Veronica stated instead of asked, a slight hint of frustration in her voice. She'd experienced a lot of that crap in her life, and it pissed her off like nothing else.

"They all were. The Enclave higher ups wanted straight couplings, so we would breed and propagate their so called 'master race'. They had no love for same sex couples, which is why Adrian and I hid our relationship. The commander saw us kissing after Adrian's weapon practice however, and he decided to take drastic action." A downcast look appeared on Arcade's face as he told the last part of the story. "A few days later, Adrian and some other Enclave Youth members joined an Enclave squad in a raid…but he was put at the front of the attacking party. I later learned that he'd died in combat, as his laser rifle had malfunctioned. I can't prove it, but I just know the commander not only arranged to have Adrian put at the head of the charge, but he also sabotaged Adrian's laser rifle."

"I likely would've suffered a similar fate, had my mother and the Remnants not spoken to the Enclave higher ups on my behalf. They had a lot of sway in the organization, and managed to convince the higher ups to leave me be. I never really dated after that; what was the point, when any boy I flirted with would be put to death? I focused more and more on science and medicine, eventually becoming the lovable introvert I am today." There was a pause, as Arcade sat back, looking at his stew with nothing resembling an appetite. He was hiding it well, but Veronica could tell the story had brought up old wounds, and he was hurting badly.

"I'm sorry." She said, cringing even as the words left her mouth. _Good God what is wrong with me? _She mentally wondered. _I sound like Layla for crying out loud! I thought I was a bit better at comforting people than that! _"Did…did you love him?" _Okay…why the hell did I ask that? _Arcade seemed just as surprised by the question as she herself was, but regardless, he tore his eyes away from the stew and looked at her before replying.

"I…I don't know." He answered slowly, with a sad, yet thoughtful look on his face. "I was young, little more than a kid really. It probably wasn't the love they talk about in books…but it was the closest I've ever gotten, and probably the closest I'll ever get."

"Don't say that!" Veronica tried desperately to think of some words of encouragement, feeling an odd amount of sympathy for the doctor that she'd been ready to stab a short while ago. "It's not too late. You could still meet someone."

"Yes, I'm sure the life of a fugitive is one filled with attractive homosexual men." He said sarcastically, a small smile finding its way onto his face.

"Life can surprise you." Veronica said warmly. "You never know when love will just slap you in the face, changing your life forever."

"Is that so?" The doctor leaned forwards, a curious look on his face. "Well…has it ever happened to you?"

"What?"

"Have you ever suddenly fallen in love?" Veronica was about to tell him that that was personal…when she remembered that he'd already told her a failed love story from his past. _Tit for tat. _She sighed, before thinking back to the only time in her life that love had slapped her in the face (Not counting Layla).

"Once. It all started back when I was an innocent young girl midway through her teenage years, living in the Brotherhood bunker. One day, as I was leaving my daily lessons, a girl I'd never met before asked if she could borrow one of my martial arts movies. It had become common knowledge that I watched them, and I'd received no small amount of mockery from my classmates. I offered to watch the movie with her instead, and she agreed. As she left, she told me her name: Christine. We watched the movie together that night, and had a brilliant time. As the months went on, we watched more and more of my movies, until eventually we'd seen my whole collection. We hung out that night, but neither of us could think of what to do. I was about to suggest we tell ghost stories, when she kissed me. I was surprised, but had some faint idea that I liked girls back then, so I kissed her back. Finding that we were both gay, and that we were immensely attracted to each other, we started dating."

"It was enjoyable, sure, but love didn't slap me in the face until several months later, when we were relaxing in bed together. We had a joking, innuendo ridden conversation, and she kept accidentally finishing my sentences, because she knew me so well. As I looked at her then, the slap of love hit me with all its glory. From then on, I was hers, mind, body and soul."

"Sounds like she was special to you."

"Oh God, she was. I just…I loved everything about her. I loved how her hair was so long and soft, and such a beautiful shade of brown. I loved how she was just as enthusiastic about fighting as I was, and yet she was so much better than me, but she'd still let me win any time we sparred. I loved how she was so quiet, and was happy to let me talk and talk and talk. I loved how her eyes were so grey and colourless, but still so filled with life. I loved how she knew I was self-conscious about my appearance, so she made sure to tell me I was beautiful whenever we were together. I…I was just so…happy. She was utterly perfect, and when I was with her, my life was perfect too. Just being near her…it was utter bliss. I wouldn't have changed anything for the world."

"I'm guessing it didn't last?"

"Bingo." The story had caused a happy expression to break out on her face…but it darkened as she continued her tale. "The relationship couldn't stay secret forever, and eventually, Father Elijah found out. He was my mentor, and my guardian, and he went absolutely ballistic when he learned what we'd been doing. Like you said, the Enclave and the Brotherhood are actually very similar in a number of ways. Like the Enclave, the Brotherhood wanted its members to procreate, and frowned on any relationships that wouldn't make babies. My relationship with Christine was exactly what they disliked, and Elijah was quick to react. He talked with other high ranking Brotherhood members, and together they forced Christine and I to end our relationship. It didn't end there though. While Elijah chided me for failing in my duty to procreate, Christine's parents were a lot more forceful. They pressured her to meet a nice boy, and just kept pushing and pushing, making their daughter resent them more and more. Eventually, she just screamed at her parents, packed her bags, and left the bunker. It was so sudden…I never got a chance to say goodbye. She never came back, and I never saw her again." A stray tear left Veronica's eye, but she wiped it away before the doctor could see it.

"I feel your pain." Arcade said supportively. "Seems like neither of us have had a successful love life."

"The world's missing out." Veronica quipped, smiling wanly. She was attempting to be happy, but inside she was in pain, and Arcade could clearly tell.

"Are you alright?" She wasn't, but she nodded anyway.

"Yeah…I'm okay." Through a great effort of will, she managed to bury her sadness, and forced herself into a positive mind set. "Losing Christine broke my heart, but I've had a lot of years to get over it. Before long I was ready to get back on the horse…the horse being a woman…but I struggled to meet anyone, even when I routinely left the bunker to gather supplies. I was starting to give up hope…but then I met Layla."

"Ah yes…Layla." Arcade formed a pyramid shape with his hands, clearly intrigued. "So…when did you fall in love with her?" Veronica blushed, before reaching for a nearby rock. "NO!" Arcade yelled frantically. "Don't throw that at me! I'm just asking a question!" Despite her better judgement, Veronica dropped the rock, before looking Arcade dead in the eye.

"I'm not in love with her, you ass!" Arcade smiled a knowing smile, causing her to bristle angrily.

"Come now Veronica. Layla isn't here; you can drop the act."

"There's no act!"

"Do you think I'm some sort of simpleton?"

"No…I think you're an ass!"

"Oh come on, what's the harm in telling me? It's not like Layla will believe my word over yours."

"WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE?!"

"Curiosity. I am going to discover what your relationship with her is if it kills me."

"Keep talking, and it damn well might!" Despite her anger, Veronica could feel her will fading. He made some good points, and she felt that she really had to get this matter off her chest.

"Veronica…in all seriousness…I promise I won't tell a soul." He said sincerely, and the former scribe sighed. There was no point arguing this anymore.

"Alright…fine. I am head over heels in love with Layla. Are you happy?"

"Yes!" Arcade jumped to his feet, clearly overjoyed to be proven right. "I knew it! I knew…"

"SIT…YOUR ASS…DOWN." Afraid of getting another rock to the head, the nervous doctor did as he was told. As he plopped back down in the dirt, Veronica continued her story.

"When I first met Layla, I was just attracted to her physically. I mean, come on; she is very, very hot."

"I wouldn't know." Veronica glared at him, while reaching for a nearby rock. He shut his mouth, and she continued.

"Over time though, I began to feel for her more and more, started to care for her, started to feel things I hadn't felt since Christine. I woke up one morning, and realised I'd fallen in love with her."

"Hang on a second." Veronica was about to bite his head off for interrupting again, when he said something that gave her pause. "Sorry but…I don't get it."

"What?"

"I just…I don't understand. What is there to actually love in Layla? She's a murderer, she's a psychopath, she…"

"You don't know her." Arcade couldn't help but pause, as that cryptic statement left Veronica's lips.

"I'm sorry?"

"You don't know Layla. You've only seen her angry side, her hate filled side, the side she shows the world. I've seen her at her highest points and her lowest points, and I've seen her for who she really is." Arcade clearly didn't know whether to believe her or not, but it was obvious that he was curious.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Layla…she has a guard up around most people. All they see is the tough, violent side of her, the side which takes no crap from anyone, and is all too eager to spill some blood. That's not all she is though. Around me, she lets the guard down, and I've seen a different side of her. Here's an example: a while ago, an enemy from Layla's past resurfaced, and killed a man that she was in a romantic relationship with. She killed her enemy, and I got there just as her lover died. When she saw me, she simply burst into tears."

"Wait…what? Layla can actually cry?"

"Yep. She cried like a baby, and I just…held her, the entire time. It was then that I realised…she's not just some emotionless killing machine. Hidden behind her murderous personality and her love for vengeance, is a scared, sad girl who just wants her parents back."

"And that's why you love her?"

"That's one of the main reasons, but there's more. Layla…she's done so much for me. She's saved my life more times than I can count, and she's helped me countless times, even though she had no reason to. I'm just some random girl that she met at a rest stop, yet when I first travelled with her, she treated me like a sister. This savage killer was so nice to me, and I got the feeling that she'd do anything for me. I think that's what first formed my feelings of love, and now…I know that no matter what happens, no matter what situation I find myself in, Layla will be there to help me. I don't know how to explain it. I guess…I just have complete and utter faith in her. I trust her, more than I've ever trusted anyone. She'll never betray me, she'll never do anything to hurt me, she's the one person in the world I can always count on. Around her, I feel safe…I feel…loved. She completes me, and quite simply, I can't imagine my life without her."

"Wow." Arcade paused, apparently lost for words. "I think you and her are both completely insane…" Veronica clenched her fist angrily. "…but that was…very touching." He sounded completely sincere, and Veronica unclenched her fists, before looking at him, to see that he was smiling. "I still don't fully understand what you see in her…but if she makes you happy…then good for you. I hope things go well for the both of you." His smile contained genuine warmth, and Veronica couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you." The warmth of her smile matched his, and to her surprise, Veronica felt some sort of faint bond forming between her and the doctor. To her amazement…she felt like…she actually liked him. _Okay…this is bizarre._

"Okay, I'm going to bed…but before I go, I'd like to offer you some advice." _Oh, this should be good._

"I'm intrigued." She smirked. "What's your advice?" Clearly nervous, Arcade took a deep breath before proceeding.

"Alright…I don't know what the status of your relationship with Layla is. You obviously feel for her, and I get the impression that you're hiding your feelings, but I don't know why. I'm sure you have your reasons…but I think you should tell Layla how you feel."

"I already have done." Veronica replied. "We agreed to reassess our relationship after the NCR have been driven from the Mojave."

"And you're okay with that?" Veronica huffed.

"It doesn't matter if I'm okay with it or not. Layla's got enough shit on her mind without my feelings getting in the way." She turned her head slightly, and looked at Layla's tent with an obvious longing.

"Veronica, romance isn't my strong suit, but I want you to seriously consider what I'm about to say." Veronica tore her eyes away from the red haired one's tent, before turning back to Arcade. "I know you agreed to wait, but there's always the chance that you won't live long enough to truly express your feelings. We're fugitives, the NCR want us dead, and we have no idea what the next day may bring. Just in case something happens, I think Layla has a right to know about your feelings."

"But…"

"If she died without knowing the true extent of your feelings, would you ever forgive yourself?"

"I…"

"Would you?" There was a long, uncomfortable silence, before Veronica replied.

"…No."

"Tell her. She doesn't have to act, but she has to know. If you don't tell her, I think all these feelings you're repressing will tear you apart."

"I…" As Veronica mulled over Arcade's words, the doctor put down his bowl and got up.

"There, I've said my piece, so now I'm turning in for the night. Consider what I've said." With that, he started to walk away…only for Veronica's voice to stop him.

"Arcade?" There was a brief pause.

"Yeah?"

"…I think I may have been wrong about you." The doctor chuckled to himself.

"Nah, you were probably right the first time."

"Goodnight Arcade."

"Goodnight Veronica." The conversation now officially at an end, Arcade waved goodbye and headed for his tent, leaving Veronica alone with the fire, and her bowl of stew. _Maybe he isn't such a miserable dick after all. _She thought, as she picked up her bowl and dipped her spoon into the stew. _And maybe…maybe he's right about Layla. _She put the food into the mouth, before turning around, and looking at Layla's tent again. _I know you know how I feel…but you don't know how strong those feelings are. I'll tell you Layla…some day._ With that, she turned back to the fire, watching the flames crackle and dance as she continued to eat Campbell's delicious stew, all the while thinking about her group of friends, and what the future would bring for all of them.

_**You made friends with Arcade Gannon. You feel a faint bond forming between you and Arcade. *Cue music* Thou art I...and I am thou. Thou hast established a new bond.**_

**_That was a Persona 4 reference...because I'm weak and I could not resist the urge. Also because I got a massive Persona 4 vibe near the end of Veronica and Arcade's conversation.  
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**_Anyway, silly references aside...50th chapter! Yay! Thanks to anyone who's still reading/reviewing, and here's to 50 more chapters! Well...actually, I suspect there'll be between 10 and 20 more chapters before I end this thing, but since I have a prequel and a sequel planned, Layla's story isn't about to end any time soon. Let's look forward to the future, and all the violence to come.  
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**_The next chapter will be another 'Report' chapter, the chapters that feature the NCR and are usually shorter than regular chapters but still totally advance the story.  
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**_Also, I massively revamped my profile page...so...yeah. I don't know if anyone's interested in that at all, but if for some bizarre/stalkerish reason you want to know more about me, then that's the place to go. The only thing that isn't there is my name, because the internet doesn't need to know that.  
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**_In conclusion, THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHAN KYOU for reading/reviewing, and I hope you continue to do so. You guys are awesome. :D  
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	51. Internal Disputes

**_Here we are, Chapter 51. This one took longer than I would've liked, but the chapter turned out longer than I planned too, so that's alright. Inspiration was a little hard to come by, but I caught her in a net, sat her down, and FINALLY managed to get her help with finishing this chapter. She ran off again immediately afterwards. RAAAAAARGH!  
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**_Insanity and metaphors aside, this is the longest Report chapter yet...and it's a bit different to the other Report chapters too. How so? Well...if the title doesn't give you a clue, then read on, and all will be revealed.  
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Internal Disputes

The sky was beginning to darken as Colonel James Hsu walked through Camp Golf, signifying that the sun was about to call it a day, and leave the moon to watch over its domain for a few hours. Several soldiers saluted as Hsu passed them, making his way to the House Resort, the large building in the middle of the camp.

What had been a luxury holiday resort before the war was now one of the biggest NCR military bases in the Mojave. The resort building in the middle of the camp served as a headquarters for the veteran rangers, as well as an important communications hub for all NCR soldiers in the Mojave. Inside that building, was the man Hsu had come to see.

A veteran ranger stood guard outside the House Resort, and like the others, he saluted Hsu as the colonel arrived, before opening the door for him. Hsu saluted the ranger back, before walking into the building.

The colonel was more than glad to be out of that damned wheelchair he'd been forced into after his meeting with Campbell. His leg still hurt, but he could at least walk on it now, which meant he no longer had to use special apparatus to get around. He thanked whatever god was looking down on him for that fact.

The reception area was swarming with veteran rangers, most of them relaxing, and some even without their helmets on. A group of ghouls stood near the reception desk, chatting amongst themselves. Hsu quietly approached them, before coughing to interrupt their conversation.

"I'm Colonel Hsu. I'm looking for Chief Hanlon." Hsu said seriously. The ghouls briefly looked at each other, before looking back at Hsu.

"He's in his usual spot." The tallest ghoul replied nonchalantly, before turning back to his friend and continuing their conversation. Hanlon's usual spot was upstairs, so the colonel immediately ascended one of the staircases next to the desk. He stepped onto the landing, before turning and heading for a door directly above the one he'd entered through. He passed through the door a few seconds later, finding himself on a balcony overlooking Lake Mead. The sun was beginning to set, shining beautiful red rays onto the lake as it slowly descended.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" A voice asked. The only things on the balcony were a table, a ham radio that sat on the table, a mug filled with pre-war tea next to the radio, a chair, and an elderly gentleman that sat on the chair. He was the one who had spoken, and he turned to face his visitor as he did so. Chief Hanlon was the oldest human ranger living in the Mojave, and though he no longer participated in combat due to his age, he was still very influential in the NCR, landing him an unofficial position leading the rest of the rangers in the Mojave. Hsu knew for a fact that every ranger under the Mojave sun looked up to Hanlon, and for good reason. The man was a legend, with too many medals and commendations to count, and more successful missions under his belt than the rest of the rangers under his command put together. There was no person Hsu trusted more than Hanlon, and nobody else who would be able to help him deal with Oliver.

"I don't get to see many sunsets these days." The colonel replied, dropping his serious veneer as he did so. Chief Hanlon was a very easy man to talk too, as he cared little about regulations, and was one of the few high ranking NCR members in the Mojave who didn't abuse his power or his staff.

"None of us do." Hanlon said in a tired tone as he got to his feet, before turning to face Hsu. "With the Legion about to strike, free time has been hard to come by." The Chief was in his late sixties, though he didn't much look it. Though his hair was grey and his face had certainly aged, his blue eyes still looked bright and youthful, and he was still in the perfect shape one would expect a ranger to be in.

"It's good to see you sir." Hsu said, walking forwards and shaking the older man's hand as he did so.

"Likewise." The Chief replied as he shook back. "It's rare to find someone in the NCR that you can actually count on these days."

"There's no-one in this desert that I'd rather have at my back." Hsu said honestly, as he ended the handshake.

"I assume that's why you're here? So you can get me at your back?" The Chief asked bluntly as he turned his back to Hsu, and leant over the balcony railing, eyes locked on Lake Mead.

"There **is** something I need your help with…but I have news too."

"Bad news I take it?"

"Is there any other kind?" Hanlon laughed bitterly.

"Not that I know of." He turned back to Hsu, before walking over to the table next to his chair and picking up his mug of tea. "This news…is it about Oliver…or the Witch?" Hanlon asked, as he picked up the teaspoon that rested inside the mug, and started to stir his beverage.

"Both." That answer seemed to knock Hanlon off guard, because he stopped stirring for a moment as he heard it. Regardless, he was stirring again a few seconds later, and his expression never changed once.

"I'd ask if one of them had finally killed the other, but neither of their deaths would count as bad news would they?" The Chief finished stirring, before putting the spoon down on the table and bringing the mug to his lips. He drank the steaming hot beverage for a moment, before continuing. "What's Oliver done now?"

"He's begun another operation to kill the Witch."

"Can't say I'm surprised. The only shocking thing is that it's taken him so long to do it."

"He's also brought in Colonel Moore to assist."

"Ah." Hanlon narrowed his eyes slightly. "She…could be a problem."

"If she starts actively trying to kill Layla…think of the collateral damage. Moore doesn't care what she has to destroy or who she has to kill to catch the NCR's enemies."

"You're right." Hanlon closed his eyes, before sighing to himself. "Moore always was…unrestrained. Even when she was a ranger, she had a habit of completely disregarding the lives of civilians if it meant getting her target."

"I could spend hours talking about Moore, but I don't want to bore you. You already know my opinion of her."

"Yes…it's similar to my opinion of Oliver."

"That he's a callous, closed minded, power mad monster who'll kill anyone and destroy anything to get what he wants?"

"Exactly." Hanlon sat down on his chair, before motioning at Hsu to stand in front of him. "Maybe you should give me the whole story?" So Hsu sat on the railing in front of the Chief, and regaled to him the meeting he'd had with Oliver and Boone just over a week ago. He made sure to mention the Enclave's involvement, as well as Campbell's alignment with the Witch. By the time the story was finished, the sun had set, and Hanlon had put his mug on the table, leaving him free to steeple his hands together just below his mouth. "I see." Hanlon said once the story was finished, looking quite concerned. "And Oliver ordered that I be left completely out of the loop?

"That's right. I'm going against his orders just by talking to you." Hsu replied, getting down from the railing and standing on his feet as he did so.

"This seems…risky. Oliver doesn't take kindly to disobedience."

"Are you going to tell him I came here?"

"Unlikely, but he has spies everywhere. It's possible he already knows."

"That's fine. I'm considering resigning anyway."

"I take it you don't like the NCR under Oliver's rule?"

"Do you?" Hanlon laughed despite himself.

"To be honest, every morning when I wake up, I expect to walk onto this balcony and see flames coming from New Vegas. I'm surprised Oliver hasn't run the NCR into the ground yet."

"He's getting closer every day, and I can only imagine his progress will be much quicker with Moore doing his bidding."

"My distaste for Oliver seems to be rubbing off on you." Hsu felt anger swelling up inside him just from thinking of the man, and he clenched his fist tightly as he spoke.

"Believe me; I formed my objective opinion solely through my personal interactions with him. I don't care for violence, but just being in Oliver's presence tempts me to commit a homicide."

"He'd probably call it regicide. He may he ruling the Mojave as a dictatorship now, but if he keeps going the way he's going, his ego will probably drive him to make this land a monarchy."

"Not if I can help it." Hanlon was clearly surprised by that response.

"Are you actually suggesting going against Oliver?"

"I'm suggesting we do what's best for the Mojave." Hanlon sighed again, and reached for his mug before replying.

"James, I understand where you're coming from here, really I do, but this kind of talk is very dangerous. Oliver's in charge of the Mojave's NCR forces; going against him is treason, punishable by execution under NCR law. In addition to being in charge though, he has absolutely no regard for human life. If he learns you're against him, he will send someone to kill you without a second thought. I agree that Oliver shouldn't be allowed to keep his power, but if you want to do anything about it, you have to be subtle."

"You're the master of being subtle Chief. What did you have in mind?" Hanlon looked offended.

"And what makes you think I've put a plan in place on the off chance that I'd ever need to get rid of Oliver?"

"Because four years ago you put a plan in place on the off chance that the NCR would need to retreat in the battle against the Legion. That plan won the First Battle of Hoover Dam. You always have a plan." A small smile formed on the Chief's wizened face, as he sat back in his chair and folded his arms.

"If you want to do anything about Oliver, bear in mind that it won't be easy. While the soldiers under Oliver's command aren't exactly loyal to him, they are terrified of him. You know the new laws he put into place? Just about any offence gets you executed, and every execution is in public. Vegas citizens are pretty much forced to watch, and so are the soldiers. They know what happens if you annoy Oliver. That's not the worst of it though. While most don't like Oliver, two are loyal, and they're our biggest threat. On one side, Craig Boone: expert sniper, experienced soldier, and Oliver's right hand. On the other side, Colonel Cassandra Moore: veteran of numerous NCR campaigns, master of abusing the NCR's rules and regulations, and Oliver's new protégé. I personally have no intention of killing Oliver, no matter how much I desire it, since Boone and Moore would make such a feat impossible."

"Why don't we send a message to NCR command back in Shady Sands?"

"Because they wouldn't get the message until at least a month after the upcoming battle at the dam, and even if they did, there's no guarantee that they'd even care enough to do anything about it. Oliver needs to be gone before the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, otherwise he'll surely lose the battle for us; and we have to be the ones to get rid of him."

"Okay, what's your plan?"

"Simple: we be discreet. There are three ways a man can lose his power: He can die, he can give the power up willingly, or he can have it taken from him. Since killing Oliver is both impossible and inadvisable, and he'd never give up his power willingly, we need to have it taken from him. I suggest we quietly spread the word around, find anyone in the NCR who doesn't like the good general and is willing to help get him ousted from power. At the same time, whip the public into a frenzy, make them all protest against Oliver. He might kill a few, but even Oliver understands that if you kill all your citizens, you have nothing to rule over. When the time is right, and we have enough people, we pressure him from all angles, public pressure and internal pressure from our allies, until he has no choice but to abdicate his position."

"Oliver's probably the most stubborn oaf I've ever come across. It's likely he won't abdicate his position, even when his back's against the wall."

"Well in that case, and only in that case, we force him at gunpoint. I'm hoping it won't come to that, but like you said, we are dealing with **Oliver **here, and he's not the most reasonable human being."

"What about Moore and Boone? Like you said, they're loyal to him."

"Well it seems that way, but technically…they're not. Boone's simply loyal to whoever's in charge. Serving in the NCR's all he really knows how to do. He's a soldier, through and through, and Oliver's his commanding officer, so he'll follow the general's orders to the letter. Once the general loses his power, Boone will serve the next person to take charge." Hsu found himself feeling quite nonplussed about this journey into the sniper's mind.

"I…how do you know so much about Boone?" A thoughtful look appeared on the Chief's face, as he took a sip from his mug and considered the question.

"As you know, I have an open door policy. Any rangers under my command are free to come up here and talk to me whenever they wish, and I'll do my best to provide counsel to them. I've spoken to Boone many times over the years, during his service before Bitter Springs, and when he returned to the military under Oliver's direct command. He confides in me, talks to me about his problems. I've got a good handle on his psyche from that." Hsu nodded his understanding, and Hanlon continued.

"Unlike Boone, Moore isn't loyal to anyone but herself, but I'm not sure what her current motives are. If I had to guess…I'd say she's looking for a way to either get back out in the field, or make a serious power grab."

"Do you think she wants to…usurp Oliver's position?" Hsu shuddered at the mere thought of that. The only fist worse for the Mojave to be under than Oliver's…was Moore's.

"It's certainly a possibility, but I wouldn't worry about it. Moore's frighteningly good at using NCR resources for her own purposes, while doing so in a way that doesn't technically break any of the NCR's rules, but Oliver covers for most of her flagrant offenses. Without Oliver backing her, she'd be out of the NCR in a heartbeat. With Oliver out of the way, neither of his subordinates will be a threat."

"Okay…say we succeed in dealing with Oliver…then what?"

"With him out of the way, we should have a good chance of winning the battle at Hoover Dam. Once the battle's over, we can take Oliver back to Shady Sands, where hopefully we'll be able to convince the Senate of his indiscretions and have him stand trial."

"It all sounds good…but getting that much support won't be easy."

"I know; and to make matters worse, we have a deadline. We need to get Oliver out of the way **before **the Legion attack the dam. We've got a few days at the least and a month at the most, but either way it's not much time to start a revolution."

"This is your area of expertise Chief. Back when you served in active duty, you always used your wits and your charms to solve your objectives. You hide it well, but I know you're far more crafty than you let on. You're an expert at manipulating people, at getting the enemy to do exactly what you want." Hanlon smiled despite himself.

"You're quite astute." He said, nodding, before motioning for Hsu to continue.

"Using that expertise, tell me: do you think we have a chance of success?" There was a long pause, during which Hanlon's mouth never left his mug, and Hsu stood in front of him in silence.

"A wise man once said: 'Nothing worth doing is ever easy.' This will be a challenge, a trial, and I honestly can't guarantee our success…but it's the only chance the Mojave's got, so we have no choice. Our alternative is to sit on this balcony and watch as Oliver destroys the Mojave with sheer idiocy, before all but handing Hoover Dam over to the attacking Legion force. Plus, if we pull this off, rubbing it in Oliver's face for the entire journey to Shady Sands will be a most sublime pleasure." Hsu nodded, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

"So it's settled…we're going to do this?"

"I think it would be negligent of us not to."

"Good. In that case…where do we start?"

"You had to Vegas, and quietly spread the word around. Gather as many supporters as you can for the revolution. I meanwhile will stay here, and use my significant clout to recruit as many rangers as I can for the cause. The way these men look up to me, we'll have a small army in no time."

"Alright, I'll head to Vegas now." Hsu said eagerly, before making for the door. He only made it to the side of Hanlon's chair however, before the Chief stopped him.

"Wait." Hsu did so, but with no small measure of confusion. "There's something we need to talk about."

"And what might that be?"

"You." Hsu's confusion only grew as he heard the Chief's cryptic words.

"Care to elaborate?" He asked, as he walked back in front of the Chief's chair, folding his arms in an annoyed fashion.

"You've changed since your encounter with Campbell." Hsu laughed.

"Have I?"

"Yes. Significantly."

"And how exactly have I changed?" Hsu asked dubiously, confusion now replaced with annoyance.

"Well for one thing, before the incident at Camp McCarran, you would never in your wildest dreams have even considered going against Oliver. Back then, you were content to sit at your desk, filling out paperwork. One bullet to the knee later and you're starting a revolution."

"That has nothing to do with my injury." Hsu said unconvincingly.

"You're bolder now…but bitter too. I get the feeling that you're disillusioned, that you've lost your faith in the NCR."

"I…"

"Am I wrong?" There was an awkward pause, during which Hsu angrily clenched his fists. Ten seconds later, he unclenched them, and slowly shook his head.

"What's your point?" He asked, anger evident in his voice.

"I'm worried about you." Hsu certainly hadn't been expecting that. "You seem to be making this a personal vendetta."

"What, the thing with Oliver? There's nothing personal about it! Just because I don't like the guy, doesn't mean…"

"What are your feelings about the incident at Camp McCarran?" Hanlon's sudden question shut Hsu up. He sighed, before leaning back against the railing as a despondent look appeared on his face.

"The entire base was destroyed, every man under my command was killed…and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. How do you think I feel?"

"Am I right in feeling that you want revenge for this?"

"Well…I wouldn't say revenge…but Campbell certainly needs to pay."

"And since you can't bring him to justice, you're trying to bring Oliver to justice instead?"

"I don't think…"

"What about Moore?"

"What about her?!"

"You've always hated her, but the way you talk about her now…it's like you take all her crimes personally."

"My feud with Boyd is **not **a personal vendetta. She's scum, plain and simple, and I want to see her pay; her and Oliver."

"You can't do anything about Layla, so you're going after another monster instead? Is that right?"

"No! I…it…Boyd can't be allowed to keep doing what she's doing."

"I understand that, but what I don't understand is why you hate **her **more than you hate anyone else."

"I don't!"

"Really?" Another awkward pause followed, which was broken by a sigh from Hsu.

"Did you hear about what she did at Camp McCarran a year ago?" He asked quietly.

"I heard that a peaceful protest turned violent, if that's what you mean."

"That's putting it mildly. You see, a bunch of Freeside residents were angry that NCR citizens were moving into their city. They saw the place as their territory, and believed NCR citizens had no right living there, so they started a protest rally. A large group of protestors gathered outside Camp McCarran, holding handmade signs, throwing stones, and demanding we do something about their plight. The protest was nonviolent, but more people joined in every few minutes, and the whole situation seemed like a ticking time bomb. General Oliver, Moore, and some other important officers were visiting the base at the time, and we all gathered together in the terminal building to discuss the situation. I tried to get the group to think of a way to defuse the situation before it turned violent, when I noticed that Moore was gone. She'd simply walked away during the discussion, and according to one of my men, she'd gone straight to the armoury. The group and I left the terminal building to check the situation outside, when we heard gunshots. I made my way onto the base's front wall as fast as I could, and I saw Moore outside. She was in front of the crowd, and was dispersing them…with a light machine gun." A shocked look appeared on Hanlon's face.

"You don't mean…"

"The woman had grabbed an LMG from the armoury, and had walked outside with it. Now, she was firing the gun indiscriminately into the crowd, grinning wildly all the while." Hanlon ran a hand through his hair, clearly not believing what he was hearing.

"My God."

"Civilians dropped left and right, and the protest quickly fell apart, as innocents ran for their lives. There were youths in that crowd, children no older than 12. They probably thought protesting was cool, or maybe they were there with their parents? I'll never know. Moore shot right through them. I screamed orders to the guards, and they dragged Moore back inside. I was fully prepared to shoot her there and then, but Oliver stopped me. He'd seen the whole thing, and he actually PRAISED Moore for her actions. In the weeks that followed, she faced repercussions for her crime, while I got word of the death toll from her little stunt. Twenty protestors died, two of which were children, and fourteen were seriously injured. What she did…it was the kind of action I'd expect from the Legion. She was almost dishonourably discharged…but Oliver saved her. Using his significant sway in the NCR, he managed to get Moore off with a slap on the wrist. After what she did, she should have hung."

"Back then, I was willing to accept the fact that I couldn't do anything about her, but Campbell's attack opened my eyes. He showed me what happens when insane people get their way. He destroyed Camp McCarran, the base I've been in command of for SIX YEARS. He showed me: if you don't take a stand against people like Moore, they'll continue to kill and destroy, until there's nothing left. I **have **to stop Moore, because nobody else seems to give a damn. If getting rid of Oliver is the easiest way to stop her, then so be it." As Hsu finished, he realised that his blood was boiling, and he took a moment to calm himself down, while Hanlon sat in silence, drinking tea and considering Hsu's words.

"What Moore did was a monstrous act, but revenge is never the answer." Hsu looked at Hanlon like he'd gone mad.

"Revenge?" The colonel asked, his mouth wide open in disbelief. "This isn't about revenge! THIS IS ABOUT JUSTICE!" Hanlon closed his eyes, before nodding.

"You'd be surprised how often I hear that." He said sadly.

"Moore is a monster, a blight on the NCR; you can't deny it!"

"I'm not denying anything…I'm just saying that when you make these matters into personal crusades…they can end badly."

"This is not a personal crusade!"

"Then what is it?" Hanlon's question cut through Hsu's defences, cutting him completely off guard.

"I…I…" Hanlon opened his eyes, and looked directly at Hsu.

"James, I understand where you're coming from here, believe me. It's understandable that you want to take down Moore, but a personal crusade is not the answer. Just focus on our revolution; once Oliver falls, the dominoes will fall after him, Moore included. She'll get hers, but only if you emotionally distance yourself and stick to the plan." Hsu sighed, before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You're right…I…you're right. I need to stick to the plan." He let go of his nose, and opened his eyes before turning to Hanlon. "I…I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Hanlon said calmly as he waved off the apology. "I hear much worse from the rangers who come up here and talk to me. Just get out there, win some hearts and minds, and we'll get rid of Oliver and Moore in no time."

"Right." Hsu nodded, before going to the door. "I'll come back in a few days to report on my progress."

"Roger that."

"Wish me luck." With that, Hsu opened the door, and left the balcony. Feeling good about the plans he'd made with Hanlon, the Colonel walked across the landing. Strangely, the reception area was completely deserted, and the entire room was early quiet as Hsu reached the stairs. Before he could walk down however, a voice broke the silence.

"Colonel Hsu?" A voice asked from the bottom of the stairs. Hsu looked down, and saw two NCR soldiers looking up at him, service rifles drawn. _Strange…soldiers aren't allowed in here. _The Colonel thought to himself, feeling uneasy.

"Yes?" He replied. "What is it?"

"General Oliver wishes to speak with you sir. You are to come with us immediately." That was definitely not a good sign. _Oliver doesn't care much for conversation. Murder on the other hand? _

"Tell the General I'll visit him in due time. For now, I have some important leads to follow up on regarding the Red Blade Witch."

"With all due respect sir…" Both soldiers cocked their rifles threateningly. "…you don't have a choice in the matter." That settled it: these men were here to take him to his death. Well…he was more than prepared to fight the reaper, if need be.

"Alright then." Hsu held his hands up, and the soldiers walked up the stairs towards him. "Did the general ask **why **he wants to see me?"

"Only that he wishes to discuss your future within the NCR." Probably seeing the meaning in this, the soldier couldn't help but smirk, while the other soldier snickered to himself.

"I'm starting to think my days in the NCR are numbered." Hsu said solemnly. The soldiers looked quite amused as they reached him, and prepared to lead him to his death.

"Is that right?" The soldier asked, his friend barely managing to contain his mocking laughter.

"Yes. Then again…your days are numbered too." That caught the soldiers by surprise, so they leaned in closer.

"And why is that?"

"Because you've been sent to capture me…and Oliver doesn't tolerate failure." Before the soldiers could comprehend Hsu's words, the laughing soldier was sent tumbling down the stairs by a sudden kick to his midsection. The other soldier reacted quickly, levelling his rifle to fire at Hsu. The Colonel was quicker however, as he batted the rifle to the side with one hand, while smashing the palm of his other hand into his opponent's face. The soldier cried out, while Hsu swept his feet out from under him, sending him on a painful journey down the stairs. He landed headfirst at the bottom a few seconds later, while the other soldier got to his feet and picked up the rifle that he'd dropped when he'd fallen down the stairs. He grabbed it frantically, and raised it to face Hsu…right as the commanding officer reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Stay back!" The soldier cried, obviously aware that he stood no chance whatsoever against the Colonel at close range. Hsu disobeyed, casually walking closer to the soldier, so he stopped hesitating and fired. Having seen this coming, Hsu dropped to the floor, causing the bullets to fly uselessly over him. Hsu landed in a prone position on the floor, right next to the other soldier, who was currently unconscious. He ripped a flashbang from the soldier's belt, before arming it throwing it at his comrade. The soldier who'd been laughing earlier didn't have a chance to do anything before the grenade detonated, eliminating two of the young man's five senses instantly. He screamed like a girl, floundering around as his vision and hearing left him, leaving him completely defenceless as Hsu ripped the belt off the unconscious soldier, got up, and walked towards him. The soldier's vision slowly returned, just in time for him to see a belt hit him in the face. He howled in pain, while Hsu whipped him again, snapping his head to the side. To end things, Hsu walked forwards slightly, before bringing his knee up to violently strike the soldier under the chin. The young man went down instantly, and Hsu dropped the belt before dusting himself off.

_Hmm…treason, and the assault of two NCR soldiers. Yeah…I've officially gone rogue now._ Having no more business here, Hsu turned towards the building's entrance…just in time to see someone fling the doors open. The glare from outside lights shone into the building, illuminating the gloom filled interior and causing Hsu to cover his eyes. While the light made it difficult to tell, he could just make out a single figure, a silhouette, strolling into the building. As his eyes adjusted, he recognised a familiar figure…and she had a gun.

"You." Hsu said with as much hate as he could muster. She didn't reply, merely chuckling to herself before firing her gun. Hsu winced slightly as a tranquiliser dart stabbed into his shoulder, and the room started to spin. It felt like his mind was melting, and concentration suddenly became impossible. _No! Dammit…don't…don't let her…focus…stay awake…STAY AWAKE! _Hsu's mental pep talk almost worked…until a second dart stabbed into him, this time in his other shoulder. "Bugger." Was Hsu's only reaction, as his consciousness left like a man who hadn't paid his bill at a restaurant, dashing for the exit before the waiter turned up. Everything went white, and he was unconscious before he hit the carpet.

*Later*

Hsu groaned slightly as consciousness returned to him. His head was ringing, and his mouth tasted unpleasantly dry. As his mind slowly got back into gear, he remembered his encounter with…**her**, and rapidly opened his eyes. Darkness greeted him, the only light coming from the moon that hung in the air far above him. He was outside now, and it seemed to be very late at night, as he didn't hear a single sound nearby. Once his eyes had adjusted to the gloom, he cast his gaze around, and saw that he hadn't actually left the camp. He was kneeling in the dirt on the shore of Lake Mead, less than a mile away from the House Resort. He could actually see the large building just over the horizon in front of him, along with several water pipelines overhead that stretched on into the distance.

His mind now having fully fought off the effects of the tranquiliser, Hsu realised that he wasn't actually bound. He was confused, but had never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and quickly got to his feet.

"I wouldn't Colonel." A familiar voice said, and Hsu narrowed his eyes as…**she**…stepped out of the darkness, holding an actual gun this time instead of the tranquiliser pistol. She pointed a 12.7mm pistol at Hsu, all the while sneering confidently.

"Cassandra Moore." Hsu said as she approached, with obvious loathing in his voice.

"James Hsu." She replied, as two soldiers stepped out of the darkness, one on either side of her. Moore was a moderately attractive woman in her early thirties, with honey blond hair and dull, brown eyes. Though she wasn't in her physical prime, Hsu knew that the woman had over fifteen years of military experience, and she wasn't one to mess with…especially as she was the kind of woman who would use a mini nuke to kill a bloatfly. "Kneel down on the ground, and put your hands behind your head." She said coldly, as she stopped a few feet from Hsu, and her two soldiers stepped forwards…the same soldiers that Hsu had beat the crap out of earlier, amusingly.

"What, am I a criminal now?" Hsu asked defiantly, and was answered as one of the soldiers, the one Hsu had whipped with a belt, struck him in the midsection with a rifle butt. The Colonel keeled over, landing on his back, and the two soldiers pointed their rifles at him before stepping to either side of him. They stood far away from him, but had their rifles firmly fixed on him to make sure he didn't run. As they did this, Moore stepped forwards, while Hsu got onto his knees, rubbing his midsection as he did so.

"Good, now we can talk." Moore said, while putting her pistol in a holster on her belt.

"You've never been one for talking though, have you?" Hsu smirked, despite the situation. "Your IQ just isn't cut out for negotiation is it Cassandra?"

"Intelligence has nothing to do with it; I just don't like wasting my time with pointless political bullshit." Moore shot back. "If you have an enemy, kill them. It's that simple."

"'Simple' being the key word here." Moore scowled at him, before stopping and standing directly in front of him. He was close enough to reach out and grab her, but he knew that doing such a thing would likely end with him taking a bullet to each side of his skull. "Anyway, on to business. I assume there's a reason you attacked me and then dragged me down here?"

"I'll answer that question with a question of my own: I assume there's a reason you disobeyed General Oliver's orders?" _So she's under __**his **__orders. Huge surprise. _Hsu thought to himself, liking this situation less and less by the second.

"Disobeyed? What? I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow." Hsu lied blatantly, obviously irritating the colonel before him.

"Oliver gave you a direct order not to inform Chief Hanlon about our current plan to catch Layla…and you did exactly that."

"My mistake."

"Why Hsu? Why go against Oliver?"

"Because he's a tyrant." Hsu replied simply. "He's gone mad with power, and is unfit to lead the NCR."

"That's not your call to make. We're soldiers Hsu; we don't judge our superiors, we do as we're told." To her obvious surprise, Hsu laughed at that.

"That works out great for you, doesn't it Cassandra? You can do whatever you want in your opinion, and the men under you have to obey because you're their superior. I know you sent a First Recon sniper to kill a builder that wolf whistled at you on the street."

"What I do with my power is none of your damn business!" Moore snapped, before striking Hsu with her knee. Her knee hit the underside of his chin, causing his head to shoot upwards and knocking him onto his back. Ignoring the pain in his lower jaw, he looked up at Moore, who was still scowling at him.

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about. If somebody annoys you, you use NCR resources or your own fists to make them suffer, without a care towards bureaucratic procedure or ethical treatment of prisoners."

"Bureaucracy is a waste of time, and prisoners don't deserve ethical treatment; they deserve pain." A cocky look appeared on Moore's face as she continued. "The fact of the matter is Hsu, I'm still more loyal to the NCR than you are. I put criminals away, and I follow orders. What do you do? You spend most of your time behind a desk, then when the general actually asks you to do something, you do the exact opposite. And you call yourself a soldier."

"I don't know if you noticed Moore, but you're stuck behind a desk too." Moore's eyes widened at that, and her cocky expression twisted into a look of pure rage. Hsu knew that she was extremely bitter about being stuck in a desk job, and he's just hit her right in her weak spot. Unfortunately, Moore decided to return the favour, hitting Hsu in **his **weak spot. However, while Moore's weak spot had been metaphorical, Hsu's definitely wasn't.

He cried out in pain as Oliver's protégé stomped on his knee, the same knee that Campbell had shot during their last meeting. Moore stood on the knee, pressing all her weight against it and causing pain to shoot through Hsu's body.

"When you talk to me, you will do so with **respect**." Moore said slowly, a vicious smile on her face as she leaned over Hsu, one foot on his knee and the other dangerously close to his crotch.

"You…you're a fucking sadist!" Hsu spat, gritting his teeth as he desperately tried to ignore the pain that currently filled his body.

"And you're an incompetent little whelp who can't follow orders and made the stupid decision to betray Oliver."

"At least I didn't shoot two 12 year old boys at a peaceful protest!"

"WATCH YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Moore yelled, before using her other foot to stomp on Hsu's balls. The male colonel's eyes widened until they were the size of dinner plates, and his mouth opened in a silent scream. The female colonel seemed to enjoy this immensely. As she calmed down a little, an arrogant sneer appeared on her face. "I don't think you understand this Hsu, so let me clarify it for you: I can do whatever I want in this miserable little desert. I can use NCR resources for my own gain, I can break the law, hell I could drag you inside the House Resort right now, anally violate you in front of Chief Hanlon, then shoot the both of you, and I'd still get away with it. In return, I solve the NCR's problems. Some dumb fucker attacks NCR citizens? I'll shoot him in the face. A bunch of thugs take hostages? I blow up the whole building, killing every last one of the fuckers. A terrorist group threatening to shoot a missile at NCR settlements? I'll shoot a missile at them first. I kill the NCR's enemies, and then use its resources for my own ends. That seems like a fair deal to me."

"Bullshit." Hsu wheezed, struggling to speak due to the pain, and all the air that had been knocked out of his lungs. "It's blatant…abuse of power. Nothing more…nothing less. You're scum Cassandra…pure, disgusting scum. If you weren't a colonel, you would've been locked up or executed like a common murderer years ago. As it stands, you're just as bad the Witch. I bet you and her would get along famously." To Hsu's annoyance, his insults didn't seem to have the effect he'd intended.

"Ah, Layla." Moore said, with what seemed to be admiration. "Now there's someone who knows how get things done. **She **realizes that all of this bureaucratic bullshit is a waste of time, and she deals with problems the right way: by stabbing them until they stop being problems. Look how much she's accomplished, all by herself, with her own two hands. Pretty inspirational…just a shame that she's on the opposite side." Hsu couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You…respect her don't you? My God! She's a psychopath, a fucking serial killer!"

"Why are you so surprised Hsu? You said the same things about me." She leered at him as she said the last sentence, before rising her foot, and bringing it crashing down on his knee. Hsu swore under his breath, while his aggressor merely smirked.

"Enough of this bullcrap Cassandra. You didn't come here to torture me…or maybe you did, considering it's you…but still, what are you going to do?" A wide grin broke out on the sadist's face as she answered his question.

"Oh…that's easy." As she said this, she gestured to one of her soldiers, and he threw a black bag to her. She caught it easily, before turning back to Hsu as she pulled something out of it. "Oliver doesn't like traitors Hsu. He ordered me to keep watch over this place, just in case you decided to disobey him. If you came to see Hanlon I was given strict orders to…" She finally drew the object from the bag…revealing it to be a machete. "…kill you."

"…With a machete?" Hsu was confused…until suddenly it hit him. "A frame job." Moore clapped sarcastically as Hsu figured it out.

"Very good." She said in a condescending manner, before holding the machete up so that moonlight reflected off its blade. "We can't have high ranking NCR personnel killing other high ranking NCR personnel…so I'm going to kill you with a Legion weapon. When your mutilated corpse is found, everybody will suspect it was a Legion attack. If there are any doubters, Oliver's word will quickly shut them up." So this was it…this was how he was going to die. He'd dreamt of making Moore pay…and now his life was going to end at her hand, less than a mile away from help. Hsu was angry, disappointed. _No…how can I die here? Her actions can't go unpunished! _Despite his inner rage, he managed to keep his voice calm and defiant as he spoke.

"Well then, what are you waiting for, an invitation? Kill me. Go ahead, make my day."

"Sorry Hsu." Moore replied as she leant down, until their faces were practically touching. "You're not going to get off that easily. I'm going to make this as slow and painful as I can."

"You mean **slow **like your mental state, and **painful** like your pathetic attempts to threaten me?" Hsu jeered, flashing his would be murderer wry grin as he did so.

"Defiant to the end." Moore said, sounding somewhat impressed as she moved her face away from his. "I like that."

"I'm just wondering…do you have what it takes to kill me yourself? You know, since you keep sending NCR personnel or hiring assassins to do the killing for you? When's the last time you actually killed someone yourself?"

"Yesterday." Moore retorted, a cocky smile appearing on her face. "Some young street punk tried to mug me. I dislocated his shoulder and beat him to death in an alley." A sadistic gleam appeared in her eyes, as a cruel smile appeared on her face.

"That'll teach him not to mess with Oliver's lapdog, won't it?" Moore didn't respond. Instead, her smile slowly faded away, to be replaced by a look of simple annoyance. She sighed, before drawing her 12.7mm pistol and shooting Hsu in the arm. The male colonel cried out in pain, but they were far enough away from Camp Golf that nobody would be able to hear it. Hsu winced in agony, while Moore returned her pistol to its holster, before kneeling down in front of her rival. "Does it hurt?" She asked. He responded by spitting in her face. She calmly wiped it off, before raising her free hand (The hand not holding the machete). She casually flexed her fingers, before driving her index finger directly into the bullet hole on Hsu's arm, and twisting. A new kind of pain filled Hsu's pain, as he screamed in pure, unadulterated agony. A psychotic smile took over Moore's face, as she delighted in twisting her finger inside the hole, and hearing Hsu's reactions.

"Let me tell you something Hsu." She hissed in a low, threatening tone as she continued to twist. "I am nobody's lapdog. You think I worship the ground Oliver walks on? Please. I'm just using him…schmoozing…gaining his trust, and waiting for just the right moment." Hsu looked at her, a questioning look in his eyes. He was in too much pain to ask the question, but Moore seemed to guess what it was anyway. "The right moment for what, you ask? Why, the right moment to stab the motherfucker, of course. When he least suspects it, and I'm in his good graces enough to be devoid of suspicion, I'll kill the incompetent son of a bitch, and pin the crime on Layla. I found some of her hairs at the NCR embassy following her rampage there, and I've been saving them. Once I've killed Oliver, I'll sprinkle her hairs everywhere. After the body is found, Layla will be the prime suspect, especially since stabbing is her usual MO anyway. If necessary I'll use a sword, just to make it more convincing." _I…I don't believe it. I always knew she was psychotic…but she's power mad too. I suggested to Hanlon that MAYBE she was after Oliver's power, but I never actually believed…_ "Alright, enough conversation. It's time to put this machete to work."

Moore popped her finger out of the bullet hole, before wiping Hsu's blood all over his face. She began to run the side of the machete across his face, chilling his skin. She drew her face closer to Hsu's, until their eyes were centimeters apart.

"I'm going to enjoy this you little prick." To her surprise, Hsu managed to cough out a retort.

"Somehow…I doubt it." Before Moore could comment, her head was knocked back as Hsu slammed his face into hers. Stunned by the sudden headbutt, Moore couldn't react as Hsu kicked her off him, causing her to drop the machete in the process. He rose up into a crouch in front of her, grabbing the machete in the process, before bringing it crashing down on her face. To his annoyance however, she moved her face at the last second, while instinctively bringing her hand up to block. The machete skewered her hand easily, and it was Moore's turn to scream in pain.

Remembering the soldiers, Hsu decided to ignore Cassandra for the moment. He let go of the machete, leaving it stabbed into her hand, before ripping her 12.7mm from her holster. He heard footsteps behind him, as well as the sound of two rifles being cocked, and immediately turned around. In the last fight, he hadn't been trying to kill the two soldiers. After all, they were just doing their job, it wasn't their fault their boss was insane. Now though, all those thoughts were out the window. He no longer cared about the two young punks…now, they were just in his way. As he turned to them, he immediately unloaded with the pistol, firing shot after shot at his foes. Most of the bullets rebounded off their chest plates, but one flew right between the eyes of the soldier who'd laughed at him earlier, instantly killing the youth.

The other soldier eyed him with a gobsmacked expression, and Hsu swore as he tried to fire again, only to hear the pistol click empty. Left with no other choice, he got to his feet as fast as his injured knee would allow, before pistol whipping the soldier to the ground. The soldier landed next to his dead comrade, and Hsu stood on his throat. As he choked the ranger with his foot, he threw Moore's pistol away.

"How're going to kill me without a gun huh?!" The soldier asked, before laughing derisively at him. "You're out of luck, you fucking pri…" Hsu shut the soldier up by drawing his NCR issue pistol, and shooting him in the face. The soldier's life ended, and Hsu briefed a sigh of relief. Pain filled his body, but he was alive…and Cassandra Moore was at his mercy. Gripping his pistol tightly, Hsu turned around, only for strong arms to wrap around his waist and stop him.

"Did you forget about me?" Moore whispered in his ear from behind, as she held him still. Having the superior body strength of the two of them, Hsu knew that she had no chance of keeping him trapped…until she kicked the back of his injured knee. He cried out in pain, and she laughed, before pressing the blade of the machete against his throat. "Guess I'll have to kill you after all…and I'll have to dump your body myself too. What a shame."

"This isn't over." Hsu snarled. "Hanlon will…"

"Not be a problem after tonight. A 'Legion' assassin is about to end his life, wiping out the last of Oliver's NCR opposition once and for all." Before Hsu could react to this, Moore moved the blade horizontally. As she slit his throat, Hsu's awareness rapidly faded away. A few seconds later, everything went black, and he knew no more.

*Meanwhile*

Chief Hanlon was deep in thought as he sat on the balcony, drinking the last of his tea and looking up at the sky. A thick veil of black hung overhead, with nary a star to illuminate it, and a moon mostly hidden by dark clouds. There wasn't much to look at up there, but the night was quiet and peaceful, so Hanlon enjoyed it while he could. With the Legion just across the river and the men and women of the NCR constantly needing his guidance, Hanlon rarely if ever got any peace any more.

_Alright, let's see…who would be easiest to get on my side? _Hanlon pondered as the hot beverage passed his lips. _The Misfits are easily suggestible, and they'll do pretty much anything if it means less work for them. It's scraping the bottom of the barrel a bit, but I have to start somewhere. _As he committed this decision to memory, the door to the balcony opened behind him. If he heard it, he didn't react. _Who next? Well…I trained most of First Recon personally, so they'll likely do whatever I ask. Convincing them to go against Boone, a former comrade in arms, won't be easy, but with the right words, I'm sure I can make them dance to my tune. _Behind the Chief, a shadowed figure stepped onto the balcony, closing the door silently behind him as he did so. He drew a wickedly sharp machete from his hip, before creeping over to Hanlon.

"Son, I'm over 60 years old, yet I heard you coming right as you stepped onto the balcony. I don't know who trained you, but if an elderly gent like myself heard you when you were trying to be stealthy, then he obviously did a piss poor job." Utterly startled by this, the machete wielding intruder stepped back slightly. Hanlon took this opportunity to get to his feet and turn around, allowing him to have a proper look at his guest.

His allegiance was obvious, judging from the Legion armour he wore. His face was hidden by the helmet and face wraps he wore, and a black visor shielded his eyes from view, while most of his body was protected by strong, bulletproof armour…apart from his legs, since he wore the man skirt typical of Legion soldiers. He didn't seem to be used to the skirt however, as he constantly shivered from the cold night air. Odd…Hanlon had never seen a Legion soldier react to the cold. Judging from the specific variety of armour he wore, this man was a prime legionary, meaning he was slightly more skilled than the typical Legion wretch; such a pity he had no idea who he was dealing with. Hanlon was strategizing even as the legionary shouted an enthusiastic declaration.

"Caesar has marked you for death, and the Legion obeys! Ready yourself for battle!" The assassin cried, before charging the Chief, machete at the ready. _Looks like there's no diplomatic option here. _Hanlon thought to himself, sighing as he did so. He put his mug down on the table next to his chair, before walking around the table to stand in the path of the legionary, who was currently running full pelt towards him. Hanlon cracked his knuckles, before calmly sweeping his right leg out in front of him. Seeing the attack coming, the Legion assassin ceased his run, before hopping back to avoid being knocked off his feet. What he didn't know however, was that all rangers received excessive amounts of close combat training, making them **very** deadly with their feet and their fists. Hanlon was more than happy to demonstrate this.

"There's a few things you should learn about rangers son." Hanlon said as he darted forwards with speed surprising for one of his age. "Number 1: Rangers are very good at kicking people." He shot out his left leg in a quick kick, hitting his opponent in the leg and knocking him off balance slightly. "Number 2: We're all combat pragmatists." Using one foot, he flipped up the assassin's skirt, revealing his (Thankfully concealed) crotch. He then used his other foot to kick the legionary in said crotch, causing him to drop his machete and making him squeak in pain. He likely would've screamed, but the kick knocked all the air from his lungs, leaving squeaking as the only option.

"Number 3: We know **all **the weakest points on the human body." The injured assassin tried to back away, but Hanlon calmly strolled after him, before aiming a sudden chop at his throat. The man gagged as Hanlon's outstretched hand collided with his jugular, before crying out sharply as the experienced ranger kicked his left armpit. Overcome by pain, he could do little but back away as Hanlon walked after him. This strategy failed miserably however as he felt his back hit the wall, and the Chief slowly raised his right hand.

"And finally, number 4: We all pack a mean right hook." He clenched his right fist tightly, before using it to punch the assassin square in the jaw. He packed all his strength into that punch, and as the legionary's head hit the wall, he crumpled to the floor, clearly having lost consciousness.

Feeling slight aches all over his body, Hanlon put a hand to the table in order to steady himself. The pain in his joints told him he was probably getting too old for hand to hand combat. He certainly wasn't as spry as he'd been in his youth…not that it had affected his dealing with the assassin. Before the experienced ranger could clear his head, the door to the balcony swung open, and a familiar woman burst in, gun pointed in front of her.

"FREEZE, YOU SON OF A…" She shouted, but stopped herself as she saw the intruder was down for the count, and Hanlon was fine.

"You're a little late Cassandra." He said dryly, as he gestured to the unconscious legionary. "I take it you knew about this assassin?" Moore was clearly surprised, but she managed to compose herself, putting her gun away before responding.

"I found James Hsu's body outside." Hanlon's eyes widened on hearing this, but he managed to keep his surprise contained as he gestured for Moore to continue. "His death was clearly caused by a Legion machete, so I assumed that whomever killed him would be going after you, since you're the most important man in Camp Golf. It seems I was right."

"I'm hardly the most important man here." Hanlon said modestly as he walked over to the assassin's machete, dropped after Hanlon's groin attack.

"Important or not, he tried to kill you. Let me deal with him."

"Oh, I will…but I bet not in the way you're thinking of." Cassandra looked comically confused.

"Sir?"

"We need to get as much information as we can from him, so I'd appreciate it if you carry out the interrogation; under my supervision of course. I know you're no stranger to violence, and I'm confident you can make him talk."

"Under your supervision sir?"

"Yes. I have to make sure you don't go too far and kill him. You have a habit of doing that." Hanlon knelt down next to the machete, knees cracking as he did so, and examined the machete.

"As you say sir." The machete seemed fairly bog standard. It was the same weapon used by most Legion foot soldiers, without any remarkable qualities. "Shit!" Moore cried, followed by a gunshot. Hanlon shot to his feet and spun around instantly, to see the legionary dead at Moore's feet. _Dammit! _He mentally cursed.

"What did you…"

"He attacked me!" Moore interrupted him. "He went right for my throat." The dead man was clearly unarmed, and blood started to pour out of the bullet hole on his forehead, before pooling around him. Hanlon felt annoyance well up inside him, and he briefly lost his temper at the colonel.

"And that was an excuse to shoot him in the skull?! We just lost a major lead!"

"I…" The Chief sighed, before closing his eyes and walking over to the corpse, while Moore hovered near the balcony railing.

"You panicked. It's alright, it happens to everyone." Despite not liking the woman, Hanlon made an attempt to comfort her as he knelt down next to the corpse, cracking his knees again. _I need to stop being so active. _He thought with a groan as he opened his eyes and examined the corpse.

"It's no use to us now." Moore said as she walked up behind the Chief. "Let me dispose of it. I killed him, so it should be my responsibility." Without turning away from the body, Hanlon signalled for her to wait, before searching the dead man's pockets. Ten seconds of searching turned up nothing, so he got to his feet, before tucking his hands into his pockets and turning back to Moore.

"Alright, you can dispose of the body." He replied as he wiped the dead man's blood from his knees. "But get it to Sawbones first; tell him to send me an examination as soon as possible." Moore nodded her understanding.

"Should I tell General Oliver about this?" Hanlon shrugged, before walking over to his chair and sitting down.

"If you wish, though I'm sure he'll be disappointed that I survived."

"Sir." Moore saluted briefly, before dragging the corpse back inside the lodge, leaving Hanlon alone. As she left, he noticed for the first time that one of her hands was wrapped in bandages, which were stained red with blood. He pushed this unusual fact to the back of his mind however, as he had more important things to think about. Despite having survived the assassination attempt, he couldn't help but feel nervous. The main reason for his apprehension was the fact that the assassin had absolutely nothing to do with the Legion, despite the armour he wore.

Of course, Hanlon didn't know this for a fact. However, it was very easy to deduce. There were many clues which made him question whether the man was really a legionary, chief of which was the way he handled the skirt. He wore it like any good Legion psychopath, but was clearly uncomfortable in it. For most legionaries, their skirt becomes like their second skin, but the man clearly wasn't used to it. Plus, most legionaries are accustomed to being in cold weather with their skirt, but the man was visibly shivering when he walked onto the balcony. This would be understandable if the man had been a recruit legionary, but he'd been a prime legionary, a rank of soldier that's supposed to be more skilled and experienced than the common rabble.

The soldier however was terrible at close quarters combat, even though Legion troops usually excel in it. The Chief had seen machete wielding legionaries in action before, and the assassin lacked any of their skill or grace. He clearly wasn't used to his machete either; holding it in a strange way, as though he'd never used it before.

Ignoring the question of his competence however, there was a simple point that threw his whole objective into question: if you're infiltrating an enemy base, would you wear your uniform? The Legion armour is bright, unsubtle, and it clearly shows that he's on the opposite side, so why would he wear it when infiltrating an enemy base? Unless of course…he wanted people to know he was Legion.

Hanlon had considered all these points, but it wasn't until examining the corpse that it had become obvious. He'd pretended to find nothing in order to fool Cassandra, but in actuality, he had found something. His right hand had been clenched since he'd examined the corpse, and he opened it now to reveal what he'd found. Sitting in the palm of his hand, was a pair of NCR military dog tags. The assassin's name was even written on them: Patrick Kincaid. The Legion assassin wasn't with the Legion at all: he was an NCR soldier in disguise. It didn't take Hanlon long to figure out who had sent him.

"Moore." He growled as he reached for his cup of tea. As he looked over all the evidence, it seemed to him that Moore had sent Kincaid to kill him, but had him wearing Legion armour and using a Legion machete, so that nobody would suspect her involvement. It was more than likely she was acting on Oliver's orders, and if Hsu was dead, she was probably his murderer. That meant there was a good chance she knew about his and Hsu's plan to overthrow Oliver. The plan wouldn't work anymore, and there was little doubt Oliver would try to kill him again. Hanlon didn't care about that though. He looked out at the lake as he drank his tea, and couldn't help feeling utter disgust at Oliver's actions.

Back when he'd served, being in the NCR had meant something. The men and women of the republic had worked hard to protect and serve NCR citizens, and had actually been trying to help the innocent. Nowadays, most of the soldiers were imbecilic, contemptible youths, and the higher ups were corrupt bastards using NCR resources for their own end. Oliver clearly had gone mad with power, but there was very little the Chief could do about it. He could still gather supporters around Camp Golf, but Oliver would be keeping an eye on him, and it would seem suspicious if he suddenly left the camp for no reason, so he couldn't recruit outside help. _Plan A won't work without Hsu. _He thought, with some small measure of annoyance. _Good thing I have Plan B. _

Plan B, such as it was, was fairly simple. Intelligence reports from NCR patrols and outposts passed through the Chief's ham radio every day, and he usually noted them down before passing them on to intelligence officers, who would then pass them on to NCR soldiers in the field. Since he wasn't watched, and nobody but him heard the word on the ham radio, it would be child's play for him to falsify the reports. If he made things seem worse than they were, soldier morale would plummet like Joshua Graham into the Grand Canyon, and the soldiers would grow disillusioned with the war they were fighting. If he played his cards right, picked the right words, spoke to the right people, and badmouthed Oliver as much as possible, Hanlon was certain he could turn these angry soldiers into a full-fledged resistance movement. He'd convince them that if Oliver lost his position, they'd all be able to leave this godforsaken desert and go home, which would make them as dedicated to his goal as Hsu had been. With any luck, this militia would be enough to overthrow Oliver, putting an end to the tyrant once and for all. With even more luck, they'd then survive the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, and Hanlon would be able to get them all home. That was after all, his second goal; not just stopping Oliver, but getting as many men as possible out of the Mojave, so that they could stop dying just to protect a giant lump of concrete. Hoover Dam…it wasn't worth all this trouble, and Hanlon wanted out, along with as many men and women as he could bring with him.

The Chief had always been a bit of a smooth talker. When he was young, he'd been naturally charming, winning him many friends at school. He'd had a lot of social experience, which taught him all he needed to know about people; how they think, what triggers their reactions, and how to manipulate them. Not content with being a charmer, he added 'schemer' to his repertoire, subtly manipulating people in order to get what he wanted. Fellow students, teachers, and even his parents weren't spared from his honeyed words, persuaded by a combination of his charms, and his ability to manipulate people like they were pieces on a chessboard. Due to his silver tongue, most people suggested he become a politician after he came of age. To the surprise of everyone who knew him however, he acted completely out of character and joined the NCR. He did this for one simple reason: his manipulations had filled him with guilt, and he wanted to clear his conscience by serving a good cause. Instead of finding good karma however, he found his true calling, and stayed with the NCR for over forty years.

He'd never lost those skills, even now he used them whenever the situation called for it; but now he only used them to help people. If there was a hostage situation, he'd talk the captors down; if an enemy army was marching, he'd manipulate the men so that they destroy themselves; and if there was a power mad tyrant making the Mojave a living hell, he'd create an army and use his superior tactical knowledge to crush the tyrant beneath his boot, and make him pay for his crimes.

His plan in mind, Hanlon settled into his chair and began to think…think, and scheme.

**_This chapter marks the introduction of Chief Hanlon (First name unknown even by the Fallout Wiki) and Colonel Cassandra Moore to my grand tale. Most of the difficulty behind this chapter involved trying to write these two. _**

**_I've never met actually Moore before in game, due to my dislike of the NCR (That Layla gave me), and the fact that the one time I tried to do the NCR questline, Crocker vanished, breaking the quest. Because of this, I haven't actually talked to the woman face to face, so I had to get my information about her from various sources...namely the wiki and TV Tropes. From what I can gather, she's a very aggressive lady who abuses her power and is a woman after Oliver's heart. I took these traits...and expanded the HELL out of them. Now she's the NCR's very own little sadist, and I couldn't be happier._**

**_Hanlon, I HAVE spoken to in the game, but ironically, that made his personality even more difficult to decipher. I knew he was a good, decent man, and I knew he was clever. I did my best to turn him into a guile hero/manipulative bastard (TV tropes), meaning he schemes and uses people like chess pieces, but he is ultimately doing it for good reasons.  
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**_Well, enough of that little look into my mind (There are things in here NOBODY wants to see), time for some news about me! If you live in Wales or the UK, you may have heard of the recent floods in Saint Asaph. Guess what? THAT'S WHERE I LIVE! Relax, my stuff was unharmed...and so was my mother. The floods never reached my house, a fact for which I thank any deity who can hear me. On a sadder note, I had money troubles recently. Things seemed a bit shitty for a while, and I entered a little depression. My finances are sorted now though, so I will be able to continue writing you chapters! Yay! :D  
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	52. A Pair of Aces

'_**Interesting' trivia: The very first sentence of this chapter is a call back to the very first sentence of Chapter 13.  
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_**And now, we continue the hunt for the Remnants! Sit back and enjoy, as our heroes get shot at.  
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A Pair of Aces

"Where the hell did the Vipers get light machine guns?!" Veronica asked nobody in particular, as she dived behind a large rock to dodge the barrage of gunfire.

"I think the better question would be: 'Where the hell did the Vipers learn decent tactics?!" Campbell replied, as he fired the Ratslayer at a large group of Vipers. The enemy gang members had the high ground however, looking down on the former scribe and the merc from a towering cliff, and using their superior positioning to their advantage. According to Campbell, the thugs had been tailing them for quite a while. He'd foreseen an ambush, but when the ambush inevitably came, it had still managed to catch him by surprise. Though usually pitiful weaklings, the Vipers had not only got together some impressive firepower and large numbers, but they had also managed to snare two far more skilled warriors in a trap. Veronica knew she could take any one of those idiots with her power fist hand tied behind her back, but as long as the thugs had Campbell and herself pinned down, they were defenceless.

"Campbell…why are they still alive?!" She asked in an irritated manner, as a thug with a flamer charged towards the rock she was hiding behind.

"I'm guessing they have remarkable healthcare." The merc replied in a snarky tone.

"Seriously! You're supposed to be good with that damn rifle! Blow their fucking heads off already!"

"It's not that simple." He replied with surprising patience, as he rolled to the side to dodge a thrown hatchet. "They have cover, they have numbers, they have the high ground. All we have going for us are skills and devilish good lucks."

"Swell." Veronica huffed in annoyance, before getting out from behind her rock as the flamer viper reached her. He prepared to burn her alive…only to squeal in pain as she knocked his balls up into his chest cavity with a violent kick. He doubled over in pain from the brutal groin attack, and earned a power first punch to his jaw, knocking his head clean off. The head flew into a second attacker, hitting him in the face and scaring the life out of him. Veronica took full advantage, charging him and knocking him on his ass with a leaping toe kick aimed at his throat, causing him to crumple like a paper bag. A Viper on the cliff saw her and took aim with his repeater, only to widen his eyes in horror as a particular mercenary blew a hole in his face with a well-aimed rifle shot.

The thug on the ground was still alive, so Veronica grabbed the hatchet off his belt, before introducing it to his jugular. As his blood spurted all over her like a high pressure water jet, she got to her feet, taking the revolver from his belt as she did so. With a hatchet in one hand and a revolver in the other she stood up, before firing the revolver at the attackers on the cliff. Most of them took cover in time, but one was too caught up in his attempts to shoot Campbell. Veronica's shot hit him right between the eyes, and he dribbled blood for a few seconds before falling face first off the cliff. Veronica was tempted to press the assault, when two more men joined the attackers on the cliff; both wielding miniguns. She was confident in her skill, but she was neither suicidal, nor desperate to become a human pincushion, so she ran back for cover as fast as she could. Bullets from miniguns and LMG alike rained down all around her, but she managed to avoid getting hit, and dived behind a rock to hide from the gunfire.

"Nice shot with the revolver." Campbell complimented her. "I thought you hated guns?"

"Layla's been teaching me." Veronica replied, before dropping the hatchet, gripping the revolver with both hands, and leaning out of cover. She leant out of cover for a few short seconds, and fired off three shots before taking cover again. Too missed, but one hit a minigun uses right in the sternum, causing him to topple off the cliff. He landed on a rather pointy rock, getting impaled for his trouble and taking one minigun user out of the game. The other attackers didn't stop to mourn, instead firing with more intensity. "Throw this." She ordered, as she passed him the hatchet she'd received earlier. He just looked at her quizzically.

"What?"

"This hatchet. Throw it at the nasty people who are trying to kill us!"

"…I don't know how to throw hatchets." That answer genuinely knocked Veronica for six, and she forgot the battle for a moment as she stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

"I…you…what?!"

"I've never thrown a hatchet before in my life." He said it like it was no big deal, while Veronica had to hold her jaw in place to stop it from hitting the ground.

"But…you're Campbell!"

"I am."

"You're good at everything! EVERYTHING!"

"Everything except melee combat, throwing hatchets…and yodelling." Veronica tilted her head to the side.

"Yodelling?"

"Tried it once; turns out I'm terrible at it. That was one karaoke night the Aces Theater never forgot." Slightly annoyed, Veronica dropped the hatchet, before clutching the revolver tightly in both hands.

"Well then, being our resident genius, what's your strategy? How are we getting out of here?"

"Working on it." Veronica huffed, before peeking out from behind cover. What she saw nearly made her eyes pop out of her head.

"Eep."

"Eep? What?"

"Campbell, I don't often use the P word with you…but PLEASE come up with a plan quickly."

"Why?" Veronica only pointed, forcing him to look out from behind the rock…at the Fat Man that was currently being aimed at them. The oversized weapon was being carried by three skinny runts, requiring their combined strength just to lift the damn thing. They managed to lift it though, and were currently aiming it at the group of rocks that Campbell and Veronica were using as refuge.

"It's a Fat Man isn't it?" Veronica asked unnecessarily.

"I believe so." Campbell answered, just as unnecessarily.

"These rocks are tough, but I doubt they can protect us against a nuclear blast."

"You read my mind. We need to stop them from firing that thing."

"Well what are you waiting for, a signed form bearing my signature? Blow their fucking heads off!"

"Not a problem." Campbell took aim with the Ratslayer, and quickly got one of the Fat Man's carriers in his sights. Before he could fire however, he heard a buzzing noise which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Problem." He said with a trace of fear in his voice, as a swarm of Cazadors approached their position from behind, stingers at the ready. Veronica was no more pleased about their arrival than he was.

"Fucking Cazadors!" She growled, before taking aim with her revolver.

"Save your ammo for the Vipers." Campbell said, before putting away the Ratslayer and drawing Vance's 9mm SMG. Using his other hand, he pulled out a sawed off shotgun, and pointed both guns at the oncoming insect horde. "I'll handle pest control, you wrangle those snakes."

"Animal puns…really?"

"That's my policy: when in a life or death situation, quip like your life depends on it." With that, Campbell screamed a battle cry before rushing the Cazador swarm, dual guns at the ready. Certain that he would be fine, Veronica turned back to the Viper attackers, and saw that the Fat Man team were literally seconds away from firing; and a hail of bullets from LMG and minigun alike was covering them. Left with no choice, Veronica took a deep breath, before rolling out of cover, right into the bullet storm.

To her absolute amazement, not a single bullet hit her, and she rolled into a prone position before firing every round her revolver had left at the Fat Man team on the cliff above. Most shots missed, but one managed to hit one of the skinny runts in the leg. He collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, and the other two tumbled backwards, unable to support the crippling weight of the Fat Man by themselves. The LMG users and the minigun user weren't shaken however, and they immediately opened fire on the prone girl. Right as their bullets started to fly forth from their guns, Veronica rolled back behind the rock, avoiding the scorn of the Vipers.

Her revolver now empty, she threw it away, before pausing for a moment to take stock of the situation. She was pinned down behind a group of rocks, being shot at by several Vipers on a cliff just in front of her position. Behind her position, Campbell was fighting a swarm of Cazador by himself. And to make matters worse, the Vipers on the cliff had a Fat Man. _If this were a game of chess…I think the Vipers could count this as check. _Veronica thought, remembering the game of chess she'd played with Arcade the previous night. _Time to pull an Arcade, and score a checkmate from out of nowhere._ She poked her head out over the rock slightly, and saw three very, very stupid Vipers rushing her, assorted melee weapons at the ready. The former scribe could hardly believe her luck. She picked up the hatchet and held it in the hand not wearing her power fist, before leaping over the rock in front of her and rushing the three (Doomed) melee attackers.

She cut the first one down with a single swipe of the hatchet, before roundhouse kicking the second to the ground as he tried to hit her with a pipe. The third, a portly chap with a snake tattoo on his face and only two teeth that hadn't rotted away, wielded a chainsaw, and he was more than happy to show it off. He laughed madly as he swiped at her, only to grunt in frustration as she hopped back to dodge. While the chainsaw is a stupidly powerful weapon, it is also slow, cumbersome, awkward to use, and altogether useless against a skilled foe. Veronica was most definitely a skilled foe. The portly chap slashed again and again with his chainsaw, the oversized weapon roaring like a demented hell beast with every strike. Veronica effortlessly dodged every strike however, before grinning as she saw an opening. Her power fist hand shot out…and punched a hole in the chest cavity of her attacker. The rapidly dying man stared at Veronica in stunned awe, his mind clearly unable to comprehend the fact that his mighty chainsaw had been defeated. As his life ended, he dropped his chainsaw…right onto the lying body of the second attacker. The lying man screamed at the still active chainsaw tore through his spine, while the portly fellow dropped dead, giving Veronica a chance to breathe.

She didn't get much of a chance however, as the attackers on the cliff saw their chance to perforate her, now that she wasn't near one of their allies. They were fully prepared to end her…when she threw her hatchet at them. Their eyes all widened simultaneously as the hatchet flew towards them. Each man prayed to whatever deity he believed in that the hatchet wouldn't hit him, all the while the flying weapon drew ever closer. The men were on verge of panic…until the hatchet flew right past them, with a stunning lack of accuracy. Completely taken aback by this, the men stood silent for a moment, before breaking into torrents of raucous laughter. While the men doubled over at Veronica's lack of skill, each man too their eyes off her. That proved to be a mistake.

While the thugs were in hysterics, Veronica leapt for a rock jutting out from the cliff, before using it as a stepping stone. She jumped off it, before grabbing onto the edge of the cliff in midair and pulling herself up. One of the LMG users finally calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye as he looked down at the girl he'd been shooting at. She was nowhere to be found however, and he was confused for all of three seconds before her power fist made a mess of his skull. Knocked back to reality by the sudden death, the other men took aim with their guns, only to be blinded as Veronica kicked sand in their eyes. She immediately kicked one of the LMG users off the side of the cliff, where he was impaled on a sharp rock and died instantly, while the minigun user rushed her exposed flank. She calmly shot an elbow back, dislocating his jaw and causing him to recoil in pain. The last remaining LMG user swung his gun at her, but she ducked under it before picking up the hatchet, and swinging it at his crotch. The man howled in pain, up until Veronica calmly pushed him off the cliff. He landed on a rock, snapping his neck on impact, leaving only the Fat Man team left. The two standing members of the team tried to flee, but Veronica pulled them back by the scruff of their necks, before swiftly ending them with the hatchet. The last remaining member of the team was still incapacitated on the ground, and Veronica ended his howls of pain by punching straight downwards with her power fist.

_Checkmate._ Veronica thought confidently, only to turn as she heard footsteps behind her. _Okay…I'm guessing this guy's the King. _She thought nervously, as a giant of a man stomped up to her. He wore a complete set of reinforced metal armour, complete with the spiked shoulders and horned helmet. He also carried a super sledge, causing Veronica to be on her guard. Seeing as the hatchet would be useless for piercing his armour, she dropped it, before settling into a fighting pose. He gruffly cracked his neck, before raising his super sledge and bringing it crashing down on the former scribe.

She darted back seconds before impact, causing the heavy weapon to smash into the ground, leaving a small impact crater in the process. Eager to get rid of this brute before he scored a lucky hit with his super sledge, Veronica shot out a punch with her power fist. To her horror however, he grabbed the fist with one hand, midway through the punch. He swiftly removed her power fist, before kicking her away from him and casually tossing the weapon behind him. Not deterred, Veronica got into another fighting pose, while he raised his sledge again. She dodged another powerful strike, before assaulting the brute with a wild barrage of punches and kicks. She showered him with a series of powerful blows, but he didn't so much as flinch. As the last punch hit, he casually struck her with the back of his hand, knocking her to the ground right next to the cliff's edge. She quickly hopped to her feet, before ducking low as he swung his super sledge at her face. Realising she was in a bad position, she turned and leapt from the cliff, landing in a roll to avoid sustaining damage from the fall.

She got up swiftly, and began thinking of a strategy to use against the brute. He didn't give her a chance however, dropping down and landing on the ground behind her, before roaring like a feral animal and swinging his hammer at her again and again. She darted from side to side to dodge the barrage, but each attack drove her further and further back, until she began to run out of room. Desperate to end this, she gathered all her strength into her leg, before striking the giant in the face with a powerful roundhouse kick. To her amazement however, he showed little reaction to the kick, spitting out a tooth and grinning slightly, but otherwise acting as though the attack hadn't hit him.

"Campbell!" Veronica called out as she dodged another super sledge strike. "Help!"

"I'm a little busy here!" The merc shot back, his voice muffled from several buzzing noises that surrounded him. Rolling to the side to dodge an attack, Veronica ran over to the flamer that one of the thugs had used. Though it wouldn't be useful against the metal armour clad ogre before her, the pyro weapon would certainly be useful against bugs. She ran as close to Campbell's fight as she could, before throwing the flamer to him. Seconds later, the thug grabbed her by the hood, before pulling her towards him. He grabbed her with both hands before throwing her across the battlefield, causing her to land painfully next to the sharp rocks at the base of the cliff. She only managed to get into a crouch before the brute reached her, super sledge raised over his head in anticipation of the kill to come. "Veronica!" Campbell's voice suddenly shouted, free of buzzing noises. "MOVE YOUR ASS!" The former scribe was confused by the merc's order, but she nonetheless obeyed, rolling to the side. Less than a second later, a missile impacted with the giant's back, causing an explosion that tore apart his armour, and blew his meaty body into a pile of bloody chunks.

Glad to be rid of the ogre, Veronica sat cross legged on the ground, pausing for a moment to get her breath back. As she recovered, she looked over to Campbell. The merc was surrounded by the burnt corpses of several Cazadors, and had the flamer at his side. In his hands, he held a missile launcher, causing Veronica's eyes to widen.

"How's that for help?" He called over to her, while she got to her feet.

"And where on your person were you keeping THAT?!" She asked in disbelief, motioning to his missile launcher as she did so.

"Well you see, there's this thing called hammerspace…" Campbell began, only for Veronica to cut him off.

"Did you have that thing at the start of the fight?!" She asked, her frustration rising by the second.

"…Yes." Campbell replied hesitantly.

"Then why, pray tell, didn't you use it to kill those bastards on the cliff earlier?!" Veronica asked angrily, her voice having reached a scarily high volume.

"I…forgot?" There was a silence, as Veronica stomped over to Campbell. That silence was broken as she administered an annoyed slap to his forehead. "Ow!"

"Shut up and go get my power fist." She snapped before sitting down on a rock, leaving Campbell to retrieve her weapon.

*A few minutes later*

"Yikes." Veronica commented as they reached their destination. Arcade's only information on the Remnant known as Johnson, was that he lived somewhere in this area. By interrogating raiders that frequented the area and following blood trails, they had found what they assumed to be Johnson's cave…and were unnerved by what they found outside. As they approached the cave, they were greeted by corpses…lots and lots of brutalised, dismembered corpses. Some hung from chains stabbed into the side of the mountain, some just lay on the ground, features unrecognisable from blood. Most were missing at least one limb, several were missing heads too. One unlucky bastard near the entrance was missing both his head and all four of his limbs, and according to Campbell's analysis…he'd been alive when he lost all of them. Thus, Veronica's reaction was perfectly justified.

"I know he was in the Enclave, and they pretty much kick babies as a hobby…but this is surprising." Campbell agreed, as he examined the nearby corpses. Several notes were written on the wall in blood. STAY AWAY was the biggest and most notable.

"Do you think he's…" Veronica didn't know how to finish the question, but she didn't need to. The corpses made her meaning quite obvious.

"I'm sure he's not a psychopath." Campbell said unconvincingly, as he got out his hunting shotgun and loaded shells into it. Against her better judgement, Veronica led the way, as they crept slowly into Johnson's cave.

The interior of the Remnant's hideout was almost pitch black, forcing Campbell to turn on his Pip Boy light to illuminate their path. Veronica barely got a few steps into the cave, when the merc grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"What?" She asked impatiently.

"You're about to step on a bear trap." A shocked look appeared on Veronica's face, and she looked down at the cave floor. Sure enough, a bear trap lay in her path, and her foot was seconds away from impacting with it.

"Oh." She said sheepishly. "Thanks."

"Maybe **I **should lead the way?" She nodded, before gesturing for him to take the lead. He did so, and led them into the cave's main chamber. A huge fire illuminated the room, allowing him to turn his Pip Boy light off. As he looked down to turn it off however, he caught a glance of something on the floor…something familiar. "Shit." He cursed, before cocking his shotgun and casting a nervous eye around the room.

"What now?" Veronica asked.

"That thing on the floor…Arcade used several of them during our first encounter."

"And what is it?"

"A sensor…and we just tripped it." As if on cue, Campbell grunted in pain, as a dart flew out of the shadows and thudded into his chest. He looked like he was about to say something, but his face froze. Highly visible veins stood out on his forehead, and he choked out something incomprehensible, before slumping to the floor.

"Campbell!" Veronica cried, before running over to him. A dart flew past her face however, convincing her to stay put.

"Strange…" A voice said from the shadows, earning Veronica's attention. "…I expected the reaper…not a pair of armed thugs. Haven't you heard my reputation? They don't call me **Cannibal **Johnson for nothing." _Cannibal? _Veronica thought, liking this situation less and less by the second. _I really hope that's just an off colour nickname._ She cast a glance over at Campbell, who lay unmoving on the floor, and the fear in her was replaced by rage.

"If you hurt him…" She began, only to be cut off by the voice.

"He's fine…for now." The voice sounded weary, and eerily calm…as if this was a dance he'd done many, many times before. Veronica had to admit, the owner of the voice was truly skilled at stealth. Though they were in a small chamber with very few places to hide, she couldn't for the life of her figure out where his voice was coming from.

"We aren't looking to start a fight here." She said carefully, trying to calm herself down so she could negotiate her way out of this.

"And yet you walked into my home, uninvited, with weapons drawn."

"You can hardly blame us for being armed, considering the sight outside!" Veronica argued.

"That was meant to keep you out. I suggest you heed the warnings now. Take your friend and leave, or I'll give you a dart too, then cook you over an open fire."

"We mean you no harm." To emphasise her point, Veronica took off her power fist, before bending over and placing it carefully on the floor. "See? That's my only weapon. I'm unarmed." There was a pause, as though the owner of the voice was thinking.

"What about him?" Veronica looked over at Campbell, and cringed.

"He's…not unarmed." That was the truest thing she'd said all day, seeing as Campbell had enough guns in his trenchcoat to take over a small country.

"Disarm him." Veronica looked down at the merc, and tried to comprehend the difficulty of the task that awaited her. She could not.

"That…might not be possible." _Knowing him, he's probably got some guns stored up his ass or something. _She thought to herself, seconds before a dart thudded into the floor at her feet.

"Disarm him." The voice repeated, though sound a lot angrier this time. Left with no choice, Veronica knelt down next to Campbell, moving with deliberate slowness to show her attacker that she wasn't going to try anything. Campbell was looking straight at her, but his entire body was still; he didn't even seem to be breathing. _What the hell was in that dart? _Pushing that thought out of her mind, she carefully removed Campbell's coat, before walking over to a far corner of the cave, and dropping it to the floor. Several guns poured out of the jacket as it landed, causing her to stare at it in disbelief. _Holy…wait, is that a grenade launcher? How the hell did he fit that in there? _A dart stabbed into the ground next to her, so she walked back over to where she'd been standing moments ago, before kneeling down on the floor, hands behind her head.

"We're not here to cause trouble. Really." She called into the darkness, still wondering just where the voice was coming from.

"Then why are you here?" The voice asked suspiciously.

"To deliver a message, from Arcade Gannon." There was shocked silence, only for the voice to speak again a few seconds later.

"How do you know him?"

"We're friends."

"I don't believe you."

"You will when you hear his message."

"Try me." Veronica coughed briefly to clear her throat, before reciting the message Arcade had given her that very morning.

"**The sun rises over Navarro**." There was a long, uncomfortable pause, during which Veronica desperately began to wonder what the man in the shadows was thinking. If he didn't believe her, then she'd be serving as a meal for him very soon. The seconds slowly ticked by, and it became very difficult for her to resist the urge to panic. Just as her panic began to reach fever pitch, an elderly man walked out of the darkness, holding an unusual rifle in one hand. From the education she'd received as a child and her vast knowledge of firearms, Veronica recognised the gun as a tranquiliser rifle. Strange…she hadn't thought there were any left after the war. The man was lean, but still menacing. He wore a set of leather armour, had a bushy snow white beard, and the eyes of a killer. A machete hung from his belt, which Veronica noticed was covered with dried blood.

"You're really a friend of Arcade?" The man asked in a civil tone, putting his rifle on his back as he did so. Relieved, Veronica let out a breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding.

"Yes…yes I am." She stuttered, some trace of fear still lingering in her words.

"Is that so?" She nodded like her life depended on it…which it did. "Well then…" To Veronica's horror, he drew the machete from his belt, before walking slowly towards her. "Well then…if you know Arcade so well…tell me something." He gripped the machete tightly, before pressing the edge of the blade against Veronica's throat. Just another inch, and he would've sliced open her jugular. "What was the name of his first love?" Veronica was thrown for a moment…until she remembered her conversation with the doctor a few nights ago. _Thank God for idle conversation. _She thought to herself as she replied.

"Adrian." She answered. Almost immediately, the old man smiled, before returning his machete to his belt, and offering her his hand. Veronica was thrown by the sudden change in demeanour, but wasn't about to question it. She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet.

"Sorry about that." He said sincerely. "Had to know if you were who you said you were. You meet a lot of lying raiders out here in the middle of nowhere." His voice was calm and friendly, completely different from the terrifying, cold tone he'd used earlier.

"I…" Veronica tried to reply, but she was still quite shaken from her previous experience, so she just said the first thing that came to mind. "You tried to eat me." _Yeah…not my proudest moment. _To her surprise, the elderly man laughed at that, before smiling reassuringly.

"Don't worry, you have nothing to fear from me. The whole cannibal thing is just a ruse. I act like a demented psychopath to scare off raiders. It's worked pretty well so far; they're absolutely terrified of me. _Wait…that whole thing was an act? _Veronica couldn't quite believe it.

"You…are a VERY good actor." She said slowly, causing him to laugh again.

"Thank you kindly. But where are my manners? I'm 'Cannibal' Johnson. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm…Veronica." The former scribe replied nervously, recoiling slightly as he shook her hand. He released it a few seconds later, and her heartbeat finally began to return to normal.

"And who's your friend?" Veronica wondered who he was talking about for a moment…until he remembered that Campbell was still lying on the floor behind her, completely immobile.

"His name is Campbell." On hearing that, the old man's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait…Campbell? **The **Campbell?! The famous mercenary?" Veronica tilted her head to the side in curiosity.

"You've heard of him?" Johnson nodded. "How?!"

"Campbell's got a very impressive reputation. Even out here, people talk about what he did to the Omertas." _Wait…what did he do to the Omertas? _Veronica wondered, but decided not to ask the question while Campbell was in ear shot. "Plus he's killed a lot of raiders, and raiders talk. I've heard them yapping amongst themselves, telling scary stories about Campbell shortly before I plant darts in their necks."

"About those darts…" Veronica looked over at the still motionless Campbell, concern etched on her face. "What do they do exactly?" Noticing her concern, Johnson hurriedly reassured her.

"Oh don't worry, it's not poisonous. It's a special mixture I put together; radscorpion venom, combined with a few chemicals I stole from the Enc…er…" He stopped for a moment, clearly unsure whether or not to continue.

"From the Enclave?" Veronica finished his sentence for him. A mild look of surprise flashed across his face for a moment, but it was gone in an instant.

"You know about that?" Veronica nodded. "Well that makes this conversation easier. Yes, I stole them from the Enclave, and mixed with radscorpion venom and some other ingredients, they make my own personal paralysis drug. Get even a little bit of it in your bloodstream, and you're down for the count. It only lasts an hour, but that's usually more than enough time for me to deal with raiders." There was a question burning in Veronica's mind, and despite her better judgement, she just had to ask it.

"Are…are you **sure **you're not a psychopath?" To her surprise, the question didn't seem to offend him in the slightest.

"As sure as a man can be." He replied with a light chuckle.

"But…the display outside?"

"Merely designed to scare off intruders."

"One of the men out there has no limbs and no head, and according to Campbell's examination…the man was still alive when you did that to him."

"That's true." He nodded, in a surprisingly solemn manner. "I didn't want to do it but…he needed to be taught a lesson."

"What did he do?"

"Well…I used to have a wife here. A pretty tribal girl, with the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen. We had a baby daughter together."

"He killed them?" Veronica guessed.

"I wish." She raised her eyebrow. "He ate them." Her jaw pretty much hit the floor. "I'd been killing a lot of his raider friends, so he desired some payback. He snuck in here, stabbed me with one of my own darts, and made me watch while he ate them. Alive. Fortunately for me, he didn't know how long the dart's effect lasted for. He thought he was safe for another few hours, so he decided to sit down next to me and mock me. I dislocated his jaw, hit him with a dart, and dismembered him." He sighed, as though that story had been weighing down on him, and he'd been waiting to tell it for some time.

"Well, considering the circumstances, it sounds like he deserved it."

"No ma'am, I don't believe anyone deserves that." Johnson looked ashamed, and he turned away from Veronica before walking over to the fire.

"But…he ate your wife and baby daughter right in front of you."

"That's no excuse." Johnson sat down next to the fire, still not looking at her. "Ever since leaving the Enclave, I've tried to be a pacifist."

"Well, not to be rude, but the corpses outside suggest you're not doing a very good job of it." Veronica replied carefully, not wanting to offend the possibly psychotic man.

"I only kill in self-defence these days. Even then, I kill people quickly and painlessly. The toxin in my darts also dulls pain. I may have slowly dismembered that raider, but he didn't feel a thing." Veronica thought for a moment…then went deathly pale.

"Again, not to be rude, but being forced to watch while somebody cuts all your limbs off one at a time, and being not only unable to move, but unable to feel what he's doing to you…that sounds absolutely horrifying." There was a brief silence, which Johnson eventually broke with a short spout of laughter.

"Yeah…yeah I guess it does." He laughed again, before turning to face Veronica, while still sat down. "I'm a terrible pacifist. I guess it's like you said…I am a psychopath." He laughed a bit more, before a saddened expression appeared on his face. "I really tried to change after that business with the Enclave. When I saw what we were doing to people, when I realised the pain we were inflicting on innocents, I swore that I'd never cause pain to anyone ever again. Then, when…Arcade's mother died…" A stray tear appeared at the corner of his eye, but he quickly wiped it away. "…I decided I didn't want anyone else to die, so I swore never to take a life again. After I started living here, the raiders made it very difficult to keep my vows. I decided to kill only in self-defence, but I still didn't inflict pain on any of them. Still, what you described…I guess I was inflicting psychological pain on them the whole time." He sighed a weary sigh, before turning back to the fire. "We can't ever escape violence, can we Veronica?"

"It's difficult." Veronica agreed, as she stepped closer. "But I'm hoping that one day, there will come a time when I'll never have to fight again. I hope for a day where I can just stop worrying and stop fighting; where I can just relax and live with my friends…" She looked back at Campbell. "…and the one I love." Thoughts of Layla entered her mind, and she smiled. She sat down next to Johnson, and the old man smiled too.

"I think that's a fine future you have planned Veronica. This war might make it difficult though."

"True." Veronica nodded. "As long as the Legion and the NCR are fighting, peace will be pretty much impossible. However…what would you say, if I told you I had a way to stop this war? A way to stop the violence, and let peace take over?" Johnson eyed her intently.

"I'd say that I'm very much intrigued, before asking what I can do to help bring this plan of yours to fruition. "Veronica grinned a catlike grin. _Time for the marketing speech._

"For my plan, I only need one thing." She said charismatically. "And I can't get it without you. The future of the Mojave rests in your hands. You can cause peace to finally reign in this desert. You just need to do one very simple little thing." She could tell that Johnson was hanging on her every word.

"And what might that be?"

"Help me and a friend of mine gain access to a certain bunker, a bunker I'm certain you're quite familiar with."

*Layla*

"Are you sure Judah is here?" Layla asked Arcade as the two of them walked into Westside.

"Positive." The doctor replied, stepping over a homeless person lying on the street as he did so. Layla coughed violently as Westside's foul air hit her, and was reminded why she very rarely came to this place. Though the town had a tightknit community, had become independent from New Vegas and its residents grew their own food, the whole place still reeked of poverty and desperation. It was like Freeside's younger sibling, exactly as fetid and disgusting, but unlike its older brother, it hadn't accepted its fate yet, and was actively trying to make something of itself. Layla couldn't help but think that, like its brother, the small town was doomed to failure.

Of course, the town did have some good points. The aforementioned organic food was certainly a plus, and the town had a thriving combat arena called the Thorn, which Layla was quite familiar with. The town also had its own brothel, which…embarrassingly…Layla was also quite familiar with. Though her memories were still quite fuzzy, she was positive she had gone to both places frequently in the years following the Bitter Springs Massacre. Layla would've been more than happy to visit these old haunts (Well, maybe not the brothel…), but she was here on business.

"So, Judah Kreger. What should I be on the lookout for?" She asked as they stopped in the center of town.

"Judah's of average height and weight, black, has a white moustache, and usually wears a red baseball cap." Arcade replied simply.

"What about his skills?"

"Why do you need to know about that?"

"If he attacks us, I want to know what I'm up against."

"He won't attack us."

"But what if he does?" Arcade looked like he was about to say something, but instead he sighed.

"Okay fine. He's skilled in several martial arts, he's a technical whiz, he's a good leader, and he's an expert tactician. In short: he's tough, he's smart, and he's not to be underestimated."

"Good to know." Layla said as she sat on the bonnet of a wrecked car. She looked at the town around her, and saw that it was bustling with people. Homeless, militia members, citizens, and other types of people filled the street. It was certainly a lot more packed than Freeside. "Where exactly can we find him?"

"I'm…not sure." Arcade replied slowly, scratching the back of his neck as he did so.

"Brilliant." Layla looked into the throng of people, and groaned. "We're going to have to split up."

"Are you sure?"

"This town is positively overflowing with people, so unless you can think of a way to find a needle in a haystack, I think splitting up is the quickest way to find him." Arcade didn't look pleased, but he nodded regardless.

"I don't like this idea, but I agree it's our best option. Just…be careful. Westside is filled with all manner of scum and lowlifes. The murder rate in this town is nearly as high as in Freeside."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"The Followers keep records on this stuff. Just watch yourself." With that, Arcade disappeared into the crowd. Layla sighed, before stretching and getting to her feet. There was a small, fairly intact building on the other side of the street that seemed to be a shop of some sort. It was as good a place as any to begin the search, so she crossed the street before walking inside.

A small bell jingled as she opened the door, momentarily startling her. She recovered quickly, only to see a large super mutant standing in front of her. He waved pleasantly, before walking past and standing outside the store.

"Don't let Mean Sonofabitch scare you off." A voice said. Layla followed the sound of it, and saw a man standing behind a counter to her right. He wore a brown hoodie and looked to be in his early thirties.

"Mean Sonofabitch?" Layla asked, understandably confused.

"The super mutant outside. He acts as security for the Westside Co-op; that's this place. He might look nasty, but he's harmless. Unless of course, you make trouble."

"I'm not here to make trouble." Layla said in a friendly tone, as she walked up to the counter. "I'm actually looking for someone." The bell jingled as a small group of people walked into the shop, but she took no notice of them.

"In Westside?" The man asked dubiously. "I doubt you'll find anyone of note here stranger."

"The man I'm looking for is…knowledgeable about certain things."

"Do you know his name?"

"He's called Judah Kreger." A look of confusion appeared on the man's face.

"Kreger? What do you want him for? He's retired; senile too I think. I doubt he can help you in any way."

"Please…I need to talk with him."

"Well, I guess…hey, there he is now. Kreger!" Layla's eyes widened and she spun around, to see an elderly man run out the front door of the co-op. "Huh…why's he running?" Layla didn't stop to answer, instead barrelling out the door after him. She found him right outside, speaking to Mean Sonofabitch. Judah said something and the mutant replied, but she had no idea what he was saying. She skidded to a halt as she reached him, and the old man pointed at her.

"There she is!" He announced.. "She's the one I was telling you about, the nasty lady." Mean Sonofabitch's eyes widened, and an angry look appeared on his face.

"Kreger, I just want to talk to you." Layla said in a nonthreatening tone, but the older man wasn't listening.

"Quick, get her before she hurts someone!" He said to Mean Sonofabitch, before patting the mutant's back and running into the nearby crowd of people. The mutant immediately rushed Layla, a look of pure aggression on his face. She held her hands up in a peaceful manner.

"Take it easy big guy. I'm not…" Before she could continue, he struck her with the back of his hand, knocking her off her feet and sending her sprawling. She hit the pavement a few seconds later, and he snapped something at her…something impossible to understand. _Ow. _Layla thought as she shook her head. The mutant's blow had felt like being hit in the face with a baseball bat, and it took her a few seconds to stop her head from spinning. By the time her thoughts were back in order she'd managed to get to her knees, and the mutant was slowly stomping closer. She contemplated drawing her sword, but decided against it. Mean Sonofabitch was just doing his job, and besides, if she killed him, the rest of the town would likely turn hostile, making it impossible to find Kreger. _And now I get to fight a super mutant hand to hand. Oh joy. _She thought as she got to her feet, while the giant rushed her in a blind fury.

Taking advantage of her superior speed, Layla rolled to the side as the hulking mutant struck, before punching him in the kidneys as she got to her feet. The mutant didn't even flinch, instead striking back with his elbow. She ducked under the blow before it crashed into her jaw, and he turned around before bringing a meaty fist crashing down on her head. She hopped back to dodge, before punching the mutant in the jaw. Again, no visible reaction. He roared at her, before trying to grab at her hair. She swung her head to the side, moving her hair out of his reach, before drawing her combat knife and driving it right into his chest. To a human, a knife was certainly a lethal weapon; to a mutant, it was merely an annoyance. Though the attack had no chance of killing Sonofabitch, it succeeded in causing him pain. He growled in anger, before shooting out a hand. This time Layla was unable to dodge, and his mighty hand wrapped around her throat, before lifting her off the ground. She lost her grip on her combat knife as he pulled her up, leaving her dangling off the floor without a weapon as he began to choke the life out of her.

_Damn. _Layla thought, though thinking was difficult as her giant opponent began to choke all the air from her lungs. _Really…really tempted to use my sword right now. _Despite the temptation, Layla resisted using a lethal weapon on the mutant, instead attempting to think of a means to take him down that wouldn't leave him dead. _Better think fast. Every second I waste with this idiot…Judah gets further away. _Her vision began to grow faint, so she decided to get this over with now. While Sonofabitch let out an enraged roar directly in her face (Revealing to her that he had no tongue), Layla quickly reached for her thigh holster. She drew That Gun, and was tempted to press it against the mutant's head. Instead of raising it however, she lowered it, down to his feet. Without waiting a second longer, she fired a bullet right at the mutant's right foot, making him cry out in pain.

He dropped her in a blind panic, as he turned his complete attention towards his foot. While her foe was occupied, Layla took a few steps back to get a running start, before charging full pelt at the injured mutant. He was knelt over in pain, and completely oblivious as Layla ran straight towards him, before jumping into the air. She pulled her legs forwards, and dropkicked the kneeling mutant in the face, knocking him sprawling. He landed painfully on his back in a daze, and his attacker landed a few seconds later. She immediately got to her feet and ripped her knife out of the stunned mutant before turning and running after Kreger.

She turned a nearby street corner, and saw the old man moving up ahead. She was tempted to fire That Gun, but since she didn't actually want to hurt him, she let that thought slide. Instead, she returned That Gun to her thigh holster without slowing down, not taking her eyes off her target for a second. He kicked a bin to the ground as he passed it, but Layla merely jumped over it, not losing pace in the slightest. Kreger was surprisingly quick for his age, but Layla had impressive stamina. He wouldn't outlast her in a chase, and it was likely he knew it. She followed him as he turned a street corner, only to groan in annoyance as he ran into a crowd of people, expertly maneuvering through the throng without slowing down for a second. Layla charged in after him, but she was far less skilled at getting through crowds, and it showed. While she tried to push through the mob, Kreger was passing through easily. Not ready to lose him yet, she ceased her struggles, instead drawing That Gun and firing it casually at the road beneath her. The effect was instantaneous. On hearing gunfire, the people panicked, breaking apart from the crowd and frantically running for their lives. As people fled in random directions, Kreger became visible up ahead, and Layla pushed a random civilian aside, before running after him as fast as her legs would allow.

The elderly soldier ducked into a nearby alley, but Layla was quick to follow. She pointed That Gun out in front of her as soon as she stepped into the alley, but there was no sight of her quarry. She slowly stepped forward, keeping a wary eye out for any traps. From Arcade's description of him, Layla had no doubt that Kreger was cunning, and it was likely he had something up his sleeve. What he didn't have however, was a place to run. At the other side of the alley was a brick wall, likely the back of a building and a dead end if ever there was one. There were several bins and a few dumpsters all around her, all likely places for a trained operative to hide.

Before she could check one of the bins, Layla saw movement behind a dumpster up ahead, and her eyes narrowed. _Got him. _She thought triumphantly, as she approached the dumpster, That Gun at the ready. She pressed her back against the side of the bin, before slowly inching her way around it, keeping an ear out as she did so. She heard nothing as she approached, and there were no more signs of movement. Not letting her guard down for a second, Layla ran around to the back of the bin…only to get a palm strike to the face. She was momentarily stunned, and her attacker used this opportunity to fling her towards the brick wall. She hit it face first, and fell to the ground in a heap. Ignoring the stinging pain in her face, she rapidly got to her feet…only for the old man to throw her a present.

An armed frag mine landed next to her, and it immediately sensed her presence before beeping for all it was worth. _Shit!_ Acting completely on instinct, Layla kicked the mine towards the wall, before diving away from it. She was only midway through her dive before the mine went off, knocking her flying with the force of its explosion. She wasn't the only one affected however, as the explosion obliterated the wall, causing a pile of bricks to collapse to the floor.

_Ow. _She thought in a daze, as she desperately tried to fight off the effects of the explosion. Her vision swam for a moment, and in that instant she was sure she saw a figure run through the gap left by the wall's destruction. She shook her head vigorously, before following the figure.

She jumped through the space where the wall had once stood, landing in the middle of a random shop. The boards covering the windows suggested this place had been abandoned for years, as did the thick layer of dust that covered every object in the room. The room was mostly devoid of furniture, but there were still a few useless old knick knacks lying around. Judah was nowhere to be seen, so Layla took a few seconds to get her head together, trying to think where he could possibly be. Her question was answered as something hard struck the back of her head, shattering on impact. Layla stumbled forwards, only to be grabbed by the arm and flung once again, this time into a random shelving unit to her left. The entire unit collapsed as she hit it, and provided her with a painful landing. She looked to see who had attacked her, and saw none other than Judah Kreger himself, wielding what had probably once been an antique vase, before it had been smashed over Layla's head.

"How did you find me?" Judah asked sternly as he threw the wrecked vase away. Layla took the time to get to her feet before replying.

"That's not important. I need to talk to you."

"If you've hunted me this far, you have no interest in talking. No NCR lackey or bounty hunter ever has any interest in talking."

"I'm not like them. Just let me…" Evidently tired of listening to her, the old man pointed a familiar gun at her head.

"Recognise this?" He asked coldly, as he pointed That Gun at her. "You dropped it outside after the explosion. That's the problem with you young people; you simply can't hang on to your valuables."

"I'm not here to fight." Layla said carefully, but her aggressor merely scoffed.

"Then why did you bring a gun?" Before she could answer, he cocked her weapon. "I don't want to hurt you, so just answer my questions." Layla was growing rapidly tired of this, so she decided to break her rule.

"I have a better idea." She replied darkly, before charging at the old man. He hesitated to fire for a split second, which was all she needed to tackle him to the floor. That Gun went spinning, landing in a random corner of the room, while Layla tried to pin her elderly opponent down. He put an end to her attempts by easily escaping from her hold, kicking her onto her back in the process. They both got up at the same time, but he was the first to attack. He aimed a swift palm strike at her head, but she deflected the attack with her forearm before aiming a kick at his midsection. With speed and grace that seemed effortless, he dodged her kick before knocking her back with a kick of his own. Layla tried to punch him, but he deflected the blow with little effort. No matter what she tried, punch, kick, grabs, even specialist moves that Veronica had taught her, he easily dodged, ducked under, blocked, parried and deflected every single attack she threw at him. About a minute into the fight she was quickly tiring, while he didn't seem to be straining himself at all. As he sidestepped yet another one of her attacks, his eyes narrowed in a look of intense focus.

"Enough." He said in a tone that sounded like a parent scolding a naughty child, all the while casually pushing her away from him. "You are skilled, but you have much to learn. Your style is brutish, savage, but you've obviously had training from a skilled martial artist." Layla grinned as she remembered Veronica training her in unarmed fighting all through their journey. The former scribe had taught her much; that was certain. "However…it is time to put an end to this." He took a deep breath, before getting into a fighting pose that Layla had never seen before. She moved forward to attack, but a rapid strike from him drove her back. Her eyes widened in horror. His attack…she hadn't even seen it coming. One second she had been moving, the next second **something **had hit her, causing her to back off. She hadn't even seen him move.

"What the hell?" Layla asked, unable to contain her confusion.

"You're what, 20 years old?" He asked her suddenly. Layla was surprised by this, but eager to correct him.

"21."

"I'm more than three times your age. I've been fighting since before you were a twinkle in your father's eye. My entire life has been sent fighting, in military organizations all across America. I've been trained by countless experts, learned many, many secret techniques, and have been honed into a masterful combatant. Quite simply my dear, I'm older than you…and I'm better than you." Layla gritted her teeth in anger, while stepping closer.

"Older? Yes." She growled, fists clenched tightly as she did so. "Better? That remains to be seen." The old man's expression didn't change at her words, and it didn't change as she rushed him. He simply took his cap off and dropped it to the ground, before showing her the skill he was talking about.

Judah Kreger hadn't been exaggerating. His speed was incredible, and his movements were almost impossible to track. He dodged her attacks with speed and grace that Layla had never seen before, while hitting her with strike after strike that she never saw coming. It didn't take her long to realise she was totally outclassed, but even so she kept fighting. He simply hit her again and again, and every attack caught her by surprise. She fought well, but it was hopeless, and before long she hit the floor, utterly exhausted.

_Ow._ Layla thought for the third time that day, as her entire body felt the effects of her battle with Kreger. Every part of her ached, and there were so many pain signals shooting through her body that she couldn't even tell which part of her was hurting. She could barely move, she tasted blood in her mouth, and her entire right arm had gone totally numb. She could barely make sense of this however, as her head was spinning like a gyroscope.

"This concludes our lesson." Her victorious opponent said with no trace of humour in his voice whatsoever. "Now, it is your turn to teach me." Layla merely looked up at him, confusion evident on her face. "Tell me why you are here, who sent you, and most importantly…how you found me."

"And why should I do that?!" Layla asked defiantly, as she slowly and shakily started to get to her feet. Kreger simply walked over to That Gun and picked it up, before firing it at Layla's feet. The bullet didn't hit her, but the shock of the event caused her to lose her balance and fall back to the floor, landing painfully and wincing in the process.

"Because I have a gun." He said calmly. "That, my dear, was a warning shot. The next one won't be." Layla rapidly tried to think of a way out of this. What could she say that would appease him? It was unlikely he'd believe her story, and even if he did, he'd likely shoot her on the spot for associating with the Legion. She looked around the room for anything that could help her, and her eyes widened as she saw an extraordinary sight. The boards covering one of the windows suddenly disintegrated before her very eyes, melting away into a strange green liquid and leaving the window uncovered. Noticing that she had her attention elsewhere, Kreger followed Layla's gaze, and saw the open window just as someone fired a bolt of plasma through it. Reacting quickly, the old man darted backwards to avoid the lethal bolt, dodging it by the skin of his teeth.

"**That**, was a warning shot." Arcade said as he dived through the window, rolling as he hit the floorboards and ending his entrance by crouching and pointing his plasma defender right at Kreger. _Damn…Arcade's got some moves. _Layla thought, impressed by the doctor's surprising agility. "You know I don't like to use my gun Judah, but trust me: the next shot **definitely **won't be a warning shot." At first Judah seemed confused that this young man knew his name…then his eyes widened in understanding as he recognised the crouched man before him.

"Arcade?" He asked, sounding utterly stunned. "Arcade…is that you?"

"It is." Arcade replied seriously, before getting to his feet and cocking his plasma defender. "Please step away from my friend."

"Your…friend?" Judah asked in a bewildered tone.

"My name's Layla." Layla said in an annoyed tone as she tried to get to her feet again. "What you did to me Mr Kreger, is called 'jumping the gun'."

"Wait…Layla? As in…the Red Blade Witch?"

"Indeed." The red haired one curtsied weakly as she got to her feet, before leaning against a nearby shelving unit to support herself. "I would've liked to introduce myself before you sent a mutant with a speech impediment after me, ran away, blew me up, then beat the crap out of me, but you were too busy being completely fucking paranoid." There was a harsh tone to her voice, which Kreger matched as he replied.

"For good reason. I've been on the run from the NCR for 20 years; being paranoid is the only way you stay alive while a group that powerful is coming after you."

"Because I clearly don't know anything about being on the run from the NCR, what with being at the top of their most wanted list and all." Kreger was practically seething, clearly not used to being argued with.

"Listen here you…"

"Are you sure you aren't going senile in your old age? The guy at the shop seemed to think you were." Judah bristled with anger

"Arcade, tell your friend to behave herself!" He barked, sounding like a senior citizen telling those damned kids to get off his lawn. "Actually…why is she even your friend anyway? You hate the Legion with a burning passion." Arcade didn't reply, instead slowly lowering his plasma defender and looking away from Kruger.

"You'd be proud of him old man." Layla cut in. "Arcade's following in your footsteps by going on the run from the NCR."

"WHAT?!" Judah cried, rapidly turning back to Arcade as he heard this news. "Arcade, what's going on?!" He asked in a tone that reminded Layla of a concerned parent.

"It's a long story." Arcade replied dismissively. "First, we need to talk."

"You're damn right we do." Kreger nodded. "But not here. Come back to my house with me and you can tell me what the hell's going on."

"Are you sure you can walk old man?" Layla jibed.

"The only one who seems to be struggling to walk here is you." Judah shot back, not even looking at her as he walked back towards the gap leading back to the alley. "Give her a hand Arcade, don't want her slowing us down." He picked up his cap and put it back on, then walked back into the alley, leaving Layla and Arcade alone in the shop.

"That prick!" Layla cursed, while the doctor walked up to her.

"You okay?" He asked, rapidly changing the subject.

"I've been better." She replied, groaning slightly as she felt the aches all over her body. "Your old friend did a number on me."

"I told you he was skilled."

"Yes, **skilled**. The NCR veteran rangers are **skilled**. Craig Boone is **skilled**. Campbell is **skilled**. Judah Kreger is not fucking human!"

"I should've arrived sooner."

"You got here before he killed me, that's what matters." Layla tried to walk, but her leg sent out daggers of pain in objection, causing her to stumble. Luckily, Arcade was there to catch her.

"Do you need help walking?"

"I would appreciate it."

"First, one question." Layla tilted her head to the side.

"Err…okay. Shoot."

"I just have to ask, are you a FUCKING IDIOT?!" Layla's jaw nearly hit the floor as Arcade snapped at her.

"Excuse me?"

"What kind of a first impression was that?! We're here to get this man's help and you got into a bickering match with him!"

"I thought I carried myself with grace and civility."

"You carried yourself with bile and blatantly obvious indignation!"

"And what reason could I have to be indignant? Surely not because that arrogant jackass beat me to a pulp and threatened me at gunpoint out of sheer paranoia!"

"Layla, do you want his help or not?"

"He can go fuck himself with a…"

"DO YOU WANT HIS HELP, OR NOT?!" There was a pause, before Layla slowly nodded her head.

"Yes…yes I do." She said quietly.

"Then keep your personal feelings to yourself, and treat not only Judah but every Remnant we meet with politeness and respect. If you keep acting like this then the only way we'll be able to enlist their aid is by threatening them at gunpoint."

"Is that an option?"

"No!" Arcade slapped her arm in annoyance. "Just…control yourself, okay?" Layla gave out a frustrated sigh.

"Alright, fine!" She conceded. "I will act like a proper lady to Mr Kreger…but if he hits me again he's getting a knife in the throat." Arcade groaned, before putting an arm around Layla's shoulders and helping her walk towards the exit. As they walked, he couldn't help but notice that she had an amused grin on her face.

"And what exactly is so funny?"

"Oh nothing, I just realised that you told Judah to step away from your **friend**." She looked up at Arcade, a knowing smile on her face.

"I meant…"

"You think of us as friends." A shocked look appeared on Arcade's face.

"What?! That's preposterous! Of course I don't…"

"You can act like you hate me all you want, but secretly, you liiiike me!"

"No I don't!"

"You like me!"

"Stop it!"

"We're friends!"

"No we aren't!"

*Later that evening*

"So there we were, Vipers to the left of us, Vipers to the right of us. They were packing high quality hardware, and they had us outnumbered ten to one. Everywhere we looked, Vipers had us in their crosshairs, and there was no cover whatsoever. Slowly they advanced, obviously seeing us as easy prey. Step by step, second by second they got closer, grinning all the while, probably imagining the horrible things they were going to do to us." Veronica narrated, setting the mood for an epic tale. They were in the campsite they had set up for the night, sat around the fire and eating another delicious meal cooked by Campbell. Tonight, he'd cooked brahmin steak; his own special recipe.

"Wow." Layla said, clearly captivated. She was so focused on the story, the steak on her plate had gone completely untouched. Arcade was noticeably less entranced, but he was still listening. "So…what happened next?"

"Well, I pretty much saved the day." Campbell boasted. "I simply stood in front of them, and as soon as they recognised me, they went running." Veronica was **mildly** displeased by this version of the day's events.

"WHAT?!" She yelled. "Oh please! They never saw your face, and you were too busy getting ass raped by Cazadors to help me with them! They would've incinerated us in a blast of nuclear fire if it wasn't for me!"

"Who needed help against the Viper with the super sledge?"

"Who needed help against ALL the Cazadors?!" Veronica and Campbell locked eyes as they argued their points, but they were had to look away when they realised that Arcade was chuckling to himself. "What's so funny?" She asked the doctor in an annoyed tone.

"You and Campbell…" Arcade said, barely able to stop himself from laughing.

"What about us?" Campbell asked, clearly confused.

"You two…you sound like an old married couple." There was an awkward pause after that, which was broken soon after by Arcade breaking into a torrent of laughter. Both Veronica and Campbell's mouths were stuck in large O shapes, and Layla couldn't help but join Arcade as she burst into laughter too.

"Well…I'm quite certain we were just insulted." Campbell said calmly, shutting his mouth as he did so. Veronica closed her mouth, but her shocked expression remained. "What do you think dear?" He asked her with a mischievous grin on his face.

"I think that if you don't shut up, you'll be eating your steak through a straw."

"I've got a straw somewhere in my bag. Should I go get it?"

"Oh yes!" Veronica said enthusiastically, clapping with glee as she did so. "Get the straw and bring it here, so I can shove it up your ass."

"Get a room!" Layla said jokingly, barely able to stifle her laughter. Veronica looked at her with shock and a hint of betrayal in her eyes.

"Et tu, Layla?" Veronica asked in a hurt tone. To her surprise, Arcade applauded.

"You speak Latin?" He asked her, clearly intrigued.

"Just enough to work it into my sarcastic quips." Veronica replied, before turning her attention to her steak.

"You never told me that dear." Campbell said in a surprised tone. "I thought marriage was supposed to be an equal partnership, where we tell each other everything and keep no secrets?" Veronica stopped eating her steak.

"Campbell?" She asked sweetly.

"Yes dear?"

"I want a divorce." Her tone darkened, and Campbell looked horrified.

"Oh dear, you can't mean that!"

"I do. I really, really, really, REALLY do."

"Please Veronica, you're breaking my heart."

"Get me the fucking divorce papers, or I'll break your jaw…then your legs." Layla wolf whistled at them, which prompted Veronica to throw her steak at the red haired one. The steak hit Layla right in the face, which caused everyone present to burst into laughter. This went on for a fair while until Layla removed the steak from her face and threw it back at Veronica, who caught it with little difficulty.

"So how'd it go with Johnson?" Arcade asked, moving the conversation along.

"Things were a little hostile at first…" Veronica flashed back to Cannibal's chilling psychopath act and shivered. "…but I managed to convince him to help us. He'll be there in Novac when we give the signal."

"I assume you said nothing about Layla's association with the Legion?"

"Oh, was I supposed to keep that a secret?" She asked sarcastically, narrowing her eyes in slight annoyance as she did so. "No, I didn't mention the Legion. He was already crazy enough without me provoking him further."

"Crazy?" Arcade seemed surprised by this. "Crazy in what way?"

"He calls himself 'Cannibal' Johnson now. Nuff said." Arcade's eyes widened considerably.

"Cannibal?!"

"He's not really a cannibal." Campbell interjected. "It's just an act to scare off raiders."

"He certainly doesn't have all his marbles though." Veronica commented as she returned her steak to her plate.

"You got that right." Campbell agreed, remembering Cannibal's paralysing dart and wincing. Arcade seemed surprised by their testimony.

"Huh…I never would have guessed Johnson would have been the one to go crazy." He mused.

"Judah wasn't exactly sane either you know." Layla pointed out.

"And you are?" He jibed, earning a look that could bring Caesar back from the dead…then kill him again. "But it's weird…out of all the Remnants, Johnson always seemed the most…I don't know…stable. I always got the impression that he didn't really belong in the Enclave. On every mission, he would disobey orders, subvert mission objectives, and basically make things more difficult for the organization he was supposed to be serving. To be honest, I have no idea why he was even there. He was a good man, and he hated what the Enclave was doing, absolutely loathed it. He was the only member of the group who never once killed a civilian during his time in the Enclave. Even Daisy, our pilot who never so much as touched a gun, killed a civilian; granted it was with a vertibird missile and was most definitely accidental, but still. Johnson…he said I reminded him of my father. I…suppose that's a good thing." He didn't look convinced. "Having not known my father, I can't say for sure."

"I lost my dad when I was a little girl." Veronica commented.

"Yeah but at least you knew him for a time. I've never even seen my father. My mother didn't keep pictures of him; I guess being reminded of him was too painful for her."

"Trust me, it's a lot worse to know your father for years, then see him gunned down before your very eyes." Layla said, memories of the Bitter Springs massacre flashing before her eyes for a moment. She shook them off before they could gain a foothold.

"I can attest to that." Campbell confirmed, remembering his own childhood trauma. "Try carrying dear old dad's bloodstained coin around with you for 25 years. Kind of hard to forget him when you're carrying around a reminder of him that pretty much governs your entire life." There was a mutual sigh among the group, and a nonverbal agreement was made to change the subject as soon as possible. Veronica was happy to comply.

"So enough about our Remnant, what about yours?" She asked.

"We found him, but he turned out to be a paranoid jackass who beat me into submission before I could so much as introduce myself." Layla replied bitterly.

"He beat YOU into submission?" Veronica asked, a confused look on her face. "Shouldn't that be the other way round?"

"Nope. He won. I lost. I'd probably be dead right now if Arcade hadn't saved me.

"Wow." Campbell said, before whistling slightly in admiration. "I've fought you, and beating you is no mean feat. This guy must be good."

"Better than good." Layla replied. "Better than the veteran rangers. Better than Boone."

"Better than me?" Veronica asked, pointing at herself as she did so.

"I hate to say it…but yeah." Veronica's eyes widened, and her mouth turned into a shocked O shape.

"No way." She said dubiously. "The guy must be like 70 by now."

"I couldn't make this up if I tried." Layla shook her head. "The guy was fast and strong, and he had moves I've never seen before. The way he fought…he was fucking inhuman."

"He always was the best and brightest in our group." Arcade said, more to himself than anyone else. "He commanded respect like nobody else I've ever met. The sheer skill necessary to stop Johnson and Moreno from killing each other…nobody but he could possibly have done it. If words failed, threats always did the job, because both Johnson and Moreno knew that they couldn't beat Kruger in a straight fight. Moreno tried once of course…and ended up with more bruises and bone fractures than I could count. Judah is really the one thing that bound the entire group together; without him, Johnson and Moreno would have killed each other, Henry would've wandered off to do some experiment or other, and Daisy would've likely just flown away long ago. He always had a way of making you feel that you belong. I was just a kid, travelling with five adults who were all exceptional killing machines, and he still made me feel like I was part of a family. He knew my father too; from what I can gather, they were best friends. Judah had undying loyalty to my old man, which is probably the only reason he ever tolerated me. Like Johnson, he never really seemed like he belonged there. He's been fighting his entire life though, and I guess the fight that the Enclave were taking part in was the biggest fight he could find to join."

"And now there's a bigger fight on the horizon." Campbell pointed out. "The Second Battle of Hoover Dam…to him, hell, to all the Remnants, it probably seems like the perfect way to die."

"But they won't be taking part." Layla interrupted, looking at Arcade. "I promised you that none of the Remnants would set foot on the dam, and I meant it."

"Thank you Layla." Arcade smiled, before turning back to the fire to address the group in general. "Anyway, long story short, we managed to recruit Judah Kreger…despite Layla's best efforts."

"What did you do?" Veronica asked Layla immediately.

"You didn't stab him did you?" Campbell asked at the same time.

"No…though not through lack of trying." Layla answered.

"Layla was…abrasive, when dealing with Kruger." Arcade explained.

"The guy was a colossal ass!" Layla argued, before huffing and focusing on her steak.

"It wasn't easy, but I managed to smooth things over and convince Judah to help us get into the bunker."

"Great!" Veronica clapped. "That's three out of five. We're nearly there already!"

"So…where are we headed next?" Campbell asked, casually doing tricks with his coin as he did so. Nobody had even seen him get the coin out of his pocket.

"Orion Moreno lives in a house just outside Vegas, while Daisy Whitman lives in Novac." Arcade explained.

"So how should we split up?" Layla asked.

"Why don't Layla and I go after Moreno, while you and Campbell go after Whitman?" Veronica suggested to Arcade. The doctor shook his head however.

"Sorry to disappoint, but you'll need me to talk Moreno down. The man's a big stubborn brute, and it's unlikely simple force will work against him."

"Well…Layla and I can go to Novac then." Arcade shook his head again, visibly annoying Veronica.

"Even though she's only a pilot, Daisy was always a sly one. If you want to find her, I recommend sending Campbell."

"Dammit." Veronica cursed, on learning she and Layla couldn't go on a mission together. "Okay fine. Layla, would you like to go after Moreno or Whitman?"

"I'm fine either way." Layla shrugged.

"I have in my hand the perfect way to decide this." Campbell interjected, before showing his coin to the group. "Heads: Layla goes after Moreno; tails: she goes after Whitman. Is that acceptable?" Layla nodded, and nobody else objected, so Campbell continued. "Excellent."

"You're just looking for an excuse to flip your coin aren't you?" Veronica asked knowingly.

"What can I say? An addiction is a powerful thing to beat." Campbell replied, before grinning as he flipped his coin into the air. With expertise developed through two decades of coin flipping, Campbell caught his little piece of legal tender a few seconds later. He quickly glanced at the result, before grinning at Layla. "Seems like your luck's pretty strong. You get the relatively harmless vertibird pilot, while Veronica gets the brutish heavy weapons expert." Campbell revealed, showing the heads result for all to see as he did so.

"Joy." Veronica groaned.

"Sounds like fun." Layla smiled. "I don't think you and I have actually been on a mission together yet anyway." She said to Campbell. "This'll be a good chance to observe your combat skills without having to worry about being shot by you."

"Oh that's right, the only times you've seen me fight are when you yourself fought me." Campbell said with a wry grin. "I'll be more than happy to show off."

"Just…don't kill Daisy." Arcade said wearily. "Don't threaten her, don't punch her, don't stab her, and certainly don't shoot her."

"What if it's with a tranquiliser dart?" Campbell asked innocently.

"Not even then."

"Can Campbell blow her up with one of his **many **explosives?" Layla asked.

"NO!" Arcade shrieked. "DO NOT…HURT HER."

"Killjoy." Layla pouted. Arcade clutched his head, apparently on the verge of having a brain aneurysm.

"Campbell…please keep an eye on her."

"You've got it boss." Campbell said with a mock salute.

"Layla…please keep an eye on him."

"Hey!" Campbell objected. "I'm much less of a loose cannon than her!"

"Okay, a hypothetical situation: you and Layla find Daisy, but she's armed and doesn't want to come quietly. What do you do?"

"Stab her?" Layla suggested.

"Shh!" Arcade hissed.

"Shoot her?" Campbell suggested. Arcade's palm immediately went to his face.

"See?"

"But…"

"Please…just…don't cause her any pain whatsoever."

"I can kill someone pretty painlessly." Layla said with an evil grin.

"And don't kill her."

"You don't want me to enjoy this mission at all do you?" Layla asked sulkily.

"Alright…I'm going to make this perfectly clear for you. If Daisy is hurt or if she dies…I'll slip both of you laxatives when you get back. I'm a doctor; I can make sure you take the pills without you having any idea. There won't be enough leaves in the Mojave for the two of you to wipe your backsides." Layla and Campbell froze for a moment, while Veronica just smirked.

"I'd keep the weapons in their holsters if I were you two." She suggested, trying not to laugh at the doctor's threat.

"And you." Arcade turned to her. "You're not as trigger happy as these two, but I still feel the need to warn you: don't hurt Moreno."

"You've made it pretty clear that he'll be most likely be hostile when we arrive." Veronica replied. "Hitting him seems like the most logical course of action."

"I'll talk him down."

"And if you can't?"

"No fighting." Veronica sighed.

"I certainly hope we both live long enough to regret this decision." She said in a snarky tone, before turning her attention towards her steak.

"Well, I'm done." Layla said , seeming content as she put down her plate, now devoid of steak. "If anyone needs me, I'll be on that hill." She pointed to one of the two hills next to the camp.

"Layla…the latrine is up there." Arcade said. A disgusted look immediately appeared on Layla's face.

"Don't let that deter you though; I hear there are few things better at lulling a person to sleep than the wonderful odour of shit." Campbell quipped.

"Okay…if anyone needs me, I'll be on **that **hill." She pointed to another nearby hill.

"Damn…knew I should've hid my porn stash in my tent." Layla eyed Campbell curiously. "You may or may not see some…risqué literature up there. You are welcome to read it, but bear in mind I am in to some pretty freaky shit."

"I…can't tell if you're joking or not."

"That's half the fun." He grinned.

"Leaving now." With that, Layla walked away, heading for the hill and leaving her three companions to themselves.

"Veronica…you're staring at her ass." Arcade pointed out wearily.

"Yes I am." Veronica replied with no shame whatsoever, not even bothering to hide the massive grin on her face.

"It's quite a sight." Campbell said, following her gaze. Once she realised what was going on, Veronica slapped the merc…hard. "Not that you need a reason to slap me…but what was your reason for slapping me?" He asked calmly as he massaged his bruised cheek.

"Stop checking Layla out!"

"I'm a man. I have needs."

"You don't see Arcade checking her out!"

"He's a different kind of man. He has **different** needs." Arcade blushed, but neither the former scribe nor the merc noticed.

"Only I get to look at Layla, got it?!"

"Fine."

"Good."

"I'll just look at you instead."

"You most certainly will not."

"You know you love it."

"Yes Campbell, I clearly love being checked out, which handily explains why I wear a hood concealing my features at all times."

"I can practically hear the wedding bells." Arcade joked from the other side of the fire.

"It's like everyone in this camp has a death wish." Veronica said in an exasperated tone.

"You're funny when you're annoyed." Campbell said casually.

"I imagine you'll look funny when your face is melting; good thing there's a fire right there."

"Are you willing to live without my cooking?"

"We all have to make sacrifices."

"I've been washing your underwear for almost a month. I don't think losing me is a sacrifice you can afford to make."

"Arcade, pass me a scalpel; I want to cut his tongue out."

"Those tools should only be handled by a licensed medical professional." Campbell shook his head, saying 'tsk' over and over again as he did so.

"Do you ever run out of pointless wisecracks?!" She asked unnecessarily.

"No ma'am." He replied just as unnecessarily. "I've got a good joke about a protectron and a nun."

"Please die." She said in a deadpan tone, getting rapidly fed up of this exchange.

"I'll do anything for love…but I won't do that." A loud, exasperated groan left Veronica's lips.

"Arcade…please help." Veronica begged in an exhausted tone. A bottle suddenly flew over the fire, before landing in between her crossed legs.

"Those should put him right to sleep." Arcade's emotionless reply came from the other side of the fire.

"Thank you." She said with genuine gratefulness, before unscrewing the cap on the bottle and taking out a tablet. "Okay Campbell, you have a choice here. Either you open your mouth, and swallow this pill like a good boy, or I punch you in the crotch with my power fist until you scream in pain, then force the pill down your throat. To make matters worse, I'll also doodle on your face while you're asleep."

"Careful Campbell, she's on the edge." Arcade quipped sarcastically. Veronica briefly glared at Arcade through the fire, before turning back to Campbell. To her surprise, he was smiling.

"Crotch punch it is." She said as soon as she saw her smile, before reaching for her power fist, which she'd taken off after sitting down.

"Don't you want to know why I'm smiling?" Campbell asked innocently.

"It doesn't matter, since you won't be smiling for long."

"Go on…ask." Veronica sighed, before asking the question with no emotion whatsoever.

"Oh Campbell, would you kindly reveal to me the cause of your unnaturally large grin? Could it be one of your testicles has finally dropped?" She heard Arcade drop his plate on the other side of the fire, but never once took her eyes off Campbell.

"I wish." His grin widened even more. "Actually no. The thing is…" He barely supressed a laugh. "…you don't know what those are do you?" He pointed to the tablet bottle, and a confused look appeared on Veronica's face.

"They're sleeping pills, so what?" Campbell supressed another laugh, only heightening Veronica's befuddlement and suspicion.

"Okay, A) Those pills will not put me to sleep, and B)…You don't ingest those orally." Veronica tilted her head to the side.

"What the hell are you talking about? How else would you ingest them?"

"Veronica…" Campbell asked, still struggling to supress laughter. "…do you know what a suppository is?" Veronica dropped the tablet, a look of pure horror on her face.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD!" She screamed, prompting the two men by the fire to immediately burst out laughing. Arcade and Campbell both rolled around on the ground, taking great delight in the blush that rapidly spread across Veronica's face. Eventually they stopped laughing, and Campbell ran around to Arcade's side of the fire before enthusiastically high fiving the doctor. Veronica was not amused.

"Sorry Veronica." Arcade said, in a tone that clearly suggested he wasn't.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU CARRY AROUND A BOTTLE OF SUPPOSITORIES WITH YOU?!" Veronica shrieked.

"Sexual thrills?" Campbell suggested as he sat down next to the doctor.

"Well Veronica if you must know, I was planning to use them as an excuse to stick my hand up Campbell's ass." The doctor quipped.

"I don't blame you." Campbell joined in. "I have a damn fine bottom, if I do say so myself."

"This conversation is making me nauseous." Veronica said, making gagging motions as she got to her feet. "I'm going somewhere where there are no men in sight. Arrivederci." With that, she walked away, leaving the men alone.

"For that suppository trick, I'll happily donate an extra 2000 caps to the Followers once this Remnant business is over." Campbell said happily.

"You're a good man Campbell." Arcade replied, in a tone that made it impossible to tell whether or not he was being sarcastic.

"Veronica is lucky to have a friend like me. Which reminds me, you know that magazine in your tent?" Arcade eyed him curiously.

"The medical magazine?"

"No…the other one." Arcade's eyes widened.

"How did you find that?" He asked seriously.

"I have my ways." Campbell replied casually.

"Campbell please, nobody can ever find out about that."

"I understand; you can't exactly keep up your aloof, sarcastic façade if the ladies find out you possess some…shall we say…risqué literature?"

"Yes, let's say that's the reason." Arcade remarked sarcastically.

"By the way Arcade…bondage? I never would've guessed. Where did you ever come across such a magazine?"

"Let us never speak of this again."

"But doing so amuses me."

"And it would amuse me to dope you up on painkillers, then surgically implant your coin into your chest cavity." This threat genuinely took Campbell by surprise.

"Wow…you don't fuck around do you?" Arcade drew a syringe from inside his lab coat, and started holding it threateningly.

"Never…again." The doctor replied in a dark tone. Campbell didn't need any more prompting than that.

"As you wish."

"Good." Arcade put the syringe away, and they went quiet. It didn't last for long.

"Can I mention it one more time?"

"NO."

"It'll make you laugh."

"I doubt that."

"Humour me." There was a pause, before Arcade sighed.

"Fine…go ahead."

"I did something naughty with the magazine."

"Is this sordid in any way, shape or form?"

"No sir. No innuendos here."

"I'm not quite sure whether to be pleased or disappointed about that."

"Disappointed is the natural response."

"Okay…what, pray tell, did you do with the magazine?"

"I moved it." Arcade's eyes widened again, until they were bigger than the plate in his lap.

"Where did you put it?" He asked desperately.

"The place that seemed the funniest." Before Arcade could ask him what he was talking about, a loud, girlish shriek filled the camp, coming from the direction Veronica had left in.

"Veronica's tent." Arcade stated.

"Yes." Campbell grinned.

"You put my por…risqué literature…in Veronica's tent." It wasn't a question, because the answer was obvious at this point.

"Yes."

"My gay por…risqué literature. The same literature that has a naked man on just about every page."

"Yes."

"You put this magazine, with all its male nudity…in Veronica's tent."

"Yes."

"The woman who is not attracted to men in any way, shape or form."

"Yes."

"You put my magazine, featuring full frontal male nudity…in the tent of a lesbian."

"Yes."

"That is diabolical."

"And absolutely hilarious."

"No, it is not."

"It is."

"…Okay yeah…it actually is." Before either of them could laugh, a loud scream shattered their eardrums.

"**CAMPBELL**!" It was Veronica. She sounded displeased.

"Well Campbell, it has been a pleasure knowing you. I promise I shall shed a single tear when they bury you tomorrow morning."

"Thank you."

"I shall also take special precautions to ensure that you are buried in the latrine."

"You're a good friend Arcade."

"I got it from you."

"I try to lead by example." Veronica stomped up to them a few seconds later, holding the offending magazine in her hand…with two fingers…and as far away from her as she could possibly manage, as though she was repulsed by its very presence.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" She asked Campbell, pointing at the magazine as she did so. Campbell's response was almost immediate.

"Fucking hilarious." Veronica narrowed her eyes, and threw the magazine into Arcade's face. Campbell just barely had enough time to grin before Veronica's fist crashed into his jaw. He regretted nothing.

*Veronica - A few minutes later*

"It's a beautiful night." Veronica said happily as she walked onto the hill that Layla had fled to. The red haired one lay at the top of the hill, gazing up at the star filled night sky. Layla looked up slightly at the sound of Veronica's voice, and noticed that she was cradling her right fist, as though it was in a great deal of pain.

"What happened to your hand?" She asked in a concerned tone.

"It's the darndest thing." Veronica replied, sitting down next to Layla as she did so. "There I was, minding my own business, when Campbell's jaw suddenly flew right into my fist. Then it did it again. And again. And again. And again. It started to hurt after a while, so I decided to come up here.

"What did Campbell do?" Layla asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't ask." Veronica replied, before lying back and looking up at the sky. Layla did the same, and the two girls marvelled at the stars above. It was a truly magnificent sight, but Veronica's ability to concentrate on it failed as Layla suddenly burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" She asked in a curious tone.

"I just remembered something from earlier." Layla replied, propping herself up on her elbows and grinning widely.

"And what was that?"

"Arcade liiiikes me." Layla giggled to herself, while Veronica just tilted her head to the side, a puzzled look on her face.

"He likes you?"

"Yep."

"In what way?"

"In the friends way. He called me his friend earlier…the softie."

"Oh thank God. For a second there, I thought you'd turned him straight or something. You could certainly do that."

"Nah."

"Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"Yes, because there is a plentiful supply of mirrors in the desert. Watch, as I pull out a mirror from behind this cactus."

"My, my…are we being sarcastic?"

"I learnt from the best."

"That you did, that you did." Veronica propped herself up on her elbows, still looking at the sky. She had to hand it to Layla; the red haired one had found a perfect spot. It was peacefully quiet up here, with nary a sound for miles around; the perfect place to just lie back and forget the world.

"Campbell and Arcade seem to be getting along." Layla said, knocking Veronica out of her reverie.

"That…may not be such a good thing."

"Why not?"

"Well, Campbell gets some kind of twisted pleasure out of annoying me, and now he's got Arcade to join in." Layla smirked.

"They're just having a bit of fun."

"Layla, I don't think you understand. Campbell is moulding Arcade in his image. If we don't do something soon…THERE WILL BE TWO OF THEM." Veronica sounded absolutely horrified.

"I think I can live with that."

"Well I can't. Two Campbells…" She shivered. "I can't imagine anything more horrible."

"Another Campbell is another person to wash your underwear." Layla pointed out.

"Well…okay yeah, fair enough. But I don't think I could put up with two people who both have his personality."

"We could muzzle one."

"Yeah but if we're going to do that, we might as well just muzzle both of them."

"I could make Campbell sit quietly in the corner and think about what he's done if you want?"

"Don't worry, I think he got the message when his face somehow flew directly into my fist." Veronica lay back and began to relax, only for her eyes to widen considerably as a shocking thought hit her like a brick to the skull. "You don't think…Arcade's seducing Campbell do you?" Layla didn't seem concerned.

"What? Come on; we've established already that Campbell is A) straight as an arrow, and B) in a committed romantic relationship with his coin."

"I thought that was a joke?"

"With Campbell, you can never tell." Layla looked around nervously, and Veronica smirked. "You're scared you'll accidentally find a porn stash up here aren't you?"

"No…of course not…but you can never be sure." She stopped looking around for a second, and seemed to calm down a little before speaking next. "Look, they can have sex if they want, that's their right, but we can't just assume things. Remember when Arcade immediately assumed we were in a romantic relationship?"

"Yeah…" Veronica said wistfully, desperately wishing that Arcade had been correct.

"Well we're not, and he hurt our feelings by just assuming. Like my dad used to say: assuming makes an **ass** out of **u **and **me**." Veronica raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Your dad…your badass, tough as nails dad…said that?"

"Yeah…between torture sessions."

"Your parents were odd."

"My parents were awesome." She looked up at the sky sadly.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine…I brought them up."

"You still miss them don't you?"

"Yup…even now, three years later." Veronica inched her way closer, before leaning her head against Layla's shoulder.

"Well don't worry…you've always got me." She said affectionately as she nuzzled Layla's hair.

"Thank God…between Campbell and Arcade, I need someone relatively sane to talk to."

"I'm getting crazier by the day." Veronica said with a smile. "You're a bad influence."

"You're welcome." They lay side by side for a while, looking up at the stars and just enjoying the closeness. Veronica found herself idly tapping Layla's leg with the fingers of her right hand, and the red haired one couldn't help but smile. She reached out, and before Veronica knew what was happening, her hood had been pulled down. Layla stared into her eyes and smiled, before looking back up at the sky. _Good God…her smile is beautiful. _Veronica realised, feeling all warm and tingly from the close contact. The serenity, the beautiful night sky, being so close to the girl of her dreams…this moment was completely and utterly perfect. Unfortunately, her mind decided to ruin it by playing back Arcade's words from a few nights ago.

_"If she died without knowing the true extent of your feelings, would you ever forgive yourself?" _Her own words from that conversation came next, and Veronica was stunned to hear just how nervous she had sounded.

_"I…"_

_"Would you?" _There had been a long, uncomfortable silence, before she eventually replied.

_"…No."_

_"Tell her. She doesn't have to act, but she has to know. If you don't tell her, I think all these feelings you're repressing will tear you apart." _He was right, goddammit she knew he was right…but knowing what to do is one thing; actually doing it is another. She looked over to the girl she was in love with, and saw a perfectly content look on her face. Layla was enjoying this moment too. She was at peace…could Veronica really ruin one of the few peaceful moments her friend ever got? Could she burden Layla with her feelings, when so much already rested on her shoulders? _More pressure is the last thing she needs…but I can't ignore how I…_

"Veronica?" Layla asked suddenly, having apparently noticed that her friend was deep in thought.

"Huh? What?" Veronica asked dazedly, as she snapped out of her trance.

"You were being pretty quiet there; that's not normal for you."

"Sorry." Veronica said sheepishly. "I was just…you know…thinking." Layla seemed intrigued, and a playful smile appeared on her face.

"Hey Veronica?"

"Yeah?"

"What ya thinking about?" Layla asked in a childish tone.

"Nothing." Veronica replied unconvincingly.

"If it was nothing, it wouldn't be occupying your thoughts so much." Layla argued, sounding fairly concerned now. "What is it?"

"I don't…"

"Veronica, you can tell me anything." Layla cupped Veronica's face in her hands, before looking deep into her eyes. "You know that…right?" Just being this close to Layla…this physical contact…it made Veronica so unbelievably happy. Looking into Layla's pale, grey eyes, nothing else seemed to matter.

"You're so beautiful." She said, speaking her thoughts out loud without realising it.

"Huh?"

"What?" Veronica's eyes widened. "Oh crap…did I say that out loud?"

"I'm beautiful? Is that what you were thinking about?"

"No! Well…yes…sort of…kind of…technically…"

"Veronica…talk to me."

"I thought I was."

"Talk to me in a way that makes sense."

"Hi Layla, how are you?"

"Now talk to me in a way that makes sense, but is also relevant to our current topic."

"No…it's nothing to concern yourself with." Veronica looked away.

"Bullshit." Only to look back into Layla's eyes as the sudden expletive left her lips. "Veronica, you're my main concern. Not getting the Remnants, not the Legion, not even the NCR. You; you're what matters to me. Killing the NCR will be meaningless if I don't have you. If it concerns you, then it concerns me. Come on…open up." Veronica was silent, her mouth agape as Layla's words touched her heart. _Dammit._ She still didn't know whether to…_Oh fuck it, I can't take it anymore! She's awesome and I love her and she's here and this is the only time I'm going to have the nerve to say it so SAY IT!_

"Layla…" Veronica began.

"Yes Veronica?" Layla asked, urging the nervous scribe to continue. Veronica didn't continue however…instead she just kissed Layla. Before the red haired one knew what was happening, Veronica's lips were on hers, and she was losing all oxygen. The kiss was passionate, desperate, and utterly amazing. Veronica would have squeaked with joy if her mouth hadn't fused itself with Layla's. _Crap…did I go too far? What if it's like the time I kissed her after getting the dress? What if she doesn't…_Layla eased all her worries in a heartbeat by kissing back. Their mouths separated for a moment, and this time Veronica did squeak, before continuing the kiss with a vengeance. She lost herself in lust and pure joy, and a blur of passion followed. The next thing she was aware of was lying back on the ground, with Layla lying on top of her. The look on her face was a mixture of happiness, surprise, and confusion. She looked like she was about to speak, but Veronica wasn't finished yet. After all, she hadn't actually confessed yet. She sprang upwards, and Layla's eyes widened as it was her turn to be wrestled to the ground. They rolled around on the floor, but Veronica somehow managed to get on top, surprising both Layla and herself with her tenacity. The former scribe grabbed both of Layla's arms, keeping her still, and took a moment to catch her breath. Layla tried to speak again, but Veronica kept her quiet with the only instrument available to her: her tongue. Before the words could be vocalised, Veronica licked Layla's lips, shutting her up and causing her to gaze at Veronica with an unreadable expression.

"Layla…" Veronica kept Layla still beneath her, while leaning forwards and kissing her gently on the forehead. "…I fucking love you."

_**First: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwww.  
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_**Second: CLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFF HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANGER!**_

_**Sorry! Sorry...sorry...really sorry...but this chapter was originally supposed to be much longer than this. It was getting on a bit though, so I stopped it here, and the rest of what was going into this chapter is going into the next chapter instead. Confused? GOOD! Hopefully, this means that the next chapter will be coming sooner rather than later, but that all depends on that little minx inspiration. It also depends on when that lasso I ordered from Amazon gets here. The sooner I get lasso, the sooner I catch inspiration, the sooner things happen and writings is done and new chapter comes into existence! Still, I picked the most annoying possible place for a cliff hanger, so hopefully this should have you drooling with anticipation until the next one comes out. Yes...yes I am a nefarious bastard. MUHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAA!  
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_**I hope you romance enthusists out there are happy, as a major moment in the relationship of our heroines as just occurred. Will Layla reciprocate? Will Veronica feel the crushing boot of rejection stomp her heart to oblivion? Will Campbell show up and ruin the moment with more tactical, tasteless usage of gay po...risque literature? I'd bet on the last one personally. As some of you may know, I don't usually write romance, thus I have no idea what I am doing. Is this good? It seems good, but what would I know? REVIEWS HELP FIX MY SELF ESTEEM ISSUES!  
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_**Also...humour. There was a fair deal of random humour in the camp. I loved it. Did you? Was it tasteless, crude, simplistic and filled with FAR too much sarcasm? Good, that's exactly what I was going for. Seriously though REVIEWS LET ME KNOW WHETHER I DID GOOD OR NOT. I LIKE THEM. THEY MAKE ME SMILE.  
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_**Oh yeah, there was also plot stuff I guess. Two Remnants were got, Veronica and Campbell got a cool action scene, and Layla got beaten up. Three down...two to go. The pair of aces from the title...do they refer to the two Remnants that were got...or do they refer to Campbell and Arcade...or even Layla and Veronica? TITLES THAT WORK ON MULTIPLE LEVELS ARE AWESOME! :)  
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	53. Four of a Kind

_**And now:…feelings.**_

_**Speaking of feelings, remember Chapter 24, appropriately entitled: Feelings? This chapter can be seen as Feelings 2, only with better writing and some violence thrown in. Violence makes everything better. **_

_**Also...yes, that is a card pun for a title...like the last chapter...because I'm so brilliantly witty. Self depreciation done...moving on now. I hope you're in the mood for a massive chapter dear reader, because this one is a doozy.  
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Four of a Kind

Layla's eyes were the size of dinner plates. Veronica had no idea whether or not this was a good thing. The two girls just lay like there, Veronica on top, simply staring at each other for a while. Layla was clearly processing what she had just been told, while the former scribe relaxed slightly, as she felt a great weight lift itself from her insides. Finally telling Layla how she felt was utterly liberating.

"Veronica?" Of course, now came the even more nerve-wracking part: hearing Layla's response. Layla's words knocked Veronica out of her thoughts, and she looked down into the grey eyes of the one she loved.

"Yes?" She asked innocently. She sounded calm, but inside her heart was beating like a drum. In fact, from their close proximity, Layla could probably feel that rapid heartbeat.

"Haven't you already said this before?" Veronica's eyebrows rose so high that they very nearly shot off her face. That was the last thing she'd expected Layla to say.

"What?" She asked, utterly dumbfounded.

"Remember our talk in the Lucky 38 suite, after my fight with Boone? You told me you loved me." _Oh yeah. _Veronica thought. _Shit…I forgot about that. _

"Think of it this way: **that**, was me telling you I have feelings for you; **this**, is me telling you just how strong those feelings are."

"You said love back then."

"Back then I wasn't even sure. I…felt things for you, I knew that…but love was simply the best word I could think of to describe them. The way I feel right now…the love is burning so hot that it could melt power armour." To her surprise, Layla smirked at that.

"How long did it take you to come up with that line?" She asked cheekily.

"I just thought of it now." A small smile appeared on Veronica's face. "But don't change the subject. This is my big romantic reveal; you're supposed to sit there and listen to what I have to say."

"Technically, I'm not sitting. I'm lying on the ground. You're on top of me."

"Stop changing the subject." Veronica flicked Layla on the forehead for her transgression.

"That was uncalled for."

"Just listen…please." Layla looked like she wanted to speak, but on seeing the pure longing in Veronica's eyes, she stayed quiet. The former scribe's smile widened, and she took a deep breath before beginning. "I know I haven't exactly kept my feelings for you secret. You can't really go anywhere without me latching on to you, we're as close as two friends can possibly be, I seek physical contact with you whenever possible…and it's gotten to the point where everyone we meet thinks we're in a relationship. You've got to understand though; this isn't some kind of precocious crush. This…this is the real deal. Every waking moment I spend thinking about you. You occupy my thoughts, both waking and sleeping. When we met, I thought I'd just walk with you to Vegas, then leave and get on with my crappy life…but it didn't turn out like that. As we carried on, every so often a little voice in the back of my head would say 'Okay, you've gone far enough…time to leave now…you have a life to get back to after all'…but I couldn't do it. You stepped into my life, and you made a foothold. You fortified your position, until it got to the point where you became a key component in my life, like the energy cell in a laser pistol…okay, that was awful. The point is, you are an important part of my life…a key point of my existence. I know this is beginning to sound really sappy, but Layla…you're not just a beautiful girl I have the hots for…you're not just the one who protected me when you had no reason to…you're not just the best friend I could ever hope for…you're not even just a huge part of my life…you are all those things and more. You, Layla, are the most important thing in the world to me, and I want to express just how much you mean to me…I want to care for you forever, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know it sounds so, **so **cliché…but I love you more than I've ever loved anything else. Layla…you complete me."

Veronica was mildly aware that she was crying, but she didn't care. If she'd felt a great weight lifting before, then this was like an aircraft carrier had lifted. It felt amazing, but she also felt more vulnerable then she'd ever felt in her entire life. All her emotions, all her feelings, they were out there in the open. Layla could see them in all their glory…but if she had a mind to, she could smash them into oblivion. She was out of breath, so she lay forward, pressing her face against Layla's neck to hide the tears that were pouring out as she did so. She was fairly certain they were tears of happiness…but that didn't mean she wanted Layla to see them. Her tears were like her hair: embarrassing, and deserving only to be hidden from the world. _That…that was emotionally exhausting._

"Wow." Was Layla's surprisingly simple response. Veronica wanted to look into her eyes, but she was so nervous that she didn't dare. What if it was a look of shock, or a look of guilt? She doubted she could take that. "Veronica…I had no idea you felt this way. Well okay, I knew you had feelings for me, but this…I never even guessed that your feelings for me were this strong. And all this time I've been playfully flirting with you…I'm an inconsiderate jackass. I'm sorry." Veronica shook her head, without moving her face from Layla's neck.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. I didn't want to tell you because…you've got enough bullshit going on in your life; my stupid feelings would only make things more complicated." Veronica looked up at Layla, a bitter smile on her face.

"Veronica, your feelings aren't stupid. We don't get to decide what we feel, but we have to act on our feelings. If we don't, there's no point in even living."

"But you've already got enough on your plate. I'm sorry; I should've kept them hidden. It's just…keeping all that inside was driving me crazy. If I hadn't released those feelings, I probably would've snapped and done something…regrettable."

"Like killing Campbell?" Layla joked.

"I said regrettable." Veronica quipped back, a genuine smile having replaced her bitter one.

"Veronica…" Layla started, her voice taking on a much more serious tone. "…please, never keep this kind of thing a secret from me again. Never feel like you have something you can't tell me. No matter what's on your chest, I'm always here for you. My life's plenty crazy…but adding a little more craziness won't mean the end of the world." Fresh tears began to pour down Veronica's face, and she hugged Layla with what could only be described as desperation.

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to here you say that." Veronica said, her voice muffled as she pressed her tear stained face against Layla's neck again. Layla said nothing, instead hugging Veronica back and lying in silence with her. As she ran her fingers through Veronica's short hair, the former scribe spoke. "There is something you can say that'll make me happier though." Layla froze at that, visibly tensing up as her friend's words sunk in.

"I…what do you mean?" Layla asked, obviously playing dumb.

"I just told you how I feel about you."

"I know. It was very beautiful, and very heartfelt."

"I'm aware of that, but now it's your turn."

"I don't follow." Veronica bit Layla's shoulder in frustration (Causing the red haired one to yelp slightly), before climbing off Layla and sitting cross legged on the ground in front of her.

"Layla…how do you feel about me?" A nervous look appeared on Layla's face as she matched Veronica's cross legged sitting position.

"Veronica…"

"I know you're bad at expressing your feelings…but I really want to hear it." Layla paused, clearly unsure what to say.

"Can…can I have some whiskey? I'm always better at this feelings shit when I'm drinking a bottle of whiskey."

"No. I think you'll just do a runner as soon as my back is turned." Layla looked offended.

"Veronica…would I do that?"

"Layla, I'm in love with you, but I'm not an idiot. There's no way you're getting out of this." Layla's shoulders sank, and she sighed loudly.

"Veronica…"

"If you don't love me, just say so. I'm a big girl, I can take it." Despite her confident words, Veronica was a mess on the inside. _Please don't say no. PLEASE._

"I didn't say that."

"Then you do love me?"

"I didn't say that either!"

"Well it has to be one or the other! Which is it: love, or no love?" The happy situation had quickly become incredibly awkward. Both girls felt uncomfortable as the seconds ticked away…and Layla still didn't say anything. "Layla, now you're just being unfair." Veronica said in an annoyed tone.

"I…"

"I just poured my heart out to you, and you're saying nothing. Don't leave me hanging here; I need a response."

"I know."

"Then respond."

"Dammit, I'm trying!" Layla snapped, only to immediately cover her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Just give me an answer." Veronica growled. Seconds became minutes, and Layla still said nothing. Veronica clenched her fist angrily, stabbing into her palm with her nails. She was about to crack, when Layla's eyes widened, as though she had suddenly felt a spark of inspiration. "You know what you're going to say now?"

"You…could say that, yeah." Layla responded mysteriously.

"Well…I'm on the edge of my seat. Let's hear it."

"First of all…do you remember the agreement we made after Campbell blew up The Tops?" Veronica's eyes narrowed in confusion. For the second time that night, Layla had said something COMPLETELY unexpected.

"Yeah…we agreed that we could both keep one secret from each other." Veronica replied slowly, still not getting where Layla was going with this.

"Right. You decided not to tell me why you have a brunette fetish…" Veronica blushed slightly. "…while I didn't pick a secret to keep from you. Well…I just thought of one."

"Yeah great, what are your feelings towards me?" Layla simply smiled triumphantly, and a dark look or realisation appeared on Veronica's face. "No."

"Yep."

"You didn't."

"I did."

"You're…you're going to keep your feelings towards me a secret?"

"I'm sorry…but yes, I am." Veronica immediately jumped to her feet.

"YOU BITCH!" Layla recoiled as though she'd had boiling water splashed on her face.

"What?"

"I can't believe you! I pour my heart out to you, and you manipulate the conditions of an agreement we made ages ago to essentially throw it all back in my face?! How could you do that to me?!"

"Veronica, I know you're angry but…"

"You're a fucking hypocrite! You made this whole speech about how I shouldn't keep secrets from you…but what the hell are you doing right now?! You're keeping a secret from me, the most important secret you could EVER keep from me! Do you have any idea how cruel and heartless that is?! DO YOU?!"

"Veronica please…I'm sorry, but…"

"Oh, you're sorry? Well that makes everything better Layla! That fixes the hole you stabbed through my heart!"

"You're being melodramatic."

"Are you high?!"

"Look, I'm not keeping this a secret forever. I'll tell you my feelings someday, but…"

"You know what? FUCK YOU, AND FUCK YOUR FEELINGS! If you're going to be like this, then I don't even want to be with you!" With those last harsh words, Veronica spat on the ground, before storming off in a huff.

"Veronica!" Layla called after her, but she wasn't having any of it.

"Drop dead!" The former scribe slid down the hill, leaving Layla alone.

*The next day*

"Goddammit…she is such a bitch!" Veronica said as she passed a particularly large cactus.

"That's the 67th time you've said that. I know; I've been counting." Arcade replied in a bored tone as he passed the same cactus.

"I can't believe she did that!"

"Weren't you the one who didn't want to tell her because it would put pressure on her? It seems to me like you're putting pressure on her now." Arcade pointed out wisely.

"It was your stupid idea to tell her in the first place! It only made things worse…" She snapped, only for her tone to soften slightly on the last sentence. The doctor sighed.

"Look Veronica, just because she didn't say she loves you, doesn't mean she doesn't love you."

"If she **does **love me, then what's stopping her from saying it?!"

"This is Layla we're talking about here. She's a lot better at stabbing than she is at talking." Veronica calmed down a little; Arcade had a point. It didn't make her want to forgive Layla in the slightest, but…

"But…"

"Maybe she's just shy." Veronica shot him a disbelieving look.

"Shy. Layla. Really?"

"Well…maybe she hasn't figured out her feelings yet."

"Either she loves me or she doesn't; it's not that complicated!"

"It is for some people."

"And since when did you become a relationship guru?!"

"Life at the fort is pretty slow…so I sometimes find myself reading romance novels to pass the time." Veronica stopped walking, just to make sure she'd heard that right.

"Are you serious?"

"I wish I wasn't." Arcade clearly felt no pride about this whatsoever.

"Still…she crossed the line with that stunt."

"People do incredibly stupid things when they're scared."

"She could've just told me she was unsure."

"I repeat: she was scared."

"I would've understood."

"Would you?" They stood silently in the desert, the quiet whistle of the wind serving as the only sound.

"I…no." Veronica admitted guiltily. "No…I was only focused on getting an answer from her last night. If she hadn't given me one, I doubt I would've been understanding."

"Love is a very selfish emotion."

"Oh come on, now you're just quoting from romance novels!"

"Veronica, did you ever give a thought towards how Layla would feel about entering a relationship with you?" Veronica paused.

"I…no…no, I actually didn't." She realised, looking down at the ground as she did so.

"Bear in mind, Layla hasn't exactly had the best romantic history. Her first lover couldn't accept that she had feelings for another girl and did something that got her killed. Her second lover cheated on her with another woman; on their anniversary no less. Layla was undoubtedly angry at that…but I'll bet she was hurt too."

"Before we met you, she had feelings for a guy named Samuel Cooke. He…" She took a deep breath. "He was beaten to death by the same guy who raped Layla's mum at Bitter Springs three years ago."

"My point exactly." Arcade was clearly disturbed by this revelation, but he continued speaking regardless. "And these are just the three beaus we know about. I'll bet Layla has had many more lovers, and they've all hurt her in some way, either by dying or being jackasses. You can understand why she'd be apprehensive about pursuing a romantic relationship with you." A look of shame appeared on Veronica's face.

"Goddamn I've been selfish. I didn't once think about what she was feeling. I…I just wanted to hear the words. Whether she meant them or not, that didn't mean shit; I just wanted her to say them."

"Don't beat yourself up about this."

"But…I've been such an ass!"

"We all act like that at least once in our lives. Remember how I acted during our first night around the campfire?" A small smile appeared on Veronica's face as looked up.

"You didn't believe me when I said the NCR killed my parents." She said quietly.

"And you threw a richly deserved rock at my head." They both laughed at that, and Veronica visibly brightened up. "Look, I know you're itching to find out whether Layla feels the same about you as you do about her, but rushing her will only make things worse. You keep putting pressure on her, and she may even begin to resent you."

"Well what do I do then?" Veronica asked pleadingly, and Arcade thought for a moment, adjusting his glasses as he did so. As an idea hit him, the sun began to reflect off his glasses in a dramatic fashion.

"Okay, here's my advice: give Layla time. Just wait, let her process her feelings, and allow her to find the courage to properly articulate them. Layla's an idiot, but she doesn't like making you sad, so I bet she'll be thinking about this nonstop. All you need to do…is let her." Veronica thought about this for a moment, before sighing.

"Alright…I'll let her figure her feelings out." She said begrudgingly, and Arcade smiled.

"It's the best way: trust me." Veronica wasn't entirely convinced, but she had no better ideas, so she decided to try things Arcade's way for a while. With their discussion finished, they continued their journey. If Arcade's intel was correct, Orion Moreno's house was close by.

"Look!" Veronica pointed ahead of them as they reached the top of a hill, where the towering form of the Lucky 38 finally came into view.

"Not much further now." Arcade sounded quite glad about this fact, apparently relieved that they'd get a chance to rest their tired feet soon. Veronica could relate. In the space of a few minutes they were able to successfully reach New Vegas' outskirts. Figuring out which house belonged to Moreno wasn't hard: it was the only house surrounded by NCR corpses.

"Hey look: it's Layla's dream house." Veronica quipped as they approached the dwelling, trying desperately hard to avoid tripping over corpses as they did so.

"You're doing it again." Arcade said with little emotion.

"Doing what? Being hilarious?"

"No…mentioning Layla." Veronica's amused grin faded. "The more you mention her, the more you'll keep thinking about her. Clear your mind and think about something else."

"That's kind of impossible."

"Don't worry; if all goes well, you'll soon be able to think about trying to stop a rampaging brute from killing me."

"And I'm not allowed to fight him?"

"Nope."

"Wonderful. It's a good thing I like challenges. Wait…no, I don't; challenges suck! Why is it never easy?"

"Maybe Layla's bad karma is rubbing off on you?"

"A man of science believing in karma? That's new."

"A shy, hooded 20 something being a skilled martial artist? That's new."

"Touché." Veronica stepped over one last corpse as she said this, and finally reached the front door of the house. The words '_GO AWAY_' had been carved into the door, and a female NCR corpse was propped up against it as a warning. "So…I'm guessing Moreno was your group's resident nice guy?" She asked sarcastically.

"He was the only one of us who genuinely believed in the Enclave and what they were doing. That should tell you plenty."

"Sounds like a delightful fellow."

"He was a blind patriot; serving the president was all that seemed to matter to him. And the violence; the violence mattered plenty. Needless to say, he took the fall of the Enclave pretty hard. He all but declared war on the NCR after that, forming a hatred of them to rival even Layla's. I remember after the fall of Navarro, when we were making our getaway, Moreno had to stop for a second to mourn. 'Kiss America goodbye boys', he said, and I swear I saw a single tear roll down his cheek. The loss of the Enclave changed him, made him a broken man. His already considerable anger issues only intensified, to the point where I once spilt some water on him and he nearly threw me through a wall. We parted on good terms, but I have no doubt that he's a psychopath."

"Do you have a speech prepared for every Remnant we come across?" Veronica asked with a raised eyebrow.

"As a matter of fact, yes I do." Arcade answered proudly. "I stay up late at that writing them down and committing them to memory."

"I…I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"I got that from Campbell."

"Please stop learning from him."

"Why?"

"Because he annoys me."

"Your concern is noted. Shall we say hello to Moreno?" Veronica looked at the door, and felt a shiver go through her.

"You go first."

"Why should I go first?"

"Age before beauty, and besides, you're the one who knows him." Arcade rolled his eyes, before stepping past Veronica to open the door. As he reached out for the door handle, his foot touched a rock nearby…only it didn't feel like a rock. Curious, he moved away from the door, and crouched down. He grabbed the 'rock', before lifting it off the ground. Sure enough, the rock was fake, and was hiding a sensor; the same type of sensors that he himself had used during his first meeting with Campbell.

"Oh goddammit." Veronica cursed as she saw the sensor and recognised it from her encounter with Johnson. "I take it he knows we're coming?"

"No doubt. He's probably arming himself as we speak." Veronica sighed, before stepping towards the door.

"Okay fuck it, I'll go first." Before Arcade could argue, she opened the door, before stepping into Moreno's abode.

*Layla*

"Layla…you okay?" Campbell asked Layla as they walked across the desert. The red haired one was looking ahead, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Yeah…I was just thinking." She replied in a distracted tone. Curious, Campbell raised an eyebrow.

"About?"

"Veronica. I think she's mad at me."

"Well yeah. She finally worked up the courage to give her big romantic reveal, then when she asked you if you feel the same, you essentially replied with a question mark."

"I can't give her the answer if I don't know what it is!"

"If I were you I'd try to work out the answer quickly; Veronica is **very **scary when she's angry." Layla gave an amused nod.

"She probably got that from me."

"You must be so proud."

"You're not being very helpful here. I expected some sage romantic advice or something." Campbell shook his head.

"You want romance help, talk to Arcade. I'm only good at shooting and making crappy jokes."

"And cooking."

"And cooking."

"And flying a vertibird."

"Okay fine, I have many, many talents; but romance isn't one of them. I shot my first girlfriend in the face for Christ's sake. You're better off asking a cactus for romantic help." Layla shook her head, before sighing and looking into the sky.

"You know, it's funny. Less than a week ago we promised to never fight again. Now…we're fighting again, and about love of all things. I thought love was a good thing…but now I'm starting to doubt it."

"There's nothing wrong with love; it's the people who are **in love **that you need to be on the lookout for." Campbell said sagely.

"But they wouldn't act that way if it wasn't for love. Campbell…is love a good thing?" They stopped walking for a second, and Layla sat on a nearby rock before waiting for Campbell to answer her question.

"In my opinion, there's no such thing as a 'good thing'. Everything in the world has a bad side. Meat is delicious, but it'll make you fat. Killing is fun, but it's morally wrong. Sex is great, but it can kill you. There are two sides to everything: a good side, and a bad side."

"You're not going to make a coin metaphor are you?" Campbell narrowed his eyes at her.

"Actually, I am. When I flip my coin, heads is good, while tails is bad. Like my coin, everything in the world has a good side and a bad side; even me and you. You're a kind, caring person, but you're also sadistic and you enjoy killing people. I'm sarcastic, witty, charming, and have too many skills to count, but I'm also an insane loose cannon who obeys the whims of a piece of legal tender."

"This speech isn't making me feel any better Campbell." Layla said in a depressed tone.

"I know I'm not being incredibly uplifting right now, but just bear with me, okay?" Layla nodded slowly, and he continued. "So yeah, everything good has something bad to match it. Love is exactly the same. Love makes you petty, jealous, stupid, obsessed, and more than a little crazy. It can turn best friends into bitter enemies, and can cause you to become selfishly obsessed with making a person your own. Few things hurt like love." Layla's depression only increased, and she glanced down at the dirt despondently. "But you know what? Fuck that!" Layla's eyes widened, and she looked up to see that Campbell was smiling. "So love has a bad side; big deal! Everything has a bad side, but that just means you have to relish the good side. Meat makes you fat? Eat it anyway, because it tastes great! Killing's morally wrong? If it entertains you, do it anyway! Sex can kill you? Big fucking deal, sex is awesome so find someone and screw their brains out! The bad things exist solely to make us love the good things even more. And speaking of love…love is the greatest, most beautiful, most pure emotion in the world. Sure it makes you crazy and selfish and stupid, but it also makes you do selfless things for someone you care about. Love makes us better; it makes us see the beauty in everything. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, don't give up on love just because it has a bad side; the bad side just makes the good side stronger." Layla just stared at Campbell for a while, unsure what to say. Slowly, her saddened expression shifted into a small smile, and then into a wry grin. Her eyes brightened, and she hopped to her feet.

"You're right…sort of." She said enthusiastically. "That speech was a little all over the place though. Plus, you **really **went out of your way to make a coin metaphor."

"What can I say? Coins get me off." Campbell replied, and once again Layla didn't know whether he was serious or he was just joking. _Ignore. _Her mind said, and she obeyed.

"But even though that speech was crazy, I get what you were talking about. The whole 'love is the best emotion ever' thing. I think…you're right."

"Of course I'm right." Campbell smirked. Layla slowly walked over to him, before wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you." She said softly. Campbell just stood there, not quite sure what to do. In the end he simply patted her on the head.

"You're welcome." He said sincerely, and she released him from the hug.

"When we meet up in Novac, if you see Veronica…can you tell…her…you know…" Layla stopped, not quite sure what to say.

"I'll tell her your very, very sorry, but you're an emotional basket case so you need time to think about your feelings, at which point you'll tell her about your feelings, the two of you will reconcile and all will be well again." Campbell said, and Layla stared at him open mouthed for a few seconds, before smiling and nodding.

"Yeah, tell her that."

"What…seriously?" Layla nodded again. "I was just kidding." Layla didn't respond, instead walking onwards. "Alright…suit yourself." Campbell shrugged, before heading off after her.

*Veronica*

"Nice place." The former scribe said sarcastically as she entered the house and nearly tripped over a few dozen bottles of booze. Moreno's residence clearly hadn't seen a woman's touch in a long time. The place was an absolute pigsty. Random crap cluttered up the hallway, the wallpaper was torn in places, and the whole place smelled like something had died within its walls. Knowing Moreno, that much was probably true. Veronica quietly trod down the corridor, while carefully avoiding the bottles that littered the floor in an attempt to be as quiet as possible.

While Arcade stayed in the doorway, Veronica reached the end of the short hallway and found herself in the living room. If anything, this room was in an even more deplorable state than the corridor. A dark stain that was likely blood decorated one wall, while a crooked painting sat on the other, next to a doorway that led off into a second corridor. On the opposite side from the doorway that Veronica had entered through was a kitchen setup, complete with a fridge, an oven, and a sink filled with dirty plates. An ugly sofa sat in the middle of the room, serving as the only furniture. The sofa was facing the wall with the stain, meaning she couldn't see if anyone was sat there. Clenching the fist covered by her power fist, she walked around the sofa, so that she was stood in front of it. The sofa was devoid of life, but there was a red beret on it; the same beret that members of First Recon used. Veronica picked it up, trying to figure out how it could possibly have gotten there.

"I see you found one of my keepsakes." Veronica spun around, and saw a large shadow standing in the doorway that led to the second corridor. "I took it off the body of the last NCR bastard that I killed, and kept it as a souvenir. Your power fist will be my next keepsake if you don't get the fuck out of here." There was unmistakeable malice in his voice, but Veronica remembered her deal with Arcade, '_No fighting_', and decided to try talking instead of punching.

"My name's Veronica." She said slowly and carefully; she'd heard what Moreno was like, and didn't want to say anything that might set him off. "I'm here to…"

"I know why you're here." He said in that same malicious voice as he stepped out of the shadows. Now that he was standing in the light, Veronica could make out a few things about him. For one thing, he was very tall, and had a strikingly large stature. She had no idea if that was muscle or fat, but whatever it was, there was a lot of it. He wore a heavy black leather jacket with several bandoleers tied around it, along with black leather gloves, grey pants, and tough black boots. He had a dark tan and snow white hair, and a pair of glasses covered his eyes. One of the most noticeable things about the man was that he held an oversized Gatling laser in his hands, an imposing weapon that Veronica knew could incinerate her in the blink of an eye. His weapon wasn't the thing that unnerved Veronica the most however; that prize went to the look on his face. The sadistic, hate filled grin that covered his face put even Layla's sadistic grin to shame, and the look in his eyes spoke volumes about his mental state. While the weapon was threatening, the look on his face was worse, because it showed without a shadow of a doubt that he was willing to use it. "You're here for the same reason all the other NCR bastards came here."

"And what reason would that be?"

"You know damn well!" He barked suddenly in a ferocious tone, taking Veronica by surprise. "You want to kick me out of my home! Let me tell you something you little bitch: I've been living here for over 20 years of my life. Your precious little republic has no right to take this land, because it belongs to me!"

"I'm not with the NCR." Veronica tried to calm him down, but it was like he hadn't even heard her. The look in his eyes suggested he was getting angrier by the second, and she was beginning to realise that talking him down would be impossible.

"Of course, that's what the NCR always does isn't it? The great New California Republic: experts at taking homes, ruining lives, and destroying the rightful government of this great land!" The old man was fuming, and it seemed like he was seconds away from opening fire with his Gatling laser. "When I was a kid, they took my family home away, forcing me and my parents to live as nomads. Ma and Pa didn't survive the week. Later, they took Navarro away from me; that was my home too! And now…" A brief torrent of bitter laughter escaped his lips. "…now, they're trying to take **this** home away from me, the home I built with my own two hands, and the home I've been living in for nearly half my life. Well you know what I say?" He pointed his Gatling laser at the ceiling, and fired like a madman. The oversized gun roared like a demented hell beast as a maelstrom of red death shot up towards the ceiling. It didn't roar for long however, as he stopped firing a few seconds later before any real damage could be done to his ceiling. "I say: GET OUT OF MY HOUSE." A cold rage coated his words, but Veronica didn't back down.

"Mr Moreno…"

"OUT." He wasn't having any of it. Veronica tried to speak again, but he interrupted her by firing in her direction. She was barely able to dive to the floor in time. The wall was badly scorched, and she was well aware that if she'd been a moment too late with that dive, she would now be a pile of dust dirtying his floor. Still, it would take him less than a second to adjust his aim, and she knew a Gatling laser could easily blast through a crappy sofa. Before she could think of a way to save her skin however, a familiar voice shouted over the Gatling laser, prompting Moreno to stop firing.

"ORION MORENO!" The Gatling laser stopped roaring, and Veronica breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't see what was going on because of the sofa, so she got into a crouch and poked her head over it. Arcade had entered the room, and he was walking slowly towards Moreno. Against all forms of logic or reason, he hadn't drawn his plasma defender yet.

"You dare talk to me?!" Moreno growled, turning his Gatling laser on Arcade as he did so. "You burst into my home, intent on kicking me out when you have no claim to this land, and YOU DARE TALK TO ME?! PREPARE TO BE A PILE OF FUCKING ASH YOU NCR CU…"

"I'm not with the NCR." Arcade interrupted sternly. "I'm Arcade Gannon; I escaped Navarro with you, Judah and the others." Moreno tilted his head to the side, and lowered his Gatling laser for a moment. The very second Veronica thought about charging however, he violently shook his head before pointing his oversized gun at Arcade again.

"I don't believe you. If you're Gannon…FUCKING PROVE IT!"

"'Kiss America goodbye boys.'" Arcade quoted calmly, causing Moreno's eyes to widen significantly. "That's what you said to us as we left Navarro. You were mourning the loss of the Enclave…and you never really stopped." Moreno lowered his gun again, and his mouth hung open as he realised who he was talking to.

"Arcade? Is that really you?" He asked in utter disbelief.

"In the flesh." Arcade said with a genuine, warm smile. Veronica breathed a sigh of relief, as it seemed the doctor had the situation well in hand. Maybe she'd been wrong; maybe it was actually possible for him to resolve this situation without bloodshed. Still completely stunned, Moreno stepped closer, dropping his Gatling laser in the process. It looked like he was about to give Arcade a hug, and Veronica felt her heart swell…but then her grabbed the good doctor by the throat and lifted him off the floor with one hand. He slammed Arcade against the wall, before roaring in his face.

"YOU TRAITOROUS LITTLE SHIT!" He bellowed. "You saw firsthand what the NCR did to Navarro…what they did to your mother…" She was shocked to see a single tear run down the man's cheek. "…and you have the GALL to join them?! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"First of all, he's not with the NCR, and neither am I." Veronica said slowly as she got to her feet. "Second: drop him before I empty my clip into your ribcage." She said the last part in the most threatening tone she could manage, before rapidly pulling a tiny 9mm pistol (Given to her by Campbell that very morning) out of her sleeve and pointing it at his chest. He turned to look at her, no trace of fear on his face whatsoever.

"Go ahead little girl." He said mockingly, causing Veronica to bristle angrily. Like Layla the day before, she decided to ignore the 'Thou Shalt not Harm Remnants' rule.

"I hope you're ready to piss blood." With that, she fired the bullet right at Moreno's midsection. He recoiled slightly as the bullet flew into him, but otherwise showed no visible reaction. She had just shot him, but he was calmly standing there as if nothing had happened; what was she supposed to do in this situation? "Uh…this is the part where you're supposed to fall down." She informed him in a perturbed tone. He responded by narrowing his eyes, and flashing her a cruel grin.

"I have other ideas." He remarked, before throwing Arcade at her.

"Shi…" Veronica didn't have time to finish her expletive before the 6ft tall doctor flew into her, knocking the air out of her lungs and sending her crashing to the floor. Her gun flew from her hand as she was knocked down, landing in some random corner of the room. By the time she'd managed to get Arcade off her, Moreno had walked around to the front of the sofa. He looked down at her for a moment, before bringing a large, meaty foot crashing down on her head. Veronica moved to the side to avoid being heavily concussed by the old man's boot, before getting to her feet as quickly as she was able. He calmly cracked his neck, before doing the same to his knuckles and stepping closer.

"Veronica…" Arcade said weakly from beneath her. "…don't hurt him. We're trying to deal with this peacefully. Don't fight him."

"Arcade…" Veronica began, as she got into a fighting pose. "Shut the fuck up." With that she jumped onto the sofa, before using the extra height to kick Moreno in the face. He calmly caught her foot mid kick however, before pushing her backwards. She tumbled over and off the sofa, landing on her backside behind it. No sooner had she gotten to her feet, than Moreno stomped over to her and slapped her in the face. She shot back against the wall, but recovered quickly before punching him with her power fist. He grabbed her wrist mid-strike however, and wrenched it behind her head. While she gritted her teeth to ignore the pain, he pulled her power first off with his free hand and tossed it across the room, before grabbing Veronica's head and slamming it against the wall. Her head started spinning as it collided with the wall, but she ignored the pain, instead allowing her body to go limp. The brute behind her noticed her body go limp and, convinced he'd knocked her out, loosened his grip on her. The second the opportunity arose, she broke free from his grasp, and her elbow shot back, before colliding with his jaw. She then spun around, before delivering a kick to his midsection. To her horror however, it was like kicking a brick wall.

The giant of a man smiled down at her, before delivering a punch of his own. There was obviously an ungodly amount of force behind the blow, but it was slow, meaning Veronica had little trouble dodging it. She hopped back, before darting behind the giant. He quickly spun around however, before calmly kicking her back with a brutal kick. The strike knocked her off her feet, and she flew a short distance before colliding with the fridge. _Holy crap he's strong. _She thought as she bounced off the fridge, and landed on all fours on the floor. Looking quite confident, he casually sauntered up to her. Using the handle on the fridge door for support, she slowly got to her feet. _Okay, he's built like a truck and being hit by him feels like having one crash into you. I need a plan here._ Since ordinary attacks were clearly ineffective against him, Veronica looked around for some way to hurt him. She spotted a fork on the kitchen counter next to the fridge, and her eyes brightened.

"Come on little girl; I haven't got all day." He jeered as he closed in on her. She responded by smiling sweetly, before grabbing the fork, lunging forwards and stabbing it into his chest. He winced slightly in pain, but only for a moment, otherwise showing little reaction. _You have got to be shitting me. _His opponent thought, utterly shocked as the man stood there with a fork in his pectoral. Even as blood started to stain his jacket, he didn't react, instead bringing both his fists crashing down on her head. She darted back seconds before having her skull caved in, but he was through playing around. He followed her, before bringing one of his large fists shooting forwards, right into her gut. Her eyes widened, and she stumbled back into the fridge. He grinned before running after her, grabbing her head and slamming it back into the fridge door. A jolt of pain passed through her skull, but she shook it off, before kicking him in the crotch. To her continued amazement/annoyance, he stood there like nothing had happened.

"Oh come on!" She yelled in frustration. He smirked, be pulling his arm back and trying to punch her in the face. She ducked at the last second however, prompting his punch to dent the fridge door. While he pulled his hand free, she dashed over to his sink. Still dizzied from all the shots to her head, she took a moment to catch her breath, which he used to stomp ever closer. She was completely unaware of this, but as Arcade got onto his hands and knees, he saw Moreno get closer and closer.

"Veronica!" He called, but by then Moreno had already grabbed the back of her head and slammed it into the kitchen counter. _Ow. _Veronica thought, dazed as her head took another blow. Moreno laughed, before pulling her head back, intending to slam it downwards again. Not ready to give him the chance, Veronica reached into the kitchen sink, and found a knife. As he prepared to slam her head down, she stabbed the knife into his hand. This time, he reacted, hissing in pain and letting go of her head to examine his hand. Veronica immediately seized this opportunity, grabbing a plate from the sink before smashing it over his head. His only reaction was to grit his teeth in anger, before headbutting her. She caught his head in her hands however, before slamming it down onto a glass sitting on the counter, smashing it and imbedding glass shards in the giant's skull. He roared in anger and pain, while Veronica grabbed a frying pan from the sink and struck him across the jaw with it.

He stumbled backwards, and she promptly ran after him before swinging the pan at him again. She hit his skull, before swinging it at his jaw again. She cracked one of his teeth, but she wasn't done, instead hitting him in the face. His glasses were shattered, and his head shot back. She prepared to hit him again, when his head suddenly shot forwards; right into her face. She stumbled back, dropping the pan in the process, and he grabbed her by the throat before running full pelt into the far wall. The wall crumbled under the force of the impact, sending the two combatants into another room. Literally seconds after being slammed through a wall, Veronica was thrown across a room, landing a few feet away in a daze.

Moreno was clearly enjoying this, while Veronica's head felt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer. There was an annoying pain in her nose, and as she brought a hand to it, she realised his last headbutt had broken it. Blood was pouring from her nostrils, and she wiped it away as she shakily got to her feet.

"That all you got?" She asked with obviously fake confidence, and the giant laughed before stomping towards her. As he neared, she quickly took stock of the room. They were in what seemed to be a storage room, as random crap littered the area. There was an old baseball bat on the floor, and she scooped it up off the floor before rushing Moreno. _Time to take a page out of Layla's book: If your fists aren't working, find the nearest blunt object and start swinging! _She grinned malevolently, before swinging the bat right at her elderly opponent's face…only for him to grab the bat midway through her attack. He ripped it from her grasp, and calmly ripped it in half before throwing it away. _Of course. _Veronica thought, narrowing her eyes in annoyance as Moreno's fist flew towards her face.

She blocked the punch (Severely bruising her hands), before delivering her own punch to Moreno's throat, since that was all she could reach. She shot a few rapid blows at his upper torso, before darting to the side and kicking him in the hip. Seeking to end this, she leapt up so that she was level with his face, before trying to punch it. Moreno caused her significant ire however before firmly grabbing her fist. Before she could swear however, he brutally struck her with the back of his hand, before letting go of her fist and shooting his knee up into her gut. The knee strike actually knocked Veronica off her feet, and she landed painfully face first on the floor.

Convinced she was done for; Moreno knelt down, pulled her hood down and spat on her head. Even though she was looking at the floor, Veronica was well aware of what he had done, and her vision turned red. He moved to get to his feet, but was surprised as Veronica's fist shot up, catching him under the chin. While he fell onto his back, she got into a crouch and grabbed two empty beer bottles from the floor, one in each hand. and Moreno swiftly followed. He aimed a punch at her jaw but she ducked low to avoid it, before striking him in the jaw with the end of one of her bottles. While he was dazed, she swung the bottle at his face, shattering it in the process. Her blood was boiling, and she roared a battle cry before smashing her other bottle over his head. Now possessing a great amount of glass shards in his head, Moreno stumbled back to the hole in the wall, dazed beyond belief. Veronica grinned a sadistic grin (Eerily similar to Layla's), before driving both her broken bottles forwards and stabbing the towering man in the gut. A pained expression appeared on his face, and she left the shards in his gut before leaping up, and bringing both her fists crashing down on his head. He toppled backwards, falling through the hole in the wall and making a loud thump as he hit the floor. Veronica breathed a sigh of relief, before walking back through the hole. She stepped over the body, and walked over to the sofa, breathing heavily.

"I think I got him." She grinned tiredly and looked over to Arcade, only to see that he was looking behind her. She turned around just in time to see Moreno's fist collide with her jaw.

"Try harder kid." He spat as his punch knocked the former scribe over the sofa. She landed at Arcade's feet, while Moreno walked around the sofa towards her. The doctor drew his plasma defender, but was clearly nervous about using it.

"Shoot him!" Veronica shouted as she started getting to her feet. Her plea fell on deaf ears however, as Arcade was clearly unwilling to shoot a Remnant. Moreno took full advantage of this. He ripped the plasma defender from Arcade's grasp, before looking at it for a moment.

"Nice gun." He said sincerely, before striking the side of Arcade's head with the butt of the gun. The doctor went out like a light, dropping to the floor with blood running down the side of his head.

"Arcade!" Veronica cried, before glaring at Moreno. "Why did you do that?!"

"He betrayed the Enclave." Moreno said sternly as he looked down at Arcade's unconscious form.

"The Enclave's dead you fucking senile idiot! Besides, he didn't betray anything, because he's not with the NCR, and neither am I! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK FUCKING SKULL!" Veronica shouted at the Remnant, but her words failed to sway him.

"You lie just as well as the other NCR bastards." Veronica shook her head, growing very fed up with this encounter.

"You know what? Fuck you." With that, Veronica leapt over the sofa, before running for her power fist, which Moreno had thrown away earlier. He fired the plasma defender at her, but she kept running, causing the slow moving plasma bolts to miss completely. She reached her fist a few seconds later, but Moreno immediately charged her, attempting to tackle her into the wall. She darted to the side however before sweeping her leg out, knocking Moreno off his feet. His head collided with the wall, and Veronica took the opportunity to run for it.

She bolted through the doorway next to the hole in the wall, and quickly made her way down the corridor. She then slipped into a nearby room, before ducking behind the bed while she put her power fist on. The room was much larger than the store room, and seemed to be a bedroom. Despite the size of the room there wasn't much furniture, just a bed and an aged wardrobe. No sooner had she put her power fist back on than Moreno kicked the door off its hinges. He was hidden from view since she was hiding behind the bed, but she looked under the bed and saw that he was walking closer. She took a deep breath, before rolling under the bed so that she stopped at his feet and kicking upwards. Her foot hit him in the crotch, startling him enough to make him drop the Gatling laser he was carrying. The plasma defender was on his belt, so she sprung to her feet and kicked it across the room. She then tried to leave a fist shaped indentation in his face, only for him to grab her arm mid punch and push her past him. She hit the wall a few seconds later, before turning to face him as his great fist flew towards her face. She moved quickly to the side to dodge the blow, causing his fist to go through the wall. She darted behind him and tried to punch him in the back with her power fist. She was interrupted however as he ripped his hand free from the wall, and immediately elbowed her in the face.

She stumbled backwards, landing on the bed as her head started to swim again. Moreno turned towards her and grinned, while crippling pain shot through her head. _Ow. _Veronica thought for the second day as Moreno stepped closer. _Ow._ She thought for the third time. _My head really…really hurts. _She looked up at her opponent, and saw that he was practically laughing at her. _Oh no._ She thought with conviction. _Oh no, I am not letting this fucking ogre beat me. I swear to God, he is going to be breathing through a tube when I'm done with him! _She spat some blood to the floor, and shook her head vigorously, before hopping to her feet. While Moreno stepped closer, she jumped back, landing on the bed. She briefly bounced on the bed before leaping forwards, aiming a power first punch at Moreno's head. Once again however, he caught her fist, while also catching her, wrapping an arm around her to keep her in his grasp while using his free hand to stop her punch. He had blocked her punches plenty of times before, but this time, she was ready.

Moreno looked extremely confident…until Veronica used her other arm to elbow him in the face. He lost his grip on her, and she landed on the floor before jumping upwards again, this time catching him under the chin with her knee. He stumbled backwards, mildly dazed, and she saw her chance. Her eyes narrowed, and she charged forwards. She leapt into the air as she ran, and pulled her arm back. With every last ounce of strength left in her body, she shot her power fist hand forward, hitting Moreno in the face with a running, leaping power fist punch. Needless to say, the attack was devastating. His head shot back, and the force of the blow knocked him right through the wall. He landed in a heap in the corridor, surrounded by rubble, and Veronica landed in front of him.

Her power fist hand hurt like hell, her entire body ached and her head felt like a super mutant behemoth had sat on it…but she had won. She breathed a sigh of relief, and walked back to the living room, mentally celebrating all the way. _Yes! _She thought proudly. _I won! I beat a man who's been fighting longer than I've been alive! I…beat up an old man…Hey! He was a tough old man! A very, very tough old man! I can take pride in this accomplishment! _Taking a break from her thoughts for the moment, she leant against the wall to get her breath back. She closed her eyes as she leant, wincing slightly from the pain filling her skull. _Ow._ She thought for the fourth time that day, completely unaware of the loud footsteps coming down the corridor. She only heard them when they were right behind her, and she spun around…just as Orion Moreno punched her in the face.

This time she didn't even think _Ow_, she just dropped right to the floor. That was likely the most powerful punch she had ever felt in her entire life. She'd been punched many times, but that…that was something else. It seemed like Moreno had put all his strength into that punch, and she was certainly feeling the effects. The pain in her head intensified as her brain bounced around in her skull. Her vision started to blur, and it suddenly became difficult to stay conscious. She looked up at her opponent, and he seemed to be sneering at her as her vision darkened. He said something, but it sounded like his voice was coming from miles away. Despite her attempts to stay awake, she blacked out for a moment, temporarily leaving the land of the conscious. She opened her eyes an unknown amount of time later…just in time to see a blurry shape do something to another blurry shape. Through a great effort of will, she managed to focus her vision for the moment, and realised that Arcade had stabbed Moreno in the neck with a syringe. He seemed unimpressed.

"You're actually trying to stop me with a fucking injection?" He laughed boisterously, his voice suddenly coming in clear. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" The words had barely had time to leave his mouth however, before he started to sway on his feet. From her position on the floor, Veronica could just see a confident smirk on Arcade's face.

"I think I'm the guy who just injected you with a tranquiliser strong enough to drop a deathclaw." Arcade retorted. Moreno started to drool, and his eyes slowly closed. He was still swaying, dangerously close to toppling over, and Veronica began to seriously worry that he might fall on her. Fortunately, Arcade lightly kicked him, causing him to faint backwards instead of forwards. He hit the ground with a mighty thud, and Veronica passed out again.

The next thing she knew, she was sat on a sofa in the living room, with Arcade pressing a cold compress against her head. _Where the hell did he get that? _She mentally wondered, before deciding that it really didn't matter.

"Did I win?" She asked groggily as he injected her with something. Immediately the pain started to fade away. Whatever he'd injected into her, she liked it.

"No, I did." He replied simply as he took the syringe away, and dabbed her arm with a cloth. Still not possessing all her mental faculties, Veronica pouted.

"But I thought I won." She moaned in a childish tone, and Arcade smiled.

"You nearly did." He said supportively, while wiping some of the blood from her nose using a tissue.

"Moreno was tough."

"Yes he was."

"What are we going to do now?"

"Well I'm going to drag him into a room, paralyse him from the neck down with some drugs, then convince him to help us with the Remnants bunker."

"Sounds fun!" Veronica beamed enthusiastically.

"About as fun as doing dental surgery on yourself with a claw hammer. Anyway, while I do that, you can stay here and get some rest."

"Okey dokey!" She replied in an overly happy fashion, before passing out.

*Layla*

"There's Novac." Campbell pointed out, as he and Layla's destination finally appeared on the horizon.

"About fucking time!" Layla said in an exhausted tone. They'd been walking for most of the day, and she wanted nothing more than to sit down for a few minutes…or an hour…or the rest of the day.

"So…Daisy Whitman's in there?" Campbell asked thoughtfully, stopping for a moment and stroking his chin.

"Apparently." Layla replied, before plopping down in the dirt next to him. "It shouldn't be that hard to find her; Novac's a pretty small place."

"Well according to Arcade, she's pretty sneaky. I guess that's what I'm here for." He stretched for a moment, while Layla lay back on the ground. "I wonder how Veronica and Arcade are getting on." Almost immediately, a high pitched beeping sound emerged from within Campbell's jacket. "Speak of the devil." He grinned, before taking his radio out of his jacket pocket and answering it.

"Remnants Retrieval Service, Campbell speaking. What's up?" Layla couldn't actually hear what was being said on the other end of the radio, but the voice sounded distinctly male, meaning it was likely the caller was Arcade. "Really? Wow, you guys made good time. So have you…oh, you have. Really? Yes, I remember our bet. So how'd it go? Negotiation didn't work? Well you did make it sound like he was a psychopath. Still, he couldn't have been much trouble for Veronica right?" Arcade spoke for a while after that, leaving Campbell silent. Arcade's words caused a concerned look to appear on the merc's face, making Layla begin to worry. "Really? He did what? Wow…this guy sounds…formidable. Is she okay? Damn…sounds like he did a number on her. Do you think…I see…okay then, if you say so. Look after her super doc, and we'll see you in Novac tonight. Bye." With that, Campbell returned the radio to his pocket. He noticed the worried look on Layla's face, and quickly reassured her. "Veronica's fine."

"What happened?"

"The Remnant was a little…psychotic."

"I'm shocked." Layla said sarcastically. "The ones we've met so far have been glowing examples of sanity."

"Yeah well, he was also tough. Very tough." Layla flashed back to her fight (If her getting kicked around for less than a minute could be called a 'fight') with Judah Kreger, and her worry grew.

"What did he do to her?"

"Veronica put up a good fight, and she nearly beat him but…"

"What did he do to her?" She repeated, but more sternly this time. Campbell sighed before answering.

"She got beat up, but it wasn't that bad. She left the battle with a broken nose and some head trauma. You get worse injuries than that on a weekly basis." Realising he was right, Layla let go of her worry and breathed a sigh of relief.

"And what about the Remnant?"

"Arcade sedated him, then managed to convince him to help with the Remnants. Apparently it wasn't easy, but the fact that he'll be working with the Red Blade Witch was a big help. According to Arcade, he hates the NCR just as much as you do."

"That's great; we'll have something to talk about before I chop his legs off and leave him in a radscorpion nest for harming Veronica." Layla said darkly, already daydreaming about killing Orion Moreno.

"Wow…sounds like you really **love **Veronica." Layla narrowed her eyes.

"Shut up." Campbell chuckled to himself, before looking into the sky and idly doing some tricks with his coin. "Hey…didn't you mention a bet?"

"Oh…that. Yeah, Arcade and I made a bet to see which of us could recruit our Remnant first. The loser has to give the winner a back massage." A huge grin appeared on Layla's face.

"Wow…he's not being subtle at all is he?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh come on! It's SO obvious that he wants you."

"Okay, first of all: everybody wants me. Second: remember what your dad said: assuming makes an **ass **out of **u **and** me.**" A shocked look appeared on Layla's face.

"How did you…"

"I heard your discussion with Veronica last night." Layla's jaw formed an O shape so large, it was dangerously comical. The only way she'd be able to truly express the sheer amount of shock that filled her was if a giant exclamation mark appeared above her head. "I have VERY good hearing." He explained.

"Remind me to kill you later."

"Veronica will love that. Oh, that would be a good bonding experience for you two! It'd be the perfect time for you to express your feelings to her! You can kiss passionately while my corpse decomposes in the background."

"I see now why Veronica finds you so annoying."

"She loves me really."

"Yes, that special kind of love where one person desperately wants to kill another."

"Sarcasm? My dear, it seems you're learning. This shouldn't be surprising though; you **did **learn from Veronica after all."

"Quote our discussion again and I **will **gut you." Veronica was usually light with her death threats, but Campbell knew for a fact that Layla had no such shortcoming. If she wanted to kill someone, then she'd damn well do it. To preserve his life, he decided to ease up on the quips with Layla for the moment.

"Shutting up now."

"It's a miracle."

"Enjoy it while it lasts." The banter ceased as the duo continued onwards, quickly reaching the town of Novac. They walked into the small town a short while later, and Layla was reminded why she'd never returned to this place after reaching New Vegas. Novac was the largest town in the wastes, but it was noticeably unimpressive next to the towering giant that was New Vegas. If Vegas was a huge, luxurious mansion with all the comforts one could ever want, then Novac was the shit coated outhouse outside. As they entered the town they walked past several houses, one of which Layla recognised. During her journey to New Vegas she'd done a job for the owners of that house. She'd been tasked with finding out who or what had been killing the owners' brahmin, and quickly found that the culprit was a nightkin short on sanity armed with a minigun. He'd been so busy shooting brahmin that he hadn't noticed Layla until her club had shattered his skull like a hard boot stomping on an egg.

She smiled at the memory, but the smile faded as they passed another house she recognised. That house _The psycho burning in her…wild slashes left and right…blood splattering all over the place…women screaming…a man's entrails falling on the floor…pure rage…_that house contained memories that Layla would prefer remained hidden. Unfortunately, Campbell was as sharp as her katana, and he instantly detected her discomfort.

"Something wrong?" He asked, stopping as he did so. Layla stopped too, and just barely managed to move her gaze away from the house, looking at the ground instead.

"That house…brings back some memories." She replied slowly, with obvious discomfort.

"Pleasant memories obviously." The merc said sarcastically.

"Some…bad things happened in that house." Layla sounded truly disturbed about the memories the house brought up, and the unease in her voice was truly surprising…even to her.

"Care to talk about it?"

"No."

"I've told you everything about me."

"You haven't told me about what you did to the leaders of the Omertas." Campbell froze, clearly surprised that she'd brought that up.

"Touché." He replied slowly, as Layla stepped closer to the house. She seemed as though she was in a trace, and she didn't stop moving until she felt Campbell's hand on her shoulder. "Layla, I've never seen you sound this freaked out before. What the hell happened in there?" There was obvious concern in his voice, concern that proved to smash through Layla's thick outer shell. She sighed, then took a deep breath before revealing all.

"I…killed some people in there." Only when she said it out loud did she realise how stupid this revelation sounded when coming from her. Campbell didn't seem impressed.

"Well I can see why murder would disturb **you **of all people." He said sarcastically, and Layla shook her head.

"No…this wasn't my usual thing."

"How so?"

"The people I killed…didn't deserve it." Campbell raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"Go on." Layla's hands began to idly play with her hair as she shook Campbell's hand off her shoulder and walked slightly closer to the house.

"Okay…in the days following the Bitter Springs…thing…I had a problem."

"Some would say you have problems now."

"This wasn't one of my usual problems." She curled a strand of hair tightly around her finger, cutting off all blood circulation to the digit. "I had…an addiction." She could practically hear Campbell's eyebrow raise until it shot right off his face.

"You?" He asked in disbelief. She nodded, before remembering that she had her back to him and replying verbally.

"Yep." There was a brief pause, before Campbell worked up the courage to ask the obvious question.

"What were you addicted to?"

"Psycho." She paused for a moment to let that sink in, before continuing. "Back in those days…I wasn't as tough as I am now. I needed to be tough though…I needed power to defend myself and kill my enemies…so I turned to psycho. It helped me win just about any battle I took part in, but the rage…" She shuddered slightly, and violently shook her head to make the memories go away. "…Jesus Christ Campbell, the rage was horrifying. You think I'm bad now? I killed innocent people while on that stuff…people I didn't even know…sometimes I even killed kids. I'd wake up in a pool of blood, the night before a red tinted haze, and find myself surrounded by the corpses of strangers." She started shaking, and it took a great effort of will to keep herself still.

"And that's what happened here?" She nodded again, forgetting this time that she had her back to him and he couldn't see her nod.

"The memory's hazy like the rest but…I remember stabbing…blood…people screaming. I woke up the next morning and there were…" She strained her brain, trying to recall the memory. "…four…no, three! Three corpses. A woman…a man…and…" She tapped the side of her head, trying to get the memory to come back. "…another woman…no, a man…no wait…it **was** a woman…an older woman. A couple, and an old woman…maybe a mother to one of them. I killed them all in a mad fury." She looked intensely at the house, and felt guilt stab her heart like a knife. "I tried to quit, but I'd keep using the psycho every so often. I even used it after getting a bullet to the head. The last time I used it was at Hoover Dam, but I haven't touched the stuff since." She went silent, waiting for Campbell's response.

"I…I didn't know." He said. She almost scoffed, surprised that that was the best thing he could think to say. His ability to comfort people was beginning to match hers.

"I've taken pains to make sure nobody knows." She replied bitterly. "Even Veronica doesn't know." She turned to him, fingers still in her hair, but a serious look now on her face. "I'd prefer if it stayed that way."

"Of course." He said kindly. "But an addiction is nothing to be ashamed of."

"I beg to differ." She turned back to the house. "I've kicked it now…but I'd like it to stay buried in my past." Campbell nodded, before remembering that she had her back to him and responding verbally.

"I won't tell a soul. You can tell Veronica when you're ready."

"If she ever speaks to me again." Layla stared at the house, a strange look on her face. "I murdered all the house's occupants…I wonder who lives there now?" She stepped forwards, only to be pulled back by Campbell.

"Whoever it is, I'm sure they wouldn't respond well to meeting the crazy woman that killed the previous occupants of their house." He said carefully, snapping Layla out of her trance.

"Fair enough." She said quietly, before turning and walking towards the motel, with Campbell in tow. "So…how are we going to find this Remnant bitch?" She asked, blatantly changing the subject.

"How do you know she's a bitch?"

"Well let's see; one Remnant paralysed you for an hour, another beat the crap out of me, and yet another beat the crap out of Veronica. I'm expecting the next one to shoot me in the face with a shotgun as soon as I introduce myself." Campbell smiled.

"They've been a little…abrasive, I'll give you that. As for finding **this **one, I think that…" He stopped suddenly, as a sight behind him seemed to attract his attention. Before Layla could follow his gaze, he looked back at her and continued. "…we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Novac has roughly the diameter of a toadstool; do we really need to split up?"

"From what Arcade told me, this woman is **very **good at remaining hidden. She didn't take part in combat with the Remnants once, and that's mostly because none of the enemy ever saw her. Granted she was flying the vertibird most of the time, but even when she wasn't, she was never once shot at by the opposition."

"Still…splitting up?" Campbell didn't budge, so Layla sighed. "Alright fine, but just remember that the last time I split up with my partner to find a Remnant, I got beaten up by a senior citizen. I won't be there to help you if that happens to you." To her surprise, Campbell chuckled lightly.

"Layla, I've likely got more guns on me than we'll actually find in the bunker. One old woman isn't going to give me any problems."

"I'm an expert killing machine, while Veronica is a highly skilled martial artists armed with a fist that can punch people's heads off; we both lost to a Remnant. Do you really think you'll have any luck?" Campbell pulled out his powerful 12.7mm pistol, and briefly spun it around in his hand, grinning all the while.

"I'll take my chances." He said confidently, before returning his pistol to the inside of his trenchcoat and casually walking away. Layla shook her head, before making her way towards the Dino Dee-lite Motel (Christ she hated that name). She quickly reached the offices, and was about to walk in when she noticed a familiar man walk past.

"Cliff?" She asked the man. "Cliff Briscoe?" He stopped in his tracks, before turning to her with a surprised look on his face.

"Hi." He said in a friendly tone. "Do I know you?"

"You probably don't remember me, but I shopped at your store once." The man looked positively gobsmacked, and his expression brightened significantly.

"Really?" He asked in disbelief, and Layla nodded. "Oh wow! Did…did you buy one of the T-Rex souvenirs?" He seemed ecstatic at the thought that somebody had bought one of those damned things. Layla hadn't bought one of course (What sane human would?), but she knew that if she told him that, he wouldn't let her leave until she **did **buy one. The man was obsessed with selling the things for some reason.

"I bought twelve." She lied with a friendly smile. "And I let you keep the change." Cliff beamed happily.

"Really? Wow…I don't know how I could've forgotten that. You're probably the best customer I've ever had." He stopped grinning dopily for a moment to notice that Layla was standing near the motel's office. "You heading to the office?" He asked curiously.

"Yup. I was going to talk to the owner."

"You mean Jeannie May?" Layla had no idea, so she merely shrugged. "Didn't you hear? Jeannie May died a few weeks ago." Having not known the woman, Layla couldn't feel any semblance of grief. Cliff clearly could however; it seemed like it was painful for him to even talk about this. "She just walked out of the office, when her head suddenly exploded. Manny said it must have been a sniper. I…I just don't know why someone would ever consider killing a sweet old girl like Jeannie May. Me and the customers at the motel were devastated. Daisy and I buried Jeannie out in the desert, while Manny stood watch from inside the dinosaur." Layla had started zoning out midway through Cliff's rambling, but she snapped to attention when she heard Daisy's name.

"Daisy? Daisy Whitman?" Cliff nodded slowly, obviously wondering what Layla wanted with an old woman like Daisy. "What a coincidence, I'm actually here looking for her!"

"Why?" Layla quickly scrambled for a lie.

"I'm a courier; I have a package for her." She replied, surprised at how convincing she sounded. _They say the easiest lies are the ones with a grain of truth in them. _She thought triumphantly as Cliff seemed to believe her excuse.

"Oh well I'm sure Daisy will be pleased by that; she rarely gets visitors." He pointed to Daisy's apartment, and Layla thanked him before heading on her way. She considered calling Campbell, but remembered that she didn't actually own a radio; Arcade and Campbell had the only ones. _Fine. _She thought confidently. _I don't need Campbell anyway._ She sprinted across the empty lot to the stairs before heading up. A few seconds later she was on the upper balcony, right outside Daisy Whitman's room. Despite the fear that she was going to get shot, or at the very least, brutally beaten up again, Layla knocked on the door. She didn't have to wait long before the door opened, and she found herself face to face with her target.

Daisy Whitman very much seemed to fit the stereotype of a kindly old lady. What little of her hair could be seen was completely grey, and her shrivelled face was lined with wrinkles. She wore a plain cream coloured dress and an aqua coloured scarf with a straw cowboy hat on her head.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" She asked in a friendly tone, and Layla found herself relaxing.

"Ms Whitman?" She asked politely.

"Yes." Whitman replied simply, and Layla smiled.

"My name's Layla, and I'm here to talk to you about the Enclave." She expected that to be the line that set the old woman off, but to her surprise, Daisy didn't react in the slightest. Either she was as casual about her past as Doc Henry…or she was a **very **good actress.

"The Enclave? Why, I haven't heard that name in years." She said wistfully, before chuckling lightly to herself and opening the door wider. Layla was still expecting to be blasted in the face with a shotgun, but Daisy showed no sign of ill intent as she opened the door completely and stood in the doorway. "You'd better come in dear." She held out an arm, and Layla's smile widened as she walked in. The room was small, but noticeably cosy. Sunlight shone through the shutters, illuminating the entire room and coating everything in an orange glow.

Whitman shut the door behind her, and as Layla wiped her feet on the doormat, she decided to consider the possibility that she'd been wrong about this particular Remnant. Daisy had a noticeable grandmotherly vibe to her, and seemed more like the kind of woman that would bake you a tray of cookies than draw a shotgun and shoot you between the eyes. She felt herself relaxing…which came back to bite her in the ass.

"Oh dearie?" Layla turned to the sound of the voice, and quickly noticed two things. The first was the fact that the door had been locked by a chain, and the second one that Ms Whitman had a bizarre looking gun in her hand.

"What is…" Layla started to ask, only to be cut off as Whitman fired the gun. The strange weapon fired a concentrated stream of electricity towards Layla, similar to a pulse gun. The main difference between this gun and a pulse gun however, was that this gun was effective against more than just machinery. The red haired one screamed in pain as the stream hit her, sending electricity coursing throughout her body. The pain receptors in her body went haywire, and her very being radiated utter agony. The pain only lasted a few seconds, but when it was finished, everything went blurry for a few seconds. Layla tried to move despite the fact that her vision had failed, but her entire body was numb; she literally couldn't feel anything. Her vision returned a few seconds later and she found herself face to face with Whitman's carpet. She realised that she must've fallen over, but had remained oblivious to the fact since she couldn't feel anything. She tried to move, but her body wouldn't obey her brain's commands, leaving her lying there as Whitman did God only knows what.

Layla passed out a few seconds later, and when she regained consciousness, she was tied to a wooden chair. After some experimental movements, she found that she could move again, and full feeling had returned to her body. She had no idea how long she'd been out, but no light was pouring through the shutters, and the room was lit only by a single lamp in a far corner. Daisy Whitman was stood in front of her…but she looked like a completely different person. Gone was the pleasant, grandmotherly personality, and what replaced it was something much, much darker. Whitman's entire being had changed; her stance was different, as was her body language, and her expression was noticeably cold. Her hat was gone, and she now wore a pair of black leather gloves. Clasped in her glove covered hands was a curved, wickedly sharp knife that had obviously seen a lot of use. Layla immediately took back what she had thought earlier about Whitman not being a psychopath; the eagerness with which the woman fondled the knife told Layla that she wasn't exactly right in the head. _And I should know._

"Why did you come here?" Daisy asked abruptly, surprising Layla with how suddenly the question had been posed. Even her voice had changed; what was once a warm, friendly tone was now a cold, throaty growl. It was obvious that Daisy Whitman was gone, and a very dangerous person had taken her place.

"Ms Whitman…what is this?" Layla asked in as friendly a tone as she could manage, only for Daisy to spit on her.

"In twenty years, not once has somebody mentioned the Enclave to me, then you suddenly come out of nowhere, acting all polite and asking your questions." Daisy slowly stepped closer, a vicious look on her face. "What, did you think I was some senile old coot?" She stepped ever closer, now spinning the knife in her hand as she neared. "Did you think you could just come here and simply ask me all my secrets? Did you expect me to just tell you everything, then not offer any resistance as you put a bullet in my head?!"

"Wha…" Layla started to ask, only to be silenced by the back of the woman's hand, as Daisy angrily slapped her across the face.

"I'll be asking the questions here." She hissed, before turning away and walking across the room. Layla took the moment to struggle with her bonds while her captor monologued. "You're obviously not NCR, not with that sword on your hip. Oh, I'm sorry…I meant the sword over there." She pointed to a corner of the room, in which Layla's sword lay, along with every last one of her weapons. Layla had to hand it to the bitch: she was thorough. Daisy sneered at her captive before continuing. "You're not NCR, but you're interested in me. A lot of people are interested in the Enclave, but none of them want the Remnants alive. I don't know who you work for, but I know how I'm going to find out." With no warning whatsoever, Daisy spun around before throwing her knife. It flew rapidly across the room, and Layla closed her eyes as it headed for her skull. The knife found its target a few seconds later, but said target wasn't Layla. The red haired one opened her eyes, and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that the knife was imbedded into the wall next to her head. Whitman walked over and pulled the knife out of the wall, before idly stroking it in her hand. "You are going to tell me everything you know, or I will cut you…and I **will not** be gentle." Flashbacks of Layla's first encounter with Boyd flew into her mind, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.

"Let me save you the trouble." She said confidently, before taking a deep breath and speaking. "As I said, my name is Layla, though I also go by the name: The Red Blade Witch." A flash of recognition appeared in Whitman's eyes, and Layla smirked before continuing. "I'm an enemy of the NCR, and I'm trying to get into the Remnants' bunker so I can get the weapons and technology necessary to fight them. Henry, Johnson, Kreger and Moreno are already on board, and all we need now is you. I swear no harm will come to either you or the other Remnants, and if you help out I can promise you any reward you want." Layla finished, and paused for a moment, smiling and waiting for Whitman to respond. The response was quicker than she expected, and it came in the form of a slash. Layla's smile vanished, and she winced in pain as Daisy's knife flew across her face, cutting into her right cheek and spilling blood.

"Do you think I'm some kind of idiot?" Whitman asked harshly, before striking Layla with the knife's handle. The handle was tough, and Layla soon tasted blood in her mouth.

"I'm telling the truth!" She insisted, only for the knife to slash again. This slash was diagonal, and cut directly into Layla's forehead. She gritted her teeth in anger, while the older woman just glared at her.

"Your story is preposterous, filled with all kinds of glaring holes. How did you find out about the bunker? Why do you need the specific guns that are stored there? If the other Remnants are on board, then why haven't I heard from them? At the very least, they would've given you a pass phrase to say to me, something that would prove that you're telling the truth." Layla's anger bubbled up, as she realised Arcade hadn't given her a phrase to say to Daisy, like he'd given Veronica a phrase to say to Johnson, and he'd prepared himself a phrase to say to Moreno. Maybe he'd told Campbell the phrase but not her? A lot of help that did her now. It didn't matter of course, as the madwoman likely wouldn't have believed her even if she'd shown up with Arcade and every other Remnant in tow.

"It's true!" The knife closed in, and Layla shut up seconds before it cut her. The blade stopped near her cheek, and Daisy leaned her head in.

"Lie to me again, and I'll cut you even deeper. I want the truth."

"I'm giving you the truth!" The blade flew at her chin. "BITCH!" Layla howled, as Whitman cut into the skin directly to the left of Layla's chin. She drove the blade in deeply, before driving it upwards. Layla resisted the urge to cry out, instead growling as more and more blood ran down her chin.

"Who do you work for?"

"Your wrinkled dead mother you fucking bitch!" Layla spat, tired of being nice. Whitman snarled, before pulling the blade out midway up Layla's left cheek. She took a moment to wipe the blood off her blade, before throwing the knife into the air. Layla watched it sail up, and her captor caught it by the blade a few seconds later before striking her across the face with the handle. The blow hit Layla's right cheek, and she could feel it sting from the impact. Whitman flipped the knife so that she was holding it by the handle again, before pointing it right in Layla's face. As the red haired one's hands struggled with the ropes, she saw her own face reflected in the knife's blade. She looked how she felt: utterly pissed off. She was also covered in blood, but that was normal for her so she didn't let it bother her.

"Last chance." Whitman said darkly, as she ran the flat end of the blade across Layla's face. The cold metal chilled her skin, but Layla ignored it. "Who…are…you…working…for?" There was a pause, and Layla took a deep breath before answering.

"Okay fine, I'll tell you." A look of satisfaction appeared on Whitman's face, and she leaned closer to hear Layla's revelation. "I'll tell you…that when I get free, I'm going to do things to you that make this look like a fucking day at the beach." With that, her head shot forwards, striking Whitman in the nose. The old woman recoiled, howling in pain as blood poured from her obviously broken nose. _Looks like she can dish it out, but she can't take it. _Layla thought, while grinning sadistically. She was about to taunt her opponent, when Whitman spun around, knife outstretched. Layla didn't have time to mentally prepare myself before her captor slashed again, this time across the bridge of her nose. Layla shouted out an expletive, while Whitman closed in and pointed the knife at her again, this time inches away from her eye. It was so close that Layla didn't dare blink, lest the knife find itself under her eyelid. She shuddered at the thought.

"I am through playing games with you." Whitman hissed, utter fury in her eyes as blood from her broken nose continued to run down her face. "Tell me the truth, or I will cut your eye out. I've done it before…the man screamed for hours. Unless you want to challenge his record, I suggest you talk." Layla was about to taunt her when, impossibly, the knife moved **even closer **to her eye, though still without cutting it. "Think carefully before you speak, because if the next words out of your mouth aren't what I hear, then you'll be needing an eyepatch very soon." She instinctively began to taunt again, but bit her tongue to stop the taunt from getting out. The bite hurt like hell, but it was certainly better than losing an eye.

With a knife dangerously close to an eye, and a crazy woman nearby who was all too willing to blind her, Layla tried to think of a way out. She was still struggling with the ropes, but it seemed Whitman was an expert at tying knots; she wouldn't be freeing her hands any time soon. She considered screaming for help, in the hopes that somebody outside would hear her and burst in. There were two things wrong with that plan however; 1) She'd lose an eye the moment she screamed, and 2) She'd already been screaming plenty already but nobody had come to help, so it was likely that the walls of Whitman's room were soundproofed. _Great._ Layla started thinking about what last, defiant words she'd say before Whitman robbed her of an eye…when there was a knock at the door. Her eyes widened considerably, while Whitman tensed up like a deer caught in the headlights. She stood there for a while, obviously planning to ignore the knocking, when the door opened a crack. It couldn't open fully because of the chain on it, but it opened enough to allow a familiar voice to make itself heard.

"Ms Whitman?" Campbell called out. "Hello? My name is Campbell, and I'm here to talk to you about the Enclave. I understand my associate Layla came to see you earlier today?" Whitman looked at Layla for a split second before dropping her knife. She grabbed a rag from a nearby shelf and used it to gag Layla, before replying to Campbell.

"Just a minute dearie!" She said in her normal, grandmotherly voice (Or was the interrogation voice her normal one and the grandmotherly voice a fake? It was impossible to tell), before picking up the knife and putting it in one of the pockets on her dress. She pulled the odd gun she'd used on Layla out of another pocket, before heading towards the door. Layla was unable to call out, so she could only turn her head towards the door and watch as Whitman walked towards it. She gripped the gun tightly with one hand, before using the other hand to undo the chain and open the door. The door swung open and she pointed her gun at Campbell…but he was nowhere to be seen. "What the…" Whitman muttered as she looked outside, but saw no sign of her second guest. Layla was just as confused…until she heard sounds coming from the roof. Whitman was too busy looking outside to notice the sounds, oblivious as the sounds continued, only to stop a few seconds later. She shut the door and walked around to Layla's front, only for the ceiling to explode.

Bricks and rubble rained from above as a hole was blown in the ceiling, and Campbell dropped down. He landed right in front of Layla and her captor, tranq pistol in hand, and fired without hesitation. To both his and Layla's surprise however, Whitman dodged. She rolled to the side with agility surprising for one of her age, before getting to her feet, pointing her gun at Campbell and firing. The electricity surged towards Campbell, and he was clearly as confused about the strange gun as Layla had been. Regardless, he darted to the side to dodge it, before pointing his gun right at his opponent. Whitman pointed hers at him at exactly the same time however, forcing the two of them into a standstill. Both combatants froze, neither willing to fire first. While they stood there, Layla forced the gag out of her mouth and got to her feet, before rushing Whitman. Campbell saw this, and grinned widely as Layla shot her leg out. Whitman wondered why Campbell was smiling, until Layla's foot collided with her back. The kick knocked her forwards, and Campbell promptly fired, hitting her in the neck with a dart. She yelped, before swaying slightly on her feet. Before she could pass out however, she was knocked out instead, as Layla smashed the wooden chair over her head.

"That's for cutting me you fucking bitch." Layla growled as Daisy dropped like a stone to the floor. Now that the chair was broken, she was free to remove the rope from her hands, and she immediately did so before brutally stomping on Whitman. The unconscious woman didn't react.

"Did someone call for a big damn hero?" Campbell asked with a cheesy grin as he returned the tranq pistol to the inside of his trenchcoat.

"You took your sweet fucking time." Layla replied harshly as she went over to the corner of the room where Whitman had left her equipment.

"What can I say? I love to make an entrance."

"Yeah well I love my eyes, and if you'd been a second later, I'd be missing one." She returned her katana to her hip, before sliding That Gun into her thigh holster.

"Come on; you were fine." Campbell argued. Layla let out an annoyed sigh before turning to face Campbell, turning on her Pip Boy light to illuminate her face as she did so. He saw her scars, and his cocky expression faded. "Oh." He said quietly, before looking away from her with an expression of shame on his face. He was silent for a full minute (A new record), while Layla reequipped all her weapons, before speaking again. "Sorry." Seeing the ashamed look on his face, Layla felt a pang of guilt, and her tone softened as she spoke.

"Look, don't worry about it. I'm okay, that's what matters." Campbell nodded, and they both smiled before Layla kicked Whitman, rolling the unconscious woman onto her back. "Oh and by the way…I was right about her being a psychopath."

"No argument here." Campbell replied, while trying desperately hard not to look at Layla's scars out of morbid curiosity. He failed miserably. "So what now?" The feeling of blood on her face was beginning to annoy Layla, and she quickly gave some orders.

"Find another chair, tie her to it, wake her up, and make her join us. I meanwhile, will go wash the blood off my face."

"I'll call Arcade too."

"No, let me do it." Campbell nodded, before drawing his radio and tossing it to her. She caught it in one hand, while using her other hand to move her bangs away from her face so that she wouldn't get blood in her hair. "And if you have a moment, take a look at that gun that she used to electrocute the fuck out of me."

"Will do." Campbell replied with a mock salute, before getting to work. Layla meanwhile went into the ensuite bathroom, before putting the plug in the sink and running the cold tap. She stood there for several moments, letting the sink fill up, before turning the tap off, putting the radio down on the counter, and dunking her face into the cold water. She came up for air a few seconds later, face dripping wet, and remembering that she still had blood in her mouth, spat some into the water. After a few minutes of washing her face and spitting blood, she pulled the plug, grabbed a towel off a nearby rack and started to dry off, while using her free hand to pick up the radio. While she scrubbed her face, she called Arcade on the radio.

"Hello?" He said a few seconds later, and Layla immediately jumped on him.

"Daisy Whitman is a fucking psychopath!" She yelled, undoubtedly scaring the life out of the poor doctor on the other end of the radio.

"I'm sorry?" He asked after a few seconds.

"She was going to cut out my eye!"

"What? Slow down, start again. What's going on?" Layla pressed the towel against her mouth, before screaming at the top of her lungs. Campbell poked his head through the door a few seconds later, only to run as Layla put the towel on her head and used the free hand to draw and fire That Gun, blowing a hole through the door inches away from his head.

"Daisy Whitman electrocuted me, tied me up, cut my face, and threatened to cut out my eye!" She barked into the radio, while putting That Gun down on the counter and continuing to dry her face with the towel. "The bitch is just as paranoid as Kreger but a hell of a lot crazier." There was a long, awkward pause. "Hello?!"

"I…may have dropped the ball on this one." Arcade said in an embarrassed tone, and Layla finished drying her face before throwing the towel at the wall in frustration.

"No shit." She said as she slammed the bathroom door shut.

"Do you remember when I told you Daisy was the Remnant's pilot?"

"Yeah. You said she flew them from place to place, transporting them on their whacky adventures, but that doesn't explain why she was cutting my face." Layla was utterly out of patience, and it showed in her voice.

"In addition to being the pilot…Daisy was also the team's infiltration specialist and interrogation expert." Layla slammed her hand down on the bathroom counter in frustration. "Because she was the most unassuming member of the group, nobody suspected her of being an Enclave agent in disguise. She was skilled enough to infiltrate even the most secure facility, and if she got caught, she was able to use a combination of charm and a kind, warm persona to stop the guards from considering her a threat. She's known for being a simple girl with a love for flying, but that's all part of the fake persona she created to fool people into letting their guard down. In reality, she's cold, ruthless, and dangerous. She was very, very good at her job, and she was also good with a knife. She used that knife to get information out of enemies…and she was very good at that too. I think she enjoyed the work a little too much though. We'd hear more than screaming coming from the interrogation room…sometimes there was laughter too." _'Dropped the ball' was a fucking understatement. _Layla thought angrily as she absorbed this information.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"Yeah…I may have forgotten to mention that."

"MAY HAVE?!" Layla roared into the radio, causing Campbell to poke his head into the room again. She picked That Gun up and pointed it in his direction, an enraged look on her face. He immediately scarpered.

"Look, I'm sorry for forgetting…"

"I'm glad you're sorry, because you're the one who'll be sewing the cuts up." Layla cut him off as she looked at her face in the mirror. Just seeing the scars caused her blood to boil, and she angrily unloaded the rest of That Gun's clip into the mirror. Once the ammo was gone, she angrily threw the gun to the floor.

"…Veronica's okay in case you're wondering." Arcade said a few seconds later, and Layla sighed.

"That's good." She said, trying to calm herself down as she spoke. "I wonder if Veronica will still have a thing for me after she sees my new scars." A small smile appeared on her face, but she detected that Arcade was feeling awkward. "That was a joke." She explained, and heard a relieved sigh from Arcade.

"How bad is it?" He asked suddenly. "Your scarring I mean. How bad is it, if you don't mind me asking?" Layla felt her temper flare again, but she managed to supress it.

"I'll let you judge for yourself when you see it." She replied. "Campbell and I are going to book some rooms at the motel. What time will you and Veronica arrive?"

"We just got on the road a short while ago, so I'd say about two hours, maybe three." Layla nodded, before remembering that Arcade couldn't see her and replying verbally.

"Good. We'll see you soon." Arcade bid her farewell, and the radio went quiet. Layla sighed before picking up That Gun, returning it to her thigh holster, and kicking open the bathroom door. Campbell stared in her in shock as the door slammed open, and she walked out before slamming it shut.

"So how'd the conversation go?" He asked jokingly, and Layla groaned before throwing the radio to him.

"This day's been hell." She replied as he caught it.

"Well maybe this will make you feel better." He replied, before moving to the side, revealing that Daisy Whitman had been tied to a new chair. "I got the chair from the motel office, and while I was there I ran into Cliff Briscoe, the new manager. I told him you sent me, and he seemed to know you so he gave us four rooms, free of charge."

"Good work." Layla said with a genuine smile, before putting a hand to her head. She didn't know if it was because of the electrocution, the torture, the searing rage that had filled her body a short while ago, or the fact that she'd fired a gun numerous times in a small enclosed space where sound echoes, but she felt a painful headache coming on. _Just what I need. _She thought in frustration, before remembering Whitman's weird gun.

"Have you figured out anything about Whitman's gun yet?" She asked as she sat down on the bed next to Campbell.

"Yes: it shoots an electrical blast which paralyses you if it touches you…and it looks really frigging weird." Layla applauded sarcastically, and Campbell took a bow before continuing. "From what I can tell, it seems to be a lot similar to the pulse gun in terms of tech. Like the pulse gun, it fires electricity and uses energy cells as ammo, the main difference being that it focuses on damaging the human nervous system as opposed to short circuiting machinery. I've never heard of such a device, so I don't think this was Enclave standard issue. The weapon seems to be custom built, but who made it, I can't say. After seeing how it works though, one question does come to mind."

"What?"

"Can I keep it?" Layla rolled her eyes before responding.

"Go ahead; you never know when it might prove useful." Campbell beamed at her before putting the gun into a pocket inside his trenchcoat.

"No luck waking Whitman up yet; I think passing out must be a side effect of the gun. It looks like we'll have to wait until she wakes up naturally."

"Fine." Layla said passively, before getting up and walking over to where Whitman had dropped her knife on the floor. It was a truly impressive knife, and Layla picked it up before using her Pip Boy light to examine it closely. She tossed it into the air and caught it a few times, before walking over to Whitman.

"Layla?" Campbell asked nervously as Layla knelt down next to the unconscious, chair bound woman, knife at the ready.

"Yes?" She replied with eerie calmness as she slid the flat end of the blade along Whitman's face.

"What are you doing?" He inquired slowly, and was noticeably chilled as Layla turned to face him, with a happy smile on her face.

"Nothing yet, but very soon I'm going to have my revenge."

"We need her alive you know." He said nervously, and Layla's smile only widened.

"Oh she'll be alive…but she'll wish I'd killed her."

"Can this wait?" Layla didn't reply, content with just looking closely at the knife and grinning. "I'm going to regret asking this…but what are you going to do to her?"

"Well…remember how she was going to cut my eyes out?" He nodded. "I'm going to do the same to her, but I'm also going to deal with her ears, her nose, and her lips…maybe her teeth too if I feel like it. Dental torture has never really been my thing; that shit freaks even **me** out." Before she could continue on her tangent, Campbell butted in.

"Layla…we can't harm her until we get the bunker. Remember what Arcade said?" To his surprise, she laughed.

"Oh, you mean the 'Though Shalt not Harm Remnants' rule?" He nodded slowly. "I think I already broke that by smashing a chair over her head." She smiled as she remembered doing that.

"Still…no horrific torture until **after **we get the Remnants stockpile, okay? I'd rather you didn't torture her at all, but if you really have to, could you please do it after we get what we need from her?" There was a long pause, which Layla eventually broke with a predictably sadistic question.

"Can I at least cut one of her fingers off?"

"No."

"But…"

"If you don't stop, you'll have to stand in the corner in timeout."

"I…"

"Don't make me send you to the corner." Layla looked like she was about to object, but she just sighed before stabbing the knife into the wall next to Whitman. She left it imbedded there, before walking towards the door.

"I'm going to get some air; let me know when the cunt decides to help us." With that, she walked out of the motel room, slamming the door behind her as she did so.

*Two…maybe three hours later*

"Now this is the highlife." Veronica said sarcastically as she found a dead mole rat in the motel bed she would be sleeping in that night. Despite her earlier beating, she looked fine apart from the fact that her nose was heavily bandaged. She groaned in annoyance before picking up the rat, walking over to her open motel door, and kicking the little bastard with all her strength. The corpse went flying over the balcony, and splattered in the empty lot separating the motel from the giant dinosaur statue.

"Beggars can't be choosers." Arcade replied, having to raise his voice to be heard over the water as he washed his hands in the ensuite bathroom.

"I'm not complaining." She called back as she removed the rat stained sheets from the bed, before rolling them into a ball and throwing them over the balcony. "I'm just glad to be sleeping in a bed for a change." As she got some spare sheets from the cupboard and covered the mattress with them, Arcade emerged from the ensuite bathroom, using a towel to dry his hands.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he finished drying his hands. He went back into the bathroom and neatly placed the towel back on the rack, before returning to hear Veronica's response.

"A man with twice the physical strength of your average super mutant punched me in the face earlier today." She replied bitterly. "How do you think I'm feeling?"

"Angry? Frustrated? Embittered?"

"Take all of the above, but add 'Tired as fuck'. I'm going to sleep." With that, she quickly removed her robes, not caring if Arcade saw or not, before sitting back on the bed in her underwear. She kicked her boots into the far wall, before wrapping herself in the blanket and lying back. A delighted moan escaped her lips, and she smiled a content smile. "Oh yeah, this beats sleeping in a tent any day."

"You really should let me take a look at you before you sleep." Arcade said, but Veronica groaned to shut him up.

"I'm tired as hell, and you already said I don't have a concussion, so can I just get some sleep please?" Arcade looked like he was about to argue, but instead he just headed for the door. Before he reached it however, Campbell walked in.

"Evening lady and gent." He greeted them cheerfully. On noticing that Veronica was in bed, he walked over to her, a mischievous grin on his face. "And how is my favourite little ball of unresolved sexual tension doing?" He asked jokingly. Veronica responded by grabbing the lamp on the bedside table and throwing it at him. He barely managed to duck before being brained.

"Sleeping. Fuck off." Veronica replied simply, giving him the finger as she closed her eyes and rolled over so that her face was pressed into the pillow. Not offended in the slightest, Campbell gave her a mock bow before walking out of the room with Arcade. The sky outside was an inky black, and if there were any stars, they were hidden behind a veil of large, darkened clouds.

"She really is an angel isn't she?" He asked sarcastically as Arcade shut the door.

"She's just grumpy because she got beaten up by a senior citizen earlier." Arcade replied with a smirk.

"Yeah…Layla's pretty much the same."

"Where is she anyway?" Campbell pointed up, and Arcade followed his finger to see that Layla was sat on the roof, gazing at the moon with an unreadable expression. He called up to her, but she either couldn't hear him or was ignoring him, so he didn't get a reply. "She seems cheerful."

"Well she's got romantic troubles and had her face cut up earlier, so naturally she's a ray of sunshine at the moment." Campbell drew his coin and twirled it between his fingers, while Arcade continued to look up at Layla, concern on his face.

"How is she? Maybe I should take a look at her cuts." Campbell replied with a 'pshaw'.

"She's fine; she's just acting all broody and shit at the moment. Give her some time to herself."

"She's not going to kill Daisy is she?"

"Probably not. Even if she tries, Daisy's asleep in her room, and the door is locked."

"What if Layla sneaks off to kill her while we're not looking?"

"I…hm…ah!" He snapped his fingers, and had a look on his face that suggested he had just come up with the greatest idea ever. "We should put a bell on her!" The look was…misleading.

"By all means, climb onto the roof, approach the psychotic mass murderer, and try to put a bell on her."

"I'll tell her that the NCR hates bells. She'll wear it in a heartbeat." As he finished, a knife flew down from the roof above. It flew past Campbell's face, inches from his nose, before flying off the balcony and down to the tarmac below. "Call me crazy…no actually, don't, that's much too obvious a setup. Bottom line: I think Layla can hear us." Seeking to test this theory, Arcade turned back to Layla, before shouting upwards.

"Layla! If you can hear us, then give me a sign!" Layla immediately gave him the finger. Arcade shrugged, before turning back to Campbell. "Not the sign I was hoping for, but it did the trick." Campbell smirked, before looking upwards.

"Hey Layla! Would you consider wearing a bell?!" He shouted up to her. Her response was immediate.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Lots of happy ladies tonight." He said sarcastically as he turned back to Arcade. "I thought there'd be a lot more celebration when we recruited all the Remnants. Music, dancing, alcohol…me singing karaoke."

"Karaoke?" Campbell nodded. "No thank you." Campbell looked hurt.

"Don't you want to hear me sing?"

"Whether I do or not is irrelevant, because I **don't** want to have to clean the blood up after Veronica tries to punch your jaw off."

"She and Layla would be tripping over themselves to cut my tongue out." He grinned, but it quickly turned sour as he turned to his left, and looked off the balcony. "Seriously though…I'm worried about those two."

"They're just having a lover's spat." Arcade said comfortingly as he too turned to look off the balcony. "That's the problem with women; they're terrible at figuring out their own emotions."

"Need I remind you that Layla is still within earshot?"

"It's not like she can argue; she's one of the most emotionally screwed up people I've ever met."

"She's getting out That Gun." Campbell remarked with startling casualness as he took a quick glance back at Layla.

"But she is still a lovely woman, and I am beginning to consider actually befriending her!" Arcade continued, raising his voice so that Layla could hear.

"She's taking aim."

"And she needs me, since the Remnants won't obey her without me there to reassure them!"

"She looks conflicted."

"What else is new?"

"The conflict is gone. She's cocking That Gun."

"I trust you took the precaution to empty her gun's magazine earlier just in case she tries to kill Daisy tonight?" Arcade asked confidently.

"You know me well." Campbell replied with a nod in the affirmative.

"What's she doing now? Looking quizzically at her harmless gun I assume?" Arcade looked smug…until Layla's empty magazine hit him in the back of the head. He fell onto his knees hissing in pain, while Campbell looked very amused.

"Actually…she's throwing the magazine at you."

"Thank you for the timely warning." Campbell snickered, before walking forwards and leaning off the balcony railing.

"Don't take it personally; she's just romantically frustrated and taking it out on you because you're the closest human and you're very, very skilled at making yourself a target for thrown objects." He explained to the doctor.

"Thanks, but despite what my orientation would suggest, I have a very good understanding of women. I understand enough to know that I never want a romantic relationship with one." Arcade replied as he got to his feet, rubbing the spot where the mag had hit him as he did so. He briefly kicked the mag away, before walking so that he stood next to Campbell on the edge of the balcony.

"A romantic relationship with a woman is highly preferable to a romantic relationship with me." Arcade's jaw fell, very nearly landing on his foot.

"I'm sorry?" He asked with fake confusion. Campbell smiled a small smile, while shaking his head.

"Come now Arcade; I may suffer from too many mental disorders to count, but I'm not an idiot. Hell, even Layla noticed you have a thing for me, and her 'talent' for noticing feelings is the reason why she's currently brooding on a motel roof. Plus…you do realise I already heard you confess your feelings for me a few nights ago in camp…right?" Arcade looked absolutely mortified, and he slowly backed away from the merc. Campbell calmly turned around, before leaning back against the railing and folding his arms. "Don't worry, I won't force you into some big over the top romantic revelation; that would be silly…Veronica silly." Arcade closed his eyes and pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose, as though he was having a migraine. _Probably shock induced. _Campbell thought casually.

"Was I subtle?" He asked dumbly.

"Were you hell." Campbell replied, not unkindly. Arcade looked like he was about to apologise, but Campbell shushed him. "And for the love of God, don't say sorry. I told you, you can't help who you have feelings for. I mean…come on, this **is **me we're talking about here. When I travel with a group of people, it's practically inevitable that at least one of them falls for me."

"Your humble nature is such an endearing character trait." Arcade quipped, loosening up a bit.

"True, but I think what draws most people is my damn fine ass." Arcade blushed, and Campbell laughed. "Anyway, like I said: don't worry about it." Arcade let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "If you want to apologise, apologise for trying to seduce me." Arcade blushed again, but with far greater intensity. _He looks like a tomato. _Campbell thought, barely resisting the urge to burst into laughter. "That was a joke." Arcade released another, longer breath, before calming down a bit. "I heard Veronica talking with Layla last night, and she expressed concern that you were seducing me. I found it hilarious." A small smile appeared on Arcade's face as he replied.

"Actually…I **was** trying to seduce you." Campbell's smile turned into an O shape, and his eyes widened.

"I…can't tell if you're joking or not." He said slowly, and Arcade's smile turned into a toothy grin.

"The student has become the master." A grin to match Arcade's appeared on Campbell's face.

"You have learned well, my apprentice." He bowed, and that was all the men could take. Nearly in sync, they broke into fits of uncontrollable laughter. Campbell was so lost in his guffaws that he nearly fell back over the balcony railing, but he managed to right himself before he plummeted to his doom. _Wouldn't want to rob the world of such a damn handsome man. _He thought to himself, which caused him start laughing again. A few minutes later, their laughter had died down, and Campbell was sitting on the railing with Arcade leading on it, one hand on his stomach.

"Huh…I've never laughed so hard that it hurt before." He remarked as he calmed down. "It's an…interesting phenomenon." Campbell smirked.

"I'll tell you an interesting phenomenon: the fact that a hilarious man like yourself is still single." Arcade blushed, while turning his head to the right slightly to look away from Campbell.

"Well…you could easily fix that." The doctor commented shyly, causing Campbell to let out an impressed whistle.

"Wow…that's more direct. Kudos."

"I'm sorry." Arcade said, looking ashamed. "I'm being selfish. You're straight and I'm not, so I shouldn't keep bothering you with this."

"It's not your fault." Campbell said soothingly, while turning his head to look up at the moon. "The heart can be a dumbass at times. 'I keep telling you, I can't fall in love with the straight person!' you keep telling it, but the heart won't budge, because in addition to being pretty stupid, it is also as stubborn as…well…as stubborn as Layla I guess." Remembering Layla was above them, he shouted up a quick 'No offense!' to avoid having a knife thrown at him.

"Still, me flirting with you serves no purpose. You can't reciprocate, so the only result of my flirtations is you feeling uncomfortable."

"Have you seen Layla disembowel then bisect a radscorpion? **That **is something to make a man uncomfortable."

"You're trying to deflect my words with a series of light humoured quips aren't you?" Arcade asked unnecessarily.

"Light humoured quips are how I deflect everything. The only thing they can't deflect are bullets…except for that one time, but I was drunk, so I have to call the realism of that situation into question." Arcade smiled, but the smile saddened as he looked over the balcony at the ground below.

"It's typical that I have to fall for a guy who's single." Campbell's easy grin disappeared at those words.

"Wait…you've 'fallen for me'? I thought it was just a crush?"

"It started as that, but it's dangerously approaching the L word territory." Arcade replied in an apologetic tone.

"Ah crap." Campbell turned back to Arcade, a worried look on his face.

"That…was not the reaction I was expecting. From most straight guys, yeah sure…but I thought you'd let me down a bit more gently." Campbell looked down at the floor, his expression darkening by the second.

"This whole L word thing…I'm not worried for the reason you think I'm worried." He said, his tone surprisingly serious.

"I think I'm scaring you by…"

"It's nothing to do with you…it's to do with me." Arcade rolled his eyes.

"Did you just say 'It's not you, it's me'?" He asked incredulously.

"No."

"Well okay, maybe not exactly that, but dangerously similar."

"'It's not you, it's me' is a line used by men that can't think of a way to break up with a romantic partner, either because the break up is a spur of the moment thing, or they're just idiots. We're of incompatible orientations, so I don't need some bullshit reason."

"Then why the sudden seriousness?"

"Because being close to me is seriously detrimental to your health." There was a sad look in Campbell's eyes, and Arcade decided to find out why.

"What are you…" He started to ask, only for Campbell to cut him off.

"Jenny Rollins, my first girlfriend; cause of death: I shot her in the face." Campbell suddenly interrupted, startling Arcade.

"What?"

"Katelyn Sanders, my second girlfriend; cause of death: caught in the crossfire when an angry group of mercs came after me seeking revenge."

"I don't…"

"Liza Fellows, my third girlfriend; cause of death: I got us lost during a date and she ended up getting a machete to the head from a rabid fiend."

"That doesn't…"

"Taylor Fellows, my fourth girlfriend…" Arcade raised his eyebrow, and Campbell shrugged. "Liza had a sister, and we all grieve in different ways. Anyway, she tried to sneak up behind me and give me a surprise hug…and I instinctively stabbed backwards with my ripper…right through her ribcage."

"Okay, I…"

"Maureen Fellows, my fifth girlfriend." Arcade gave him a look that said 'Really?' "Their recently widowed mother." Campbell explained before continuing. "Cause of death: food poisoning." Another 'Really?' look. "Hey, I wasn't always a good chef."

"Alright…"

"Michelle Harper, my sixth girlfriend; cause of death: a bullet through the sternum after I tried to impress her by juggling loaded guns."

"I get the poi…"

"Sandra Martin, my seventh girlfriend; cause of death: after I killed their leader, a group of bandits skinned her alive."

"You can stop no…"

"Janice Bullock, my eighth girlfriend; cause of death: falling out of a window after I tripped and accidentally pushed her."

"That's enou…"

"Debbie and Kelly Richards, my ninth and tenth girlfriends respectively; cause of death…"

"Stop!" Arcade yelled, having gotten the point five girlfriends ago. "I get it! You don't have to keep up with the disturbing stories!"

"Do you?" Campbell asked mournfully. "I'm cursed, okay? That's the only word I can think of to describe it. Every single lover I've had has died horribly and painfully…and every single death was my fault." Arcade didn't seem convinced.

"You're exaggerating."

"No Arcade, I'm not." He said in a tone sterner than any tone he'd ever used when speaking to Arcade. "I have fallen in love over and over again, only to constantly kill my lovers indirectly with my own idiocy. Do you have any idea what that's like?"

"I know what it's like to feel partly responsible for a lover's death." Arcade said sympathetically.

"You mean you and your first boyfriend?" Campbell asked.

"Adrian, yeah." Arcade nodded. "If I'd been more careful…a little less public with my affections…the commander of the Enclave Youth wouldn't have taken action. What I'm saying is…I feel your pain." Campbell shook his head, before getting up off the railing and standing in front of Arcade.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do Arcade…but you really don't." Campbell replied, sounding harsher than he'd intended. "You know what it's like to be indirectly responsible for a lover's death, but do you know what it's like to be indirectly responsible for **seventeen**? I doubt it." He sighed, before looking up into the sky. "My curse is very real, and very potent. Nobody I've coupled with has ever survived it. I dated a badass mercenary once, partly because I believed she'd be able to survive it. She fell into a radscorpion nest without a gun, and I wasn't strong enough to pull her up. I lost my grip, she fell back down, and was swarmed by scorpions. There was nothing left of her afterwards, and she died cursing my name." Campbell turned to Arcade, who had gone completely quiet. "Arcade…even if I was gay…we could never be together, because I know, I just know you wouldn't survive it. I don't want this damned curse to claim anyone else."

"So what you're saying is, no matter your sexuality…we can never, ever be together?" Arcade said quietly, his expression downcast.

"Yes." Campbell replied, and Arcade turned away from him in order to hide the tears that were suddenly rolling their way down his cheeks.

"I understand." He said in a sorrowful tone, while trying to fight the tears away. He started to walk back to his room…only to be surprised as a pair of arms wrapped their way around his torso. A gobsmacked expression appeared on his face, complete with wide eyes and open mouth. _Campbell is hugging me._ He thought, quite unable to believe what was happening.

"You have no idea how sorry I am." Campbell said from behind him. "A guy like you deserves happiness, not more and more sadness in his life. I can't take the sadness away, but just know one thing: you are my friend. More than that, you're my best friend. I can't give you what you deserve, but I'll always be here to fill your days with light and happiness." There was a pause. "Holy fuck that was cheesy. Wow…I really don't know what I…"

"Thank you." Arcade said, before breaking free from the hug and turning to face him. "You're a remarkable person Campbell." He said with a huge, happy smile. "I guess I don't have to see you naked." Campbell grinned back, and the two turned to look over the balcony, before directing their gaze up to the moon. Either they had forgotten Layla was there, or they'd just stopped caring. The red haired one still sat on the roof, though now she was looking down at them. She had heard everything, and she was trying to resist shedding emotional tears. She failed, and her eyes quickly went damp. She angrily wiped them with the back of her hand, before looking in the direction of Veronica's room. _No more of this moping bullshit. Time to fucking do something._

*Veronica*

Veronica was deep in the lands of slumber, smiling in real life as she abandoned all cares and dreamed merrily in the confines of her mind. It was blissful, but it couldn't last. The scribe's sleep was swiftly ruined, as she was awoken by a knock at the door. She was tired, miserable, and on a very short fuse; not exactly the mood ideal for a conversation. She lay quietly in bed, hoping the knocker would go away. They didn't. Instead, they knocked again.

"Go awaaaaay." She moaned drowsily, before turning over and trying to drift off again.

"Veronica…" Layla said nervously as she opened the door and stepped into the room. The scribe immediately rolled over so that she was facing the door, her mouth agape. "…we need to talk."

_**NOTHER CLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFF HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANGER!**_

_**Yes, yes I am a bastard. I promise there won't be a cliff hanger right before an important conversation about feelings ever again. I'm sorry to say though, that the next chapter will be a long time coming. Why? Because it's going to be a big one. A talk about feelings, and going to the bunker with all the Remnants...how could this not be big? The Enclave Remnants story arc is nearing its conclusion, and it's going to be a conclusion to remember...a conclusion that will take a hell of a long time for me to write.**_

_**Anyway, let's talk about characters. The two Remnants shown here were...different from their portrayal in the games. Moreno is mostly the same, but bigger, stronger, and an all round psychopath. Potraying him as a human tank made sense to me since he was the heavy weapons expert in the Remnants, and he'd have to be strong as all hell to cart around a Gatling laser all day. Plus, it gave me an excuse to do a boss fight! Goddamn...I haven't done a proper, one on one boss fight in a long time (Grissom was two on one so it doesn't count), and I daresay I outdid myself in making the fight needlessly long and excessive. I have a violence quota to fill and an unhealthy bloodlust so I like the fight...but I have a feeling I may get flak with this one, as some of you think my fights are 'too long', or 'unrealistic'. Pshaw. Seriously though, if you don't like the fight, I apologise...but you do realise a large chunk of this story is unnecessary violence right? It's practically this tale's life blood. That and character development.  
><strong>_

_**Moreno's alternate character interpretation was fucking tame next to Daisy Whitman's though. Let's see:**_

_**Game: Nice, kind, grandmotherly figure who mothered Arcade for many years and has a deep love for flying that borders on the erotic.  
>Story: Violently unstable manipulative bitch who created the aforementioned persona as a facade, and served as the infiltration and interrogation expert of the Remnants. Is also a knife nut.<strong>_

_**Okay, so I may have changed the character a bit...a lot...completely, but like I said, I have a violence quota to fill. Seriously though, I wanted each of the Remnants to best one of the protagonists. I mean come on, these guys are supposed to be incredibly huge badasses, but when you're tracking them down ingame, they aren't exactly impressive. I want to show that they're highly skilled and highly deadly. Johnson paralysed Campbell, Kreger beat up Layla, Moreno beat up Veronica (Though she put up a better fight), and Whitman incapacitated Layla with a bullshit gun I made up, tied her up, and cut her face with a knife. That sells badass to me. Besides, Daisy's character was boring and uninteresting...so I spiced it up a bit. Sue me.**_

_**Anyway, on the subject of feelings...Layla pulled a dick move. Also, Veronica called her a bitch! Wow...bet you never thought you'd read that. Their relationship is currently spinning out of control and going in for a crash, but maybe it can be saved in the next chapter? Meanwhile, Campbell plays the past tragedy card, and rejects Arcade. Sorry, no yaoi here. I like their current relationship though. They're very good friends, and Arcade is even starting to loosen up, becoming as goofy and quip obsessed as Campbell. Character growth, ladies and gentlemen.**_

_**To cut this gigantic author note short, let me reiterate the fact that the next chapter will be HUGE, so there will likely be a significant gap between this chapter and the next one. I'm not going on hiatus, and I'm certainly not giving up on this story, but the next chapter will take a significant amount of time to write. I'm very, very sorry, but I need to get this one right. Everything needs to be perfect, so I'm going to take my time with this one and make it a chapter that will blow you away. See you soon, and I hope the wait doesn't kill you. :)**_


	54. A Full House

_**Get it, because they have all the Remnants? And they're all in a bunker together, so it's kind of full? Full House? I suck at titles and card puns are hard, what do you want from me?!**_

_**Anyway, IT'S HERE! The finale to the Remnants story arc is FINALLY HERE, AFTER 4 FUCKING MONTHS IT'S FINALLY HERE AND I'M SO FUCKING SORRY FOR HOW FUCKING LONG IT FUCKING TOOK! (Wipes tears from eyes.) Anyway.**_

_**I took a few liberties with the design of the bunker to better serve the story, and by that I mean I changed the layout a bit and added a few rooms. It's better this way, trust me.**_

_**Now enjoy the damn thing, because it took FAR too long to write. **_

A Full House

Well…Veronica was certainly awake now. She'd been dangerously close to falling off wakefulness cliff into the waters of dreamland, but hearing Layla's voice had pretty much airlifted her back to full consciousness. She felt like an ungodly amount of caffeine had been pumped directly into her system; even if Layla left now, there was no way in hell she was getting back to sleep.

The light was turned off, so the only illumination came from one of the lights on the balcony outside. Layla stood right on the boundary between the exterior and the interior of the room, meaning the light was perfectly illuminating her. It almost looked like she was surrounded by a shining aura, and the sight served to remove any last remnants of sleep, leaving Veronica fully awake. If anything, the light served only to make Layla look even more beautiful. _Ughhhhhhhhhh. _Veronica thought grumpily. The angelic sight before her certainly wasn't helping the unresolved romantic tension between the two.

"Can I turn the light on?" Layla asked as she entered the room proper. Veronica groaned, before wriggling underneath the covers.

"Sure." Her muffled voice eventually replied. She poked her head out of the covers a few seconds later, to see that the room was now perfectly lit, and the door was shut. Layla was leaning against the wall in front of the bed, evidently stuck on what exactly she should do next. After a long, awkward pause, she finally thought of something to say. Unfortunately, Layla thought of something to say too.

"I'm sorry." Both girls said at exactly the same time. Veronica blushed and smiled slightly, while a wide, amused grin appeared on Layla's face as their unintended slip up lightened the mood.

"Okay, I know what I'm sorry about." Layla began, as she stopped leaning off the wall and moved closer to the bed. "What are you sorry about?"

"You first." Veronica said teasingly, a small smile appearing on her face as her blush started to fade.

"Are you going to apologise for calling me a bitch?" A cheeky smirk appeared on Layla's face.

"Maybe." Veronica replied mysteriously. "After you apologise to me." Layla's expression turned serious, and she took a deep breath before speaking.

"Okay, for starters, I know what I did was extremely underhanded and fiendish okay? I didn't like doing it, but you startled me. I'm terrible at expressing my feelings, and I didn't know what to say, so…"

"So you decided to say the thing that would piss me off more than anything else?"

"I can think of something to say that would piss you off far more than that."

"I'd suggest keeping it to yourself." Amused smiles appeared on both their faces, before Layla continued.

"In all seriousness though, I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have used such a dirty trick to hide my feelings and…I'm sorry. You don't deserve that. You're a kind, sweet, pretty, kickass girl, and you deserve honesty." Veronica's smile widened. "Unfortunately…I honestly don't know what my feelings are." To her surprise, Veronica's smile didn't fade. "I expected that last bit to ruin your mood."

"Oh it did, but the compliments make up for it." Layla smirked. "Please compliment me more."

"You're oh so very humble." Veronica chuckled slightly. "And you're very good at apologising. Would you care to give me a demonstration?" **That **managed to make her smile fade, and suddenly Veronica looked very awkward. Layla sat on the edge of the bed, and looked right into Veronica's eyes before speaking again. "Look, you don't have anything to apologise for, okay? I…"

"Layla, you're not the only one in our group who's shit with feelings okay? You, Campbell, Arcade, me…we're all about as emotionally stable as a Fiend on a psycho bender. You were in the wrong sure…but so was I." Layla tilted her head in confusion.

"So…if we were both wrong…who won the argument?"

"Me obviously." Layla give her a dubious look.

"But…why exactly were you wrong again?"

"Because I basically ambushed you, tackled you to the floor, told you a lot of deep, scary emotional stuff, and said 'TELL ME YOU FEEL THE SAME OR I'LL HIT YOU!'." Layla looked surprised for a few moments, but then she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you kind of did." Veronica briefly scowled at her, motivating Layla to keep quiet and allow the former scribe to continue.

"To be honest, I was content to just leave that scary emotional stuff inside me until we'd dealt with the NCR…but Arcade convinced me that I'd be better off telling you. He made me realise that, if you died before I'd had a chance to tell you my feelings, then I'd never forgive myself. I just wanted to tell you, then walk away; the feelings wouldn't be eating me up inside anymore, and you'd know how I felt about you in case anything happened. Tell you and walk, that was the plan…but as I have such great emotional stability, I decided to ask you whether or not you felt the same. I…I didn't care how you really felt, I didn't consider your needs at all…I just wanted you to hear you say it. If you'd said you didn't feel the same…I don't know what I would've done, but it would've been violent. You did the right thing Layla…you picked an evil way to do it…but it was the right thing to do." There was a brief pause as Layla took in everything Veronica had said, and tried to think of a response. While Veronica had been talking, the red haired one had slowly shuffled her way up the bed, until she was sat cross legged in the middle, a short distance from the girl who was madly in love with her.

"So…do you want to know my feelings for you?"

"Yes! No…I don't know. If you don't know them, then no. In fact, just no, okay? It was wrong for me to pressure you like that. With all this shit that's going on, Remnants and being on the run and the NCR and the Legion and the upcoming battle at the dam and…everything…it's the wrong time to be talking about this. I don't like it, but I understand that you have stuff on your mind…a LOT of stuff on your mind…and the last thing you need are feelings distracting you."

"I already told you, **you're **my primary concern. You are one of the few things that make this mission worthwhile, and you don't deserve to wait for a response. All the chaos in our lives is no excuse; you have to find happiness within the chaos, otherwise you might as well just let it swallow you up."

"That was oddly poetic." Layla shrugged.

"My Mum wrote poetry in her spare time." Veronica raised a surprised eyebrow. "Most of it was about violence, but some of it was actually really pretty."

"Can you remember any more of it?"

"No. I was too busy spending time outside beating up boys twice my size to read the stuff. I really should've spent more time with her." Layla looked off into space wistfully, only to be brought back to reality as Veronica poked her a few seconds later.

"Getting back on topic…I know we need to be happy, and learning your feelings would make me very happy, but you have more important things to focus on."

"I…" Layla tried to object, only to stop midsentence as Veronica suddenly grabbed her hands. The red haired one's hands were tough and strong, while Veronica's were light and soft…the perfect contrast. Ignoring the sweet sensation of physical contact with the girl of her dreams for the moment, Veronica spoke urgently.

"If the NCR win at Hoover Dam, then it won't matter how happy we are, okay? I want your answer, I really do, but you need time to think about it and the NCR need to be stomped into paste before we'll be safe enough to deal with this."

"Would you want to die without knowing my answer?" Veronica's eyes widened considerably, a horrified look on her face. "Would you want **me **to die without knowing my answer?" There was a long pause, during which they both sat in silence, their hands never separating. After what seemed like a few minutes, the smaller of the two girls tightened her grip on Layla's hands.

"Well…I guess we'll both just have to stay alive won't we?" She smiled cheerily, which combined with her response to utterly knock Layla for six.

"But…"

"Tell you what: I'll keep you alive, and you keep me alive. Deal?"

"Veronica…"

"Mm?" Veronica smiled warmly, purposely ignoring Layla's confusion.

"You're making light of the situation."

"I know, it serves to make bad situations more bearable. It's a coping mechanism."

"But." Veronica leaned forwards slightly and kissed Layla on the forehead, surprising the red haired one even more. "I…"

"Let me tell you what's happening here: we've somehow gotten to the point where **you**, the emotionally awkward one who hates talking about feelings, is trying to convince **me**, the shy, slightly crazy girl who's madly head over heels in love with you, to let you tell me about your feelings for me that you don't even know." Layla paused as a shocking realisation slowly descended on her like a fat man with a parachute.

"I'm acting like an utter idiot." She said out loud, prompting Veronica to burst out laughing. If the smaller girl hadn't been holding her hands, Layla would've slapped herself right then. "I meant to think that…" She said meekly, prompting Veronica to laugh even more. Seeking to move the conversation onward, Layla stole Veronica's tactic: shutting someone up by leaning over and kissing them on the forehead. It worked perfectly, and Veronica went completely silent as an incredibly happy gleam appeared in her eyes, and she turned redder than Layla's hair. "How about a compromise? After the business with the Remnants is finished, you and I will get some drinks, find a nice place to sit down, and talk about this….and I will confess my feelings." Veronica couldn't hide the happy smiled that wormed across her face.

"I can live with that." She said slowly, trying to hide how utterly ecstatic she was. The two girls looked at each other warmly for a moment, before Veronica leaned over and nuzzled Layla's face. She giggled briefly, and Veronica had a massive smile on her face as she leant back. All too soon she released her hands from Layla's, before lying back and worming her way under the covers. "I've loved this conversation…but you go now. I need sleep." Layla nodded, before leaning forwards and kissing Veronica on the forehead. The former scribe beamed as Layla got up, before walking towards the door.

"Goodnight girl who I may or may not be in love with." She said jokingly as she turned off the light and opened the door.

"Goodnight girl who I most certainly AM in love with." Veronica replied, waving lazily as Layla walked out, closing the door behind her. Now alone, she dug her face into her pillow, smiling happily. She had no idea that Layla was smiling just as happily as she walked back to her room.

***The next morning***

"Stupid sun…" Veronica moaned as the glare of the giant flaming orb in the sky annoyingly invaded her eyes. "Go awaaaaaaay." She raised a hand to shield her eyes, but it was official: it was fucking sunny today. As it turned out, this was not a good thing. No matter how much she groaned however, the stubborn sphere refused to obey her commands "Campbell, do something!" She snapped, and the merc immediately obeyed.

"Hey sun, the lady gave you an order. Either you fuck off, or I'll put a bullet in you. What's it going to be?" Campbell drew his 12.7mm pistol, while staring up at the sun. The big ball of fire refused to acquiesce however, so he narrowed his eye, before pointing his gun upwards. "Have it your way." He said coldly, before firing. A bullet flew high, heading up towards the sun, before disappearing from sight. "Well I've done all I can do." He smiled, putting away his gun.

"You're useless."

"And you're grumpy."

"Bluh." Veronica felt the beginnings of a headache coming on as the sun mercilessly bombarded her with light and heat.

"And not just grumpy, eloquent too." The merc grinned. Veronica slowly turned her head towards him, a terrifying glare on her face.

"Go get Daisy Whitman or you'll be even less eloquent than me…**because I'll rip your tongue out and superglue it to your forehead.**" Campbell froze for a moment, before whitening significantly, as if he could somehow sense that Veronica wasn't fucking around this time.

"…I'll be right back." He said quickly, before running for the stairs. As soon as he was gone, Veronica smiled, before looking around. She was stood in front of the Dino Dee-lite Motel (That name…ugh), waiting for the rest of her team to assemble so they could meet the Remnants outside Novac. Currently, it seemed the team's assembling skills left a lot to be desired. It was a beautiful day to be standing outside like a dope though; the sun was shining, the sky was blue, there wasn't a cloud to be seen, and if there were any around, it was likely birds would be singing too. It was truly a perfect day to go meet up with a bunch of crazy old people and go get a load of fancy guns from a big underground box.

"Morning." Arcade said casually as he approached. Veronica turned to him, still smiling despite herself.

"How is she?" Arcade closed his eyes, and started to stretch tiredly as he replied.

"Pretty good, all things considered. Her regenerative implant did most of the facial healing for me, but there was a nasty cut on her left cheek that I had to stitch up. Still, her face should be healed up before you know it." It was then that Veronica realised Layla had been heavily scarred during their conversation last night. It had been so dark, she hadn't noticed. Realising her idiocy, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Hey all." Layla said in greeting as she walked down the stairs, smiling as the sun shone on her face. The implant truly had done amazing work; there were a few red marks here and there, and the stitched up cut on her left cheek, but besides that it was impossible to tell she'd been tortured the day before. "How do I look?" A response came to Veronica's mind, but it made her blush, so she just turned away and let Arcade answer instead.

"Same as always." He replied neutrally, before making gagging motions. Layla smiled, before giving him the finger as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"And how's my favourite girl?" Layla asked sweetly as she approached Veronica. _She's got to be teasing me on purpose. _Veronica thought, before turning to face the red haired one.

"Tired and headachey." She replied grumpily. As she turned, Layla froze, surprising Veronica somewhat. _Why is she…oh…right. _She remembered her black eye, and deduced that if she hadn't noticed Layla's scars last night, then Layla likely hadn't noticed her eye either. Layla's gaze noticeably lingered on the ocular unit, so Veronica decided to reassure her. "It's not as bad as it looks." She said carefully, but it was obvious that Layla's temper was flaring up.

"I now have a reason to kill Orion Moreno." She growled, prompting a sigh from Arcade.

"Please don't." He said in an annoyed tone.

"He hurt Veronica!"

"He's hurt lots of people. He hurt me once by throwing me into a wall, and you don't see me trying to kill him."

"But…" Veronica put her hand on Layla's arm, and leaned closer

"**After** we get the stuff from the bunker." She whispered into Layla's ear. Layla nodded, before freeing herself from Veronica's grasp and walking away to decompress. She did this by kicking a particularly large rock.

"So…she wants to kill…how many Remnants now?" Arcade asked in a worried tone as Veronica walked closer to him.

"Three." She answered casually. "Kreger beat her up, Moreno beat **me **up, and Whitman cut her face."

"Should I be worried?"

"Nah." Veronica waved her hand dismissively. "I'll keep her on a leash."

"Is that what the two of you were doing last night?" The doctor asked cheekily.

"No, we were doing what you and Campbell were doing." The former scribe answered without missing a beat. Arcade's amused grin vanished immediately.

"Touché." She curtsied with a smile, before standing there quietly as she tried to think of something to say. Fortunately, Arcade thought of something first.

"So, how are things with Layla now?" He asked in a friendly tone. "She doesn't seem mad at you anymore." Veronica shook her head happily.

"No…she's back to her old self now." She smiled, while Arcade cocked his head to the side.

"So why aren't you drifting over to her?"

"Sorry?"

"Usually you make every effort to be as close to her as possible. You sit next to her, you walk next to her when we're travelling, you even place your tent right next to hers."

"And your point?"

"She's over there, and you're over here."

"So?"

"Since when did you ever give her room to breathe?"

"Since when was it any of your fucking business?!" She suddenly snapped. The doctor backed away like he'd been bitten.

"Yikes. Look, all I'm saying is…it seems like you're scared of her." Veronica cast a disbelieving look his way.

"Seriously?" She scoffed. "**Seriously**?"

"Did your conversation last night go well?" She turned away from him to look at Layla, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Yeah it went great…in fact, it went better than great, it went better than I could ever have hoped. We made up, decided what to do about my romantic revelation, and parted on good terms. It was perfect."

"Then why aren't you clinging to her right now?"

"I…I don't know!" She blushed, hoping that since she was faced away from Arcade, he wouldn't notice. Of course, he did.

"Does she make you nervous?" There was a pause before her next response.

"A little…"

"And why is that?"

"You try hanging around the love of your life after they know your feelings and not blushing. I mean before, it was fine because everything we did was based on friendship. Now…I don't know what's going on…there are confusing feelings everywhere and when I'm close to her it feels like I swallowed my tongue and when I try to speak I imagine it sounds like somebody trying to start up a car engine."

"So…now that you've confessed your feelings to her…instead of feeling better, like you're supposed to, you feel tense and nervous around her?"

"Exactly!" Arcade stayed still for a moment, before shaking his head.

"I thought I knew about women…but lo I was wrong. You are impossible to figure out."

"Tell me about it." She looked longingly over at Layla, and felt her heart speed up. "This nervousness can't last forever…right?"

"Nothing does." Arcade answered noncommittally, before walking over to greet Campbell as the merc came downstairs, with a handcuffed senior citizen in tow.

"Yo." Campbell said as he reached the bottom of the stairs, waving as Arcade walked over.

"You have handcuffs?" Arcade asked as he looked at the device that bound Whitman's wrists.

"I do."

"Damn…now I feel really disappointed that you didn't respond to my flirting."

"If I did…you'd be dead."

"Well yeah…" Before Arcade could think of another quip, Whitman reached the bottom of the stairs, and finally spotted the doctor.

"Arcade?" She asked. "Arcade Gannon, is that you?"

"Daisy." Arcade said warmly, before looking over to Campbell, as though asking permission.

"Don't worry, it's safe; I relieved her of her knives before we came down here. Go for it." The doctor smiled, before walking forwards and giving Daisy Whitman an affectionate hug. The old woman hugged back eagerly (To the best of her ability…she was wearing handcuffs after all), clearly happy to see him again.

"It's been too long dearie." She said in a voice filled with joy, and Arcade nodded as they separated.

"That it has, that it has." He smiled.

"I see you've made some friends." She said in her kindly grandmother voice as Veronica walked over. "I've already met Campbell here, but are you going to introduce me to your other friend?"

"Veronica." The former scribe replied sweetly, as she reached them, before darting her hand inside Campbell's trenchcoat. She pulled out his 12.7mm pistol a few seconds later, before pointing it at Whitman's head. "And if you hurt Layla again, it's the last name you'll ever hear." Arcade had a horrified look on his face as the meeting went sour.

"Well aren't you cute?" The old woman said, her grandmotherly voice replaced by her cold, sadistic one. "If I didn't have these cuffs on, I'd show you what a real threat looks like."

"And yet, you do." Veronica said cockily, before aiming a roundhouse kick at Daisy's face. Arcade was about to tell her to stop, when the foot stopped a few inches away from Daisy's face. They just stood there for a time, Veronica frozen mid kick, the two men completely unsure what to do, and Daisy sporting an unreadable expression. "Keep your mouth shut, and your mind set on our purpose, or you'll be picking your false teeth up out of the sand." Daisy didn't reply, so Veronica smirked, before throwing the gun away. Campbell caught it, and Veronica pulled her leg back, until she was standing on two feet.

"So I take it we're not going to be friends then?" The old woman asked with faux disappointment.

"We could've been, but then you hurt her." She pointed over to Layla. "So instead, you get to be on my shit list." Before Daisy could respond, she found herself in the air as Veronica swept her feet out from under her. She landed face first in the dirt. "And do try to stay on your feet; a clumsy old woman is of no use to us." With that, Veronica walked away, leaving the old woman alone with the men.

"She's in a delightful mood this morning isn't she?" Campbell quipped, while Arcade helped Daisy to her feet.

"I'm so sorry about that." He apologised quickly, while Daisy smiled reassuringly.

"It's alright dearie." She responded as she got up. "I didn't think much of her when I saw her…but she's colder than she looks." She looked after Veronica. "I must say…I'm impressed."

"Moreno was impressed too. Those two had a fight, and she nearly won." A flabbergasted look appeared on Whitman's face.

"Really?!" Arcade nodded, and she smirked. "The NCR might just be in trouble." While Arcade stayed with Daisy, Campbell strolled over to Layla, who had gotten tired of kicking the rock and was now sitting on it.

"Veronica threatened to kill Whitman if she hurt you again." Layla laughed.

"That's my girl." She said, a happy smile on her face.

"I feel I have to ask: are there going to be **any **Remnants left alive after this?"

"I don't hate Doc Henry."

"And Johnson?"

"Meh."

"He shot me."

"Did it kill you?"

"Yes, clearly."

"Did it hurt?"

"…A little."

"Then I'll hurt him a little…like maybe prick his finger or something."

"I don't know whether I should be relieved or offended." Layla smirked, before getting to her feet.

"Let me guess: you don't think Arcade will take kindly to me killing the only family he's ever had?" Campbell looked at her like she was an idiot.

"Well no…actually, I thought he'd join you in tap-dancing on their graves after you torture them to death." The red haired one walked forwards, before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay fine, we won't kill them…but only because I understand what it's like to lose a family; in any other situation, they'd be as good as dead. We won't do anything unless it's in self-defence. They harm any of us even a little bit…and heads will roll." She said the last part **very **enthusiastically, causing a worried expression to appear on Campbell's face.

"I don't think I'm going to get a better deal than that, so okay." Layla beamed. "But could you do me a favour?" She nodded. "Please try to avoid causing Arcade any more mental anguish. He's my friend and…well…the poor guy has suffered enough." Layla tightened her grip on his shoulder.

"Campbell…he's my friend too."

"I know but…"

"I take care of my friends." A warm, caring smile appeared on her face, a smile which Campbell matched.

"Didn't you beat me up once?"

"Tell me you didn't deserve it."

"…Okay fair enough." She chuckled, before letting go of his shoulder. While they were chatting, Veronica was sat in a corner far from the rest of the group, legs curled up so that her head was touching her knees.

"What the hell was that?!" Arcade barked as he walked over. She responded by throwing a rock at him, but he expertly dodged, before grabbing her arm and kneeling down next to her. "She's an ally." He hissed. "You don't threaten an ally."

"How bad were Layla's cuts?" Veronica whispered. The question caught the doctor completely off guard, and he utterly failed to come up with an answer. He knelt there for a time, before clearing his throat and finally replying.

"Admittedly…quite bad, but…"

"She hurt Layla. She could hurt her again. I won't let that happen."

"You're the one who put all this together Veronica! You came up with the plan to find the Remnants, you arranged this whole meeting, and now you're ruining it! Is that what you want?!"

"I WON'T LET THAT BITCH HURT HER!" Veronica yelled, violently pushing against Arcade as she did so. The push forced him to lose his grip on her arm, and knocked him to the ground. While he started to get up again, she beat him to it, rapidly rising to her feet before walking away. Against his better judgement, he reached for her, even though he was only partway through getting up. Having only made it into a crouch, he grabbed her arm again, causing her to stop.

"Veronica…please calm down." He said in a caring tone, but she tried to shake him off.

"Let go of me!"

"Only when you're calm."

"I'm not…" He rose to his feet, before forcibly hugging her. She tried to break free as her face was pressed against his neck, but the doctor was stronger than he looked. She wiggled and fought and bit and scratched, but he didn't let go, and eventually her movements slowed, before stopping altogether. "She's all I have." He cocked his head at the sudden words.

"I'm sorry?"

"Layla…she's all I have. My family's gone…I have no real purpose…all that matters is Layla. She's all I've got left Arcade…I have to protect her." All the anger was gone now, and the poor girl just sounded…empty, like this was something that was weighing heavily on her, putting all her emotions and everything else on the back burner as it turned into an obsession.

"She can take care of herself." He said soothingly, but she wasn't having any of it.

"If Campbell hadn't been there yesterday, that crone would've tortured Layla to death. If she dies…I'll have nothing left. NOTHING!"

"Veronica…"

"Oh it's alright for you." The girl sounded like she was on the verge of tears now. "You've got your family in the Remnants, and you've got a whole fort full of friends and work colleagues. Me? My 'fort' has been blown to shit, and my family is gone. Layla's the only thing I've got left…I can't lose her too, I just can't."

"Veronica…she's not the only thing you have left." Veronica scoffed at that.

"Oh shut up, you don't know anything! What else could I **possibly **have?!"

"Who's hugging you right now?" Veronica went silent. "Me, that's who. I'm here. You've got me. You've got Campbell too. We're here for you Veronica, and we always will be. Layla isn't the only thing you have to value anymore…you've got the rest of us too. You've got a family, and we'll always be looking out for you." There was no response, and he wondered whether or not he had gotten through to her. "Veronica?" He got his answer a few seconds later, as her felt a wetness around his collar. He looked down, to see that the poor girl was bawling her eyes out. An understanding smile appeared on his face, and he just held her, letting her get it all out. After what seemed like a few minutes, he felt movement, and looked down to see that she had stopped.

"I'm okay now." She said sheepishly, and the doctor released his grip. Seemingly ashamed of herself, the former scribe turned away, wiping her eyes on her sleeve as she did so. "Sorry."

"It's alright."

"Is it?"

"After what you've been through…I'd be more worried if you seemed perfectly sane." She turned back to him, a sly smile on her face.

"Are you joking?"

"I…I'm not sure." She snorted despite herself, before suddenly giving Arcade a hug.

"Thank you." She whispered into his neck, before releasing the hug and running over to the others. "ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE OUT!" She yelled as she returned to the flock. Arcade smiled, before walking after her.

***A short while later***

"Say goodbye to Novac everyone." Veronica remarked as they reached the border of the small town. The group stopped, and all of them looked back at the settlement they had just left.

"Nice place, but I wouldn't want to live there." Campbell remarked.

"Same here." Arcade agreed.

"Ditto." Layla piped in.

"Yeah…" Veronica reluctantly admitted. "But you have to admit, the dinosaur's kind of cool."

"Oh yeah definitely." Campbell agreed.

"Well obviously." Arcade concurred.

"Hell yeah." Layla added. Whitman stood behind the group, staying completely silent. After a few seconds, they finished saying their goodbyes, and left the town for real. They stopped just outside, waiting for the other Remnants to show up.

"Did you send the signal?" Veronica asked as she sat down on the road. Layla sat nearby, and the former scribe instinctively hopped to her feet before walking away. Arcade didn't mention this, instead sitting down next to the red haired one while Campbell stood on his own. Whitman sat on a rock a short distance away from them, still saying nothing.

"Yep, sent it this morning." Arcade replied. "They should be here soon."

"Good." Veronica said, before yawning tiredly. Campbell smirked, but said nothing.

"Sooo…what do we do while we wait?" Layla wondered out loud.

"We could play charades." Campbell suggested.

"NO." Veronica said almost immediately. Campbell looked downcast for a moment, but he quickly came up with another idea.

"I Spy!"

"NO."

"We could sing…"

"Alright, Campbell is forbidden from coming up with ideas."

"But…"

"I FORBID YOU." He pouted, but didn't respond. There was a brief pause, before Arcade slowly put his hand up.

"I have an idea." The doctor said nervously.

"No singing."

"It doesn't involve singing."

"I don't believe you; you're aligned with Campbell."

"Look, this will probably be the last time we'll all be together before we meet with the Remnants. After that, I'll likely be going back to the fort, and I probably won't see you guys until after the battle at Hoover Dam…if you survive that is." A surprised look appeared on Layla's face.

"Wait…you're not staying with us?!" She asked in a shocked tone.

"No." Arcade said as though this was obvious. "We had a deal, remember? After you have access to the Remnants' bunker our business is concluded."

"Oh…okay." She said, looking quite disappointed. "I thought we were friends, but if this was just a business deal to you, then fine."

"We **are **friends you idiot." He snapped. "This isn't anything personal. I'm going back to the fort after this, but I still…well…I love each and every one of you." Three shocked expressions were shot his way. "I mean philia love, not eros or agape." Layla and Veronica looked lost, so Campbell sighed before explaining.

"They're Greek words; basically, he means he loves us as friends and companions, not the **love **kind of love or the physical kind."

"Ohhhhh." Both girls said in sync, causing the men to smirk.

"I've come to think of the three of you as close friends…no…more than that; we're family." The three of them looked touched, especially Layla.

"I distinctly remember you saying you feared for your sanity if you let us be your family." She said with a smile, calling back to their conversation while he'd sown her head up a few nights ago.

"You know what? Fuck my sanity." He said with a wide grin, which the rest of the group matched. "Anyway, I did have a point when I started talking…oh yeah! Since this will be our last moment together for a while, we should get a memento of our time together."

"I have just the thing." Whitman piped up, back in her cheery grandmother persona. "There's a camera in my bag dearie." Arcade looked positively elated.

"A camera, of course! That's perfect!" He said excitedly as he ran over to the Remnant, before taking an old fashioned camera out of her bag and running back to the group. He fiddled with the device hopelessly for a while, before Campbell stepped forward.

"Let me do it." He said calmly, before taking the camera from the doctor's hands.

"Let me guess; you used to be a photographer?" Layla asked, an amused look on her face.

"Nope; research assistant." He replied casually as he messed with the settings on the camera. "I had to take pictures of specimens and the like to document our findings. I also worked for an architect once; took pictures of several landmarks all over the Mojave in order to give him some inspiration." A few minutes later he finished fiddling with the camera, and pointed at the group.

"Done." He said with a wide smile. "Just point, then take the picture."

"But…if one of us has to take it, then they won't be in the picture." Veronica pointed out.

"I could do it…if you remove the cuffs." Whitman offered.

"Like hell." Veronica and Layla both said in sync, prompting the men to smile again.

"It's alright, the camera has a timer." Campbell explained, before waiting as everyone got into position. Layla stood next to Veronica on the left, while Arcade stood on her right side. Once they were ready, Campbell set the timer, before running to be in the picture. He pushed in so that he could stand to Veronica's left, leaving Layla on the far left with Campbell between her and the former scribe. While they waited for the camera to take the photo, Veronica moved her left arm up behind Campbell's back. She stuck up two ears behind his head, trying not to snicker as she did so. She was completely unaware that Campbell was doing the exact same thing to her. The four of them smiled, and a few seconds later, a bright flash signified that the camera had taken the picture.

"So…how do we get the photo?" Layla asked.

"One sec." Campbell replied, before walking off and fiddling with the camera. He came back a few seconds later, photo in hand. "Here we are." The group crowded around to look at the photo, and each of them couldn't help but smile. They all looked very happy in the photo, especially Campbell and Veronica, who were both unaware that the other was playing a bunny ears prank on them. Layla and Arcade meanwhile stood at the edges, Layla looking surprisingly calm, and Arcade looking fairly relaxed. All in all, it was a very nice group photo. Campbell smiled as he put it into one of his trenchcoat pockets for safe keeping.

"I…I've never had my picture taken before." Layla said, an excited edge to her voice. "Can we do it again?" The look of childish enthusiasm on her face was downright adorable. Before anyone could reply however, a loud whistle got everyone's attention. They followed the sound, and saw 'Cannibal' Johnson sitting on a rock a few feet away from them. He was clad in his leather armour, and had his rifle slung over one shoulder, along with his machete in a holster on his back. He wore a brown cowboy hat to hide his head from the sun, and seemed no worse off from the sweltering heat.

"Morning!" He called, before getting up and walking over to them.

"Johnson!" Arcade greeted him, a huge smile on his face. "You old dog. How have you been?"

"Arcade Gannon, as I live and breathe." Johnson replied, before laughing joyfully. "I had to admit, I had a sneaking suspicion Veronica was just screwing with me when she said she knew you. She answered the questions, but I still had my doubts." He turned to the hooded girl. "No offence." He said apologetically, before turning back to Arcade. "Anyway, I've been good. Well…as good as anyone who tries to be a pacifist in this world of ours can possibly be. I won't lie, times have been tough." Arcade looked sympathetic.

"Tell me about it." He said with a wan smile. "The war isn't making things any easier."

"No, no it isn't." He shook his head sadly. "Still, maybe the weapons in the bunker can help do some good." He smiled.

"Here's hoping." Arcade smiled too.

"Anyway, why don't you introduce me to your friends?"

"Certainly. You've already met Veronica I think. The fellow in the trenchcoat is Campbell.

"Ah yes, the famous mercenary." He eagerly shook hands with the merc. "A pleasure. I've heard about your work; I'm very much in favour of all the bandit slaying you've done, and I know a lot of people appreciate it."

"I aim to please." The merc replied, his ego growing by the second. Johnson let go of his hand a few seconds later, before turning to Layla.

"And who is this lovely lady?" He asked pleasantly.

"Layla, otherwise known as the Red Blade Witch." Orion Moreno said, as he walked down a nearby hill towards the group. "I must say, I'm a fan." The big man grinned, while Johnson's eyes widened. Before anyone could stop him, he drew his machete.

"Oh god." Layla groaned, rolling her eyes with an annoyed expression on her face as he did so.

"The Red Blade Witch? As in, the Red Blade Witch who's known for murdering countless innocent people?!" The Remnant spat.

"Most of them were NCR." Layla shrugged. "They're hardly what you'd call 'innocent'. Besides, I recently started employing a strict, 'no harming civilians' policy." Johnson didn't take his eyes away from her.

"Arcade…did you know about this?!" He asked, a noticeable hint of anger in his voice.

"She's my friend Johnson." That really seemed to knock him for six.

"And how the **fuck **did that happen?!"

"It's a long…complicated story."

"Look can we calm down a little here?" Layla asked in the nicest tone she could manage. "You seem like a decent guy, and I **want **to like you…but you're making that very difficult."

"Don't talk to me!" He spat. "I am **not **helping the Legion. I refuse!"

"Judah is on board with this." That response drove Johnson to finally move his gaze away from Layla, focusing it on Arcade instead.

"He knows about her?" The 'cannibal' asked, a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"We all do, you idiot." Moreno said harshly.

"It's true." Whitman called from her position a few feet away. Cannibal cast his gaze around, slowly lowering his machete as confusion washed over him.

"But…I…" He stuttered. Arcade moved to speak to him, but Layla beat him to it.

"Mr Johnson?" She said in a polite tone, coaxing the man into turning around. _Please, PLEASE don't threaten him. _Arcade thought anxiously as she continued. "Look, I know I'm not the nicest person, but I mean neither you, nor your friends any kind of harm here. All I want you to do is open a door; I'm not drafting you into the Legion, and I won't ask for any help you're not comfortable in giving. Is that okay?" Johnson had calmed considerably, but he still seemed unsure.

"Johnson…it would be a personal favour to me." Arcade said quietly. Johnson turned to him, and a conflicted look appeared on his face. A few seconds later, he slipped his machete back into its holster, before sighing loudly.

"Alright fine, I'm in." He said gruffly. "But I won't hurt anyone. Any combat, you and your friends will have to do yourselves."

"Fine by me." Layla said, before offering a hand. He looked at it like she'd offered him a cup of eyeballs. "I won't bite." She said reassuringly, and he took a deep breath before shaking her hand. "There you go." She said warmly.

"If you so much as sneeze in the direction of an innocent, I will have to kill you." He said coldly as they shook hands.

"I understand." She replied with a smile, before taking her hand back. As soon as it was free, Moreno pushed Johnson aside before grabbing it with his own hand.

"Orion Moreno." He introduced himself pleasantly. "I'm a huge fan of your work." The name set off alarm bells in her head, and she felt her angry side rise up.

"Thanks. Say, did you beat up a hooded girl recently?" He looked surprised.

"I did."

"Great. If you cause her any kind of harm ever again, **I will cut your legs off and leave you to die in a radscorpion nest.**" That threat truly surprised him. He surprised her a moment later by laughing heartily.

"I see where you got your reputation from. You've got guts kid; I like that." Despite his friendliness, Layla glared harshly at him.

"If you know so much about me, you know I don't deal in empty threats."

"You have nothing to worry about. That fight? Purely a misunderstanding." He assured her, in a tone that sounded genuinely sincere." It **was **the best fight I've had in years though. That girl's a damn good scrapper, I'll give her that."

"My name is Veronica." The former scribe said as she walked over to him. He smiled, before wincing slightly as he saw her black eye.

"Oh…yeah…sorry about the eye."

"It's fine." She said sweetly, before jumping into the air and kicking him in the face. He dropped to the ground like a bag of rocks, while Veronica calmly landed on her feet, before dusting herself off. Everybody in the area froze, expressions of shock on their faces, while Layla smiled. "Look, now we match." She said with a malicious edge to her voice as Moreno got back up, revealing that he now had a black eye too.

"I guess I deserved that." He said with an embarrassed grin.

"If we talk about what **you ** deserve…then we'll be here all day." Layla interjected. "Just don't hurt me or my friends…**especially Veronica**…and we won't have any problems."

"Got it." He said with a nod, before going over to talk to Arcade.

"I think you have a fanboy." Campbell said with a wry grin as he walked over.

"He's an old man." Layla countered.

"And a prick." Veronica added.

"Both true, but he's also a human tank who seems to have a weird kind of hero worship for you." He looked over at Moreno (Who was now chatting with Arcade), a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm pretty sure you could find a way to use that to your advantage."

"If something bad happens, I'll use him as a human shield." Layla deadpanned as she followed his gaze, watching the giant chat with the doctor and desperately wishing she could gut him.

"Well he's certainly big enough to be good at it." Campbell smirked. "You know…it's a shame we can't get the Remnants to help us. With them on our side, we wouldn't even need the weapons, a team of people tougher than Layla would tear the NCR a new one."

"What are you suggesting?" Veronica asked, a noticeable edge to her voice.

"Not a thing." The merc replied carefully, aware he was walking on eggshells…and since he was talking to Veronica, they were deathclaw eggshells. "Just…thinking out loud. Come on, you can't deny it'd be awesome to have our own task force of ultra-skilled killing machines. We'd have more time to relax, and I wouldn't have to clean the blood off your clothes so often."

"The Remnants **ARE NOT** getting involved in the battle." Veronica snarled., stepping closer to the merc so that he could see the serious, ball busting look in her eyes. "We've all lost family…we're not using **his** family to fight a war for us."

"Besides, I swore I'd keep them out of it." Layla added. "I'm not going to betray Arcade."

"I wasn't saying you should." Campbell defended himself, sounding increasingly exasperated. "I was just detailing a hypothetical scenario. I don't want to betray Arcade any more than you two; keeping the fossils off the frontlines is a plan I am very much in favour of."

"Good." Veronica said through clenched teeth.

"Honestly, I was just…" Her hand lashed out, and he winced in pain as she grabbed his ear, and wrenched his head closer to her.

"STOP…TALKING…"

"Owowowowowowowowowow." Campbell was struggling wildly to get his ear free, thrashing around like a fish caught on a hook while Veronica held on with no difficulty whatsoever. Layla had to resist the overpowering urge to laugh, but that became much easier as she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her.

"Layla." She spun around, finding herself face to face with Judah Kreger, the leader of the Remnants and one of the very few people to hand the Red Blade Witch her ass on a plate in a fight. He was wearing a set of leather armour now, and looked about ready to go to war…except that he was still wearing his typical red baseball cap. You could almost feel the good cheer fade away as the witch and the man who had bested her locked eyes, their gazes equally cold.

"Kreger." She replied as civilly as was humanly possible…which wasn't very civil at all, considering her feelings on the man.

"Murderer." The old man spat, causing Layla to drop all pretences of politeness.

"Fossil."

"Monster."

"Waste of space."

"Harridan." _Ooh, a flowery insult. What a nice change of pace. _She thought as a retort came to mind.

"Senile old bastard." Before Judah could think up a response, Veronica ran in between the two, desperate to stop the argument before it actually became an argument, and not a back and forth insult fencing duel.

"Woah! Okay…why don't we try calming down?" While the former scribe tried her best to defuse the situation, Kreger just stared at her.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" He asked, causing Layla to bristle slightly.

"Veronica, close friend of mine and a woman you should treat with respect." She growled threateningly. To her annoyance, Kreger didn't seem at all fazed.

"Is she a psychopath too?" Layla was about to respond, only for a hand to wrap around her lips. She shouted angrily, only for another hand to drag her back. It took her a few seconds to realise that Campbell was the one who held her, and she wasted no time in trying to bite his hand.

"The jury's still out on that one." Veronica answered in an embarrassed tone. "Regardless, I'm glad to have you here Mr Kreger. I've heard a lot about you."

"Thank you ma'am." The old man replied, sounding a lot more courteous now that he didn't have to talk to the Red Blade Witch. "In truth, I don't feel at all comfortable here. I don't trust the Witch or any of her companions…which includes you I'm sorry to say." If Layla had been able to talk, she'd be verbally castrating the old man now. Since she wasn't however, Veronica responded without any sign that she'd taken offence.

"Oh don't worry, we're all lovely people when you get to know us."

"You'll understand if I'm a little sceptical."

"Well, if there's anything we can do to make your time with us more pleasant, just let me know."

"You could muzzle Layla and keep her at least twenty feet away from me at all times."

"Ow!" Campbell cried out as the girl he'd been shushing bit his hand, before pushing him aside and stomping closer to Kreger, hand dangerously close to her sword. Veronica tried to stop her, but Layla ignored her, closing in on the Remnant with bloody murder in her eyes. The former scribe was prepared for the worst.

"Okay Kreger, let's get something straight here: I don't like you." She said as she stood in front of Judah, while Veronica looked on nervously.

"The feeling is quite mutual, I assure you." The senior bit back.

"However…seeing as we're going to be working together, I think we should put our grievances aside, and focus on the job." The older gentleman tilted his head to the side.

"Are you trying to be the metaphorical bigger man here?"

"Well somebody has to be, and with your senility and raging paranoia it certainly isn't going to be you." Ignoring that barb, Kreger's eyes softened, and he held out a hand.

"Very well Wi…Layla. Starting right now, no barbs, insults, name calling or death threats until the job is done. Truce?" To the surprise of everyone present, Layla grabbed Judah's outstretched hand, before shaking it in a friendly manner.

"Truce."

"What the hell is going on?" Campbell whispered as he stood next to Veronica.

"I think Layla may have been replaced by an android when we weren't looking." She replied, sounding utterly gobsmacked as the two bitter enemies shook hands.

"Of course, if you cause any physical harm to me or my friends, the deal is null and void." The red haired one said suddenly, her smile turning much more sadistic.

"Likewise." Judah said, in a tone as sinister as hers.

"And in that eventuality, I will kill you."

"Because your last attempt was such an overwhelming success." A short pause followed that remark. The scribe and the merc were certain a weapon was about to be drawn, when their jaws dropped as Layla actually **laughed** at the old man's quip.

"Touché." She said with a light grin, before releasing her hand. He smiled back at her, before giving a nod to Veronica and walking over to say hello to Arcade.

"Well…" Campbell stretched tiredly. "…if I remember rightly, Johnson and Moreno never saw eye to eye back in the old days, so it's likely they'll start a fight any minute. If anyone needs me, I'll be standing close to them to make sure that doesn't happen." Veronica was about to shoo him away…when she realised that if he left, she'd be alone with Layla. Panicking, she pulled Campbell back as he tried to walk away, before heading over to Johnson and Moreno herself,

"That's okay, I'll do it!" She said in a high pitched tone, before running over to the Remnants, leaving the merc and the witch alone.

"What's up with Veronica?" Layla decided to ask the obvious question first, confused as to why the scribe had been so eager to run away.

"It seems like she's nervous to be around you." Campbell said simply, causing Layla to raise her eyebrow.

"Why?" He shrugged.

"No idea."

"Are you lying to me?" Another shrug.

"Probably."

"Is there any chance I can get you to divulge this secret?"

"I wouldn't bet money on it."

"Why don't you just flip your coin to decide whether or not to tell me?" He seemed to consider this for a brief second, before yawning and shaking his head.

"Nah."

"You know, I haven't actually seen you flip your coin to make a decision in a while. Do you still do that?" That question seemed to properly get his attention, as he turned to face her, a slightly annoyed expression on his face.

"It's a core part of my psyche Layla; I couldn't just stop doing it, any more than you could just stop killing people." She looked doubtful.

"Well you haven't done it recently."

"For your information, I did it this morning; I used it to decide what I'd have for breakfast." Layla eyes widened slightly as she seemed to remember something.

"Didn't Veronica punch you in the face this morning?" Campbell rubbed his jaw, as though remembering the incident.

"The coin came up 'Veronica's fist'. I was elated, let me tell you." A wry grin worked its way onto her face.

"So how was it?"

"I'll be honest…I've had better breakfasts." She and he continued to exchange quips for a few minutes, while the Remnants a short distance away chatted enthusiastically, with Veronica and Arcade on standby to make sure neither Moreno nor Johnson started a fight. Doc Henry showed up a short while later, but his arrival was boring, as it was the only one where there were no death threats issued or truces made. Once all the Remnants were assembled, small talk had ceased and everybody had finished catching up, it was time to move out. The group left Novac's outskirts, and headed for the Remnant's bunker, following Henry's coordinates. Conversation was light during the journey, and in a few hours they reached their destination.

Surprisingly, it turned out the bunker was located a short distance away from Jacobstown. That explained how Henry had come across Marcus and the mutants at least. A chill wind filled the area as the group came to a stop outside a rocky outcropping. The sun that had been bearing down on them earlier had now hidden itself behind the clouds, making it noticeably colder as they stood in the snow.

"This is it?" Layla asked, ignoring the wind as it blew her hair around.

"This is the place." Henry confirmed, adjusting his glasses as he moved forward to stand next to her.

"But…there's nothing here."

"Appearances can be deceiving." Judah said mysteriously as he stepped forward. Curious, Layla followed him as he walked into the shade of the outcropping, and stopped in front of a pile of rocks. Before Layla could speak, he moved one of the rocks away to reveal a trap door. Without a word, Judah opened the door and climbed down the ladder underneath, with the other Remnants moving to follow him soon after. Whitman was the last, but since she was still cuffed, she could do little more than glare angrily at the ladder. Both Veronica and Layla were tempted to kick her down the ladder, but Arcade uncuffed her instead, allowing her to climb down to join her former teammates.

"Was that such a good idea?" Veronica asked, looking at the cuffs in Arcade's hands as Whitman climbed down.

"If she tries anything, Judah will put her in her place." Arcade said reassuringly. Layla huffed in response.

"Oh yeah, because I'm sure his harsh words will be extremely helpful while that old bitch is stabbing a knife into my back." Her gaze followed Whitman, a harsh look in her eyes.

"Daisy knows the agreement; she won't be trying anything." Arcade replied.

"If she does, I reserve the right to stab her." He narrowed his eyes at her, and she relented. "Oh fine! No hurting the crazy old…what was the word Judah used to insult me earlier? The flowery one?"

"Harridan." Campbell answered as he stepped forward. "And it's not really that flowery; it means a belligerent or otherwise vicious old woman."

"Right. No hurting the crazy old…harridan?" Campbell nodded. "No hurting the crazy old harridan who would love nothing more than to tie me up and torture me to death." She said bitterly, while the merc smiled.

"Considering how much you have in common with the other Remnants, I'm surprised you don't get along with them." Layla's eyes narrowed.

"Just get down this ladder before I kick you down." Campbell walked over to the ladder and started to climb down. He stopped for a few seconds to look up and smirk at her, so she slowly reared her leg back. Not wanting to be kicked, he promptly slid down the ladder, leaving Layla free to climb down next.

The room at the bottom looked like something out of the Brotherhood's bunker at Hidden Valley, though since both this and that bunker had likely been taken over after the Great War, it made sense that the two instillations were similar in design. The five Remnants stood in a line before a large metal door, with Campbell leaned against the left wall, arms folded. While Veronica started climbing down, Layla walked forwards, so that she stood in front of the Remnants. Directly in front and to the left of the line was a computer terminal, which she assumed she'd have to use to open the door.

"Have you had a look at the computer?" She called over to Campbell, and he nodded, eyes closed as he folded his arms.

"It's a password input terminal. You need a five word code to enter."

"And each of the Remnants have one word of the code." Arcade stated as he walked forwards, Veronica at his side.

"I assume you all remember your words?" The red haired one asked the five senior citizens before her, and they all nodded. With that, she stood next to the terminal and prepared to enter the code. "Okay, one at a time, tell me your word." With a trace of wistfulness in their voices, the former Enclave personnel stepped forward one at a time, and spoke their part of the code.

"Dear." Whitman began.

"Old." Johnson said next.

"Friends." Henry added.

"Remember." Moreno saluted as he spoke his word.

"Navarro." Kreger finished. With that, Layla entered the last word, before pressing the enter key. The door before them swiftly opened without a sound, revealing a corridor beyond. It was anticlimactic to say the least, but nonetheless it was a victory. After all their fighting, Layla and co finally had access to the bunker that had eluded them for so long. Much cheering soon followed.

"Yes!" Layla exclaimed, while the fossils entered the bunker, leaving the younger folk to celebrate.

"We did it." Veronica smiled, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. "We actually got all the old buggers together and opened the door. I…I didn't think we'd be able to…" Her grin widened, only for Campbell to cut in.

"Why don't we wait until we actually see the stuff we came here for before celebrating?" Arcade nodded his agreement, while his words caused Veronica to deflate.

"Killjoy." She said in an annoyed tone, before walking into the bunker with her friends in tow.

***Later***

The bunker turned out to be much larger than they'd expected. As soon as you got through the door there was a flight of steps going down, then a few corridors, then a large room with several suits of power armour and a number of guns. At the very end of that room was the meeting room where all the Remnants currently were, to the right was a door leading to a hanger with a number of vertibirds, and a hidden shaft leading up to a secret opening at the top of a nearby mountain, which was used to let vertibirds enter and exit the base. There were also a number of large warehouses scattered around the place, and the team had split up to take stock of the inventory said warehouses had stored.

"Another laser rifle." Layla said in a bored tone as she opened a crate on the bottom row of the latest massive shelf, and observed its contents. Behind her, Arcade nodded, before writing her finds down on the clipboard he held in his hand.

"Just one?" He asked.

"Yup." Layla replied, barely supressing a yawn as she closed the box. She was already getting sick of this. She'd been looking forward to a period of celebration after they gained access to the bunker, but the men in the group had said they needed to note down exactly what they had before they could call the mission a success. Thus, instead of throwing a party, Layla was stuck in a dusty old warehouse, opening box after box and slowly losing the will to live. It wouldn't be so bad, except the warehouse was utterly massive, featuring over ten shelves arranged horizontally, each of which had over twenty rows stretching up the ceiling, rows which were approximately twenty feet wide, and each had what seemed to be hundreds of crates on them. And there were five warehouses. This just wasn't practical. "Do we HAVE to do this?" She whined.

"The answer is the same as the last fifteen times you asked: yes." Arcade replied without emotion.

"But this place is gigantic! It'll take us all day just to note down everything in this one warehouse!"

"Not if you speed up." She groaned loudly.

"Can't we just break into the manager's office or something? Wouldn't they have records on what exactly they have stored here?"

"No. The Enclave didn't keep records, it was one of their policies. One person's record is another person's intel that can be given to the enemy. To prevent intelligence leaks, the men in charge memorised everything, and didn't record a thing." She groaned again.

"This is bull."

"The sooner it's over, the sooner you can relax."

"Yeah, but the soonest it'll be over is HOURS. Can't we take a break?"

"After we finish this shelf."

"We're only on the first row! There are about twenty crates to go, and even after we do that, there's over twenty rows stretching up, each with god knows how many crates on them! Nobody can search all this, it's inhuman!"

"All this time you're spending complaining could be spent opening crates."

"It could also be spent celebrating the success of our mission."

"Layla." The doctor sounded like a parent scolding a naughty child, and Layla couldn't help but relent.

"Fine." She growled, before moving forwards. "Now that I see why you split me and Veronica up; if we'd been left alone to take stock of a warehouse…we wouldn't have taken stock of it."

"There's also the fact that she's terrified of you." Layla turned to face him, a mixture of surprise and annoyance on her face.

"Am I the only one who **doesn't **know why she's avoiding me?!" She asked in a loud, exasperated tone.

"Yes." Arcade replied simply, before motioning to her to continue. She groaned, before carrying on. Soon they reached another crate, and she opened it before peeking at its contents.

"Four plasma rifles and a plasma defender." She said in a monotone voice, and he wrote it down. As he did so, a question came to mind…a question she was surprised she hadn't thought of earlier. "Where the hell did you get that clipboard?"

"Campbell gave it to me."

"Ah." That explained everything. When it came to getting his hands on random items that nobody would ever need except in an extremely specific situation, Campbell was basically God.

"He has one too I think."

"Of course he does." As she moved to the next crate, more questions appeared in Layla's head…important ones this time. "So…what're your plans now?" Behind her, Arcade raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, once we've finished taking stock of all the equipment in this place, which will probably take a few days at this rate, the mission will be over. What will you do then?" She turned to sit on the crate she'd been about to open, while Arcade shrugged.

"I'm not sure. All I really know is that I'll be leaving."

"Didn't you say earlier that you're heading back to the Followers' fort? We'll be airlifting some of the Enclave stuff via vertibird in a few days, so we can give you a lift if you want." To her surprise, Arcade shook his head.

"I thought I was going back there, but the more I think about it…no…no, it just wouldn't work." The red haired one tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Why not?"

"I'm a wanted criminal, remember? The NCR are after me because they think I'm affiliated with the Enclave. Not only is the fort in NCR controlled territory…but the closer I am to the rest of the Followers, the more likely General Oliver is to think the rest of the Followers have ties to the Enclave too, and if he thinks that…"

"He'll butcher them like cattle." Arcade blanched as Layla finished his sentence for him.

"I wouldn't have put it quite so…bluntly…but basically, yeah."

"So you've got nowhere to go?"

"Nowhere." The doctor's expression turned downcast, while Layla smiled as an idea came to her.

"Well if you've got nowhere else to go…then why don't you just stay with us?" He looked at her like she was insane…which she was.

"Because I think you're a horrible, evil person?" An offended look appeared on her face. "Hey don't get me wrong, you're a trusted friend, I think of you as a sister and I'd happily take a bullet for you, but let's face facts: I don't agree with your goal at all." Layla shrugged.

"Fair enough." She said with a sheepish smile. "But you don't have to actively help us wipe out the NCR. Just…live here with us, in the bunker." A sceptical look appeared on his face.

"Seriously?"

"What? Veronica, Campbell and I were planning to move in here anyway, and there's more than enough room. You can conduct experiments…or whatever it is you do in your spare time…in peace." He cupped his chin with his thumb and index finger as he pondered this.

"The walls **are** mostly soundproofed." He mused. "So if you have torture some poor NCR soul, I won't hear any of it." He looked intently at her. "And you can **guarantee **you won't make me join your cause?" She nodded happily.

"You'll just be our roommate…for lack of a better term." Even in the face of these arguments, the doctor didn't seem entirely convinced.

"I don't know…"

"Look, you don't have to decide now. You'll have plenty of time to mull it over while we're tediously opening hundreds of crates and writing down their contents." There was a pause, after which Arcade smiled.

"You're right." He said with a nod. "And we can start with the crate you're sitting on." Her happy expression vanished like someone had flipped a switch.

"I hate you." The doctor just smirked.

***Campbell***

At the same time, Veronica was also looking through a warehouse, though her sanity was being tested far more than Layla's as she had to put up with Campbell. It had only taken a minute for her to forbid him from speaking. It had taken another minute for her to ban from him whistling, and thirty seconds after that to ban him from humming. Now he was completely silent, simply following her with the clipboard as she opened crates. At the moment, she was trying to open a particularly difficult crate, but not having much luck.

"Son of a…" She grumbled, before kicking the crate and swearing exuberantly for a few seconds. While she did this, Campbell found a crowbar on the floor nearby and threw it to her. She caught it and reluctantly thanked him, before getting back to work. As she tried to use the crowbar to open the crate, Campbell leaned back against a nearby shelf, and closed his eyes. Despite appearances however, he wasn't relaxed; the truth was, he was filled with troubles, most of them caused by a fateful meeting the previous day.

**Yesterday**

It was a reasonably sunny day in Novac as Layla and Campbell entered the main part of the town. They were still looking for Daisy Whitman, and as they stopped outside the Dino Dee-lite Motel (**That name…**), they decided to plan their next move.

"So…how are we going to find this Remnant bitch?" Layla asked bluntly.

"How do you know she's a bitch?" Campbell replied casually.

"Well let's see; one Remnant paralysed you for an hour, another beat the crap out of me, and yet another beat the crap out of Veronica. I'm expecting the next one to shoot me in the face with a shotgun as soon as I introduce myself." Campbell smiled.

"They've been a little…abrasive, I'll give you that. As for finding **this **one, I think that…" He stopped suddenly, as a sight behind him seemed to attract his attention. _Is that…_ He mentally wondered, trying not to let his unease show on his face. Before Layla could follow his gaze, he looked back at her and continued. "…we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Novac has roughly the diameter of a toadstool; do we really need to split up?"

"From what Arcade told me, this woman is **very **good at remaining hidden. She didn't take part in combat with the Remnants once, and that's mostly because none of the enemy ever saw her. Granted she was flying the vertibird most of the time, but even when she wasn't, she was never once shot at by the opposition."

"Still…splitting up?" Campbell didn't budge, so Layla sighed. "Alright fine, but just remember that the last time I split up with my partner to find a Remnant, I got beaten up by a senior citizen. I won't be there to help you if that happens to you." To her surprise, Campbell chuckled lightly.

"Layla, I've likely got more guns on me than we'll actually find in the bunker. One old woman isn't going to give me any problems."

"I'm an expert killing machine, while Veronica is a highly skilled martial artist armed with a fist that can punch people's heads off; we both lost to a Remnant. Do you really think you'll have any luck?" Campbell pulled out his powerful 12.7mm pistol, and briefly spun it around in his hand, grinning all the while.

"I'll take my chances." He said confidently, before returning his pistol to the inside of his trenchcoat and casually walking away. While Layla shook her head and walked towards the motel, Campbell set off in the direction of…whatever it was he'd seen earlier. There was an abandoned petrol station across the street from the motel, and he'd seen the…thing…poke its head out from behind there. Gripping his 12.7mm tightly, he dashed behind the building, ready to fire at a moment's notice. There didn't seem to be anything that deserved a bullet, but Campbell wasn't fooled.

"You can come out." He said seriously. "I know you're here. She's gone, so there's no risk of getting spotted."

"That was never a risk for me." A voice stated confidently, before a familiar figure appeared out of thin air.

"Stealth boy?" Campbell asked unnecessarily as he returned his pistol to the inside of his trenchcoat. The figure didn't reply, and the merc understood why; this was a man who had no patience for answering inane questions.

"It is time for the next part of your assignment." Vulpes Inculta said, a fox-like grin on his face.

**The Present**

"Campbell!" Veronica yelled, knocking the merc out of his reverie.

"Yes?" He replied politely.

"I've been calling you for ages. Pay attention would you?" The former scribe said sternly.

"Certainly." He smiled pleasantly, as he stopped leaning against the shelf and moved forwards. "Did you open the crate?"

"Yeah. One Gatling laser and three plasma grenades." Campbell nodded, before jotting the information down on his clipboard as they moved on to the next crate.

***Many…many…MANY hours later***

"Veronica…is that you?" Layla asked, barely able to keep her eyes open as she stumbled into what she had started thinking of as the bunker's main plaza, the room in the middle of the complex that connected the hangar, the meeting room, and every other part of the underground box.

"Layla?" Veronica asked, clearly as tired as she plopped down on a crate in the middle of the room. "My god…I never thought I'd see you again." Layla walked closer to her, barely able to move due to sheer exhaustion.

"Same here." She said with a weary nod. "I thought I was going to die in there. Why…why are those warehouses so **huge**?" Veronica shook her head.

"So many crates…god…so many crates." Both girls had an expression of horror on their respective faces as they remembered their traumatic experiences in their respective warehouses, cataloguing so many pieces of equipment…opening crate after crate after crate after crate after crate after crate after crate after crate after crate after crate after crate, all the time some corner of their respective minds hoping that they'd find a gun or a knife in their crates, something they could use to end the torment.

"Forget the NCR…now I want to get revenge on whoever packed all those crates." Layla said, panting tiredly as she leant back to stretch her wounded muscles. On hearing her joke, Veronica couldn't help but smirk, even though she could barely stand.

"Ye gods you two are melodramatic." Campbell remarked as he walked out of the meeting room. "It was just a few crates."

"A few **hundred** crates." Veronica shot back.

"Tomorrow, you and Arcade can do the crate opening, while Veronica and I write the stuff down." Layla ordered, but Campbell wasn't having any of it.

"I have many arguments against that, but first and foremost, do you even know how to write?" Layla froze. "I mean, I know you can read, and I think you can type, but can you write?"

"What kind of question is that?!" Veronica asked in an outraged tone. "Of course she can…" She stopped as she saw that Layla was blushing, and she had an ashamed look on her face. "Layla?"

"I can't." The red haired one quietly admitted. "I…I can't write." Veronica looked surprised, while Campbell seemed like he'd already known this.

"But…I thought they taught basic skills like reading and writing in the Khans?" Veronica asked. "I mean, your mother could write couldn't she? You said she wrote poetry."

"Mum could write because she was a very clever lady." Layla said wistfully. "I however, am not. The khans taught the basic skills, but lessons were optional for the most part, and I always preferred hitting things to learning things." Layla looked utterly miserable, and Veronica wanted nothing more than to get up and give her a hug. Just thinking about doing so made her blush however, and her legs became like jelly, making it impossible to rise from her seated position.

"Sorry." Campbell said apologetically. "I wasn't trying to be harsh."

"No, I understand." Layla replied wanly. "I can't write, so I'll just open the crates." Campbell smiled, until Veronica interjected.

"Hang on…why do we even need clipboards anyway? Why can't we just type information? Layla can do that."

"Yeah…yeah, I can." The red haired one said, perking up as realisation hit her. Campbell looked horrified. Desperate not to be regulated to box opening duty, he floundered for a counter argument.

"I…but…you…that…" He stuttered and waved his arms for about ten seconds, before he snapped his fingers as a decent argument found its way into his brain. "Clipboards are more portable!" He announced, causing both of the girls to look at him quizzically.

"What?" Veronica asked flatly.

"What's easier, following you around while carrying a clipboard for several hours, or following you around will carrying a computer for several hours?"

"Oh come on!" Veronica snapped. "You're just trying to find excuses to get out of unpacking boxes!"

"That may be true, but am I wrong?"

"Well…" A long pause followed as Veronica tried to think of a retort. She failed.

"You can't argue my point, I win!" Campbell whooped, cheering to the heavens, while Veronica muttered angrily to herself.

"I hate you."

"I can live with that." He said as he stopped cheering. "And Layla, don't worry, I'll teach you how to write." Layla looked incredibly embarrassed.

"That's okay."

"I insist."

"I don't…"

"It's fine." She held up her hands to signal that she didn't want this, but Campbell ignored her.

"Stop pushing this!"

"Writing is an important skill."

"What am I going to use it for, writing the NCR a strongly worded letter?!"

"What if you need to send a message of intimidation to one of your enemies?"

"Then YOU can do it!" Campbell looked like he was about to speak, when Layla reached for her sword.

"Never mind." He said meekly, before changing the subject with practiced ease. "So…even though we haven't finished taking stock of the loot, I think it's safe to say mission accomplished." The girls nodded happily, but Campbell looked surprisingly glum. "Too bad we'll have to say goodbye to Arcade." Layla smiled.

"Not exactly." She said knowingly. "Since he's a wanted criminal and can't go back to the fort, I suggested he live here with us…and he's **considering **it." Her friends were both astonished.

"Layla, you are an angel." Campbell said gratefully, a massive smile on his face.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you this happy." She pointed out, a curious look on her face.

"Well Arcade is pretty much my best friend." Both girls looked slightly offended. "I mean no offence, you know I think of you two as family and I platonically love you but let's face it, Arcade's the only other guy here, and the only one who's even close to being on my wavelength."

"Huh…the sanest person here is on the same wavelength as the craziest person here." Veronica said jokingly.

"Since when was I the craziest person here?"

"You talk to a coin." Layla said with a smirk. Campbell got out his coin, and leaned his head close to it.

"Don't listen to them precious." He muttered, to which Layla and Veronica giggled.

"So what's the status of the fossils?" The red haired one asked when she stopped giggling.

"Well, while we were working ourselves to the bone, they were in the meeting room chatting and catching up. I just went in there…I recommend not following my example as the whole place smells of dust, tea and old people." Layla didn't respond, as a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.

"Layla?" Veronica asked, but the red haired one didn't respond. She seemed to be deep in thought. **Very **deep in thought.

"Layla…what are you thinking about?" Campbell asked slowly. No response. "Could you please stop acting out of character and…I don't know, threaten me or something?" Still no response. "Well this is unusual."

"Tell me about it." Veronica said as she waved a hand in front of Layla's eyes, earning no reaction. "What do you suppose she's thinking about?"

"Murder?" Campbell shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea. Seems like she's having a serious mental debate though." Unsure of what to do, they simply stayed silent for a while, waiting for Layla to snap out of it. A few minutes later, a focused look appeared on her face, and she walked towards the meeting room. "Ah, you're alive." Campbell commented as she neared him.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about…" She started to explain, but seemed to change her mind midway through. "…just follow me." Before Campbell or Veronica could argue, Layla opened the door and walked into the meeting room.

"Hey, remember that time when Arcade got his head stuck in a vertibird's exhausts?" Someone asked, as Layla entered, to find all five of the Remnants sitting at a table in the middle of the room. Johnson and Kreger chuckled at the question, while Whitman smiled, Henry looked neutral, and Moreno guffawed, his booming laughter echoing throughout the room. Layla knocked on the wall as she entered the small room, earning the attention of the seniors. Five sets of eyes turned to look at her, Henry's filled with little emotion (Though a hint of warmth could be detected if one looked hard enough), Whitman's filled with that familiar loathing, and the other three filled with friendliness…forced or otherwise.

"Sorry to interrupt…" She said as she entered, before moving so that she stood at the head of the table. "…but there's something that we need to talk about." As Veronica and Campbell entered, Judah replied.

"That's true." He said with an unreadable expression. "We'd given you access to the bunker, the job is done, so what happens now?"

"Funny you should mention that." Layla remarked, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth. "I have a proposition for you." _What is she up to? _Veronica thought as the other Remnants looked at her with anticipation.

"Well don't keep us in suspense." Johnson said, rifle on the table in front of him as he leaned back in his seat. A serious look appeared on Layla's face, and she clasped her hands behind her back. Once she was sure she had everyone's attention, she cleared her throat before beginning.

"Okay…to start with, I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the war that grips the Mojave at the moment?" Five elderly people all shook their heads, so she continued. "Long story short, there's going to be a battle soon, a huge battle, a battle unlike any the Mojave as ever seen. At Hoover Dam, the New California Republic and Caesar's Legion will face off in their final battle, a battle for the ages. It's unlikely the Mojave will ever see a battle like this again, and the survivors will be talking about it for decades to come. As I'm sure you know, I'm allied with Caesar's Legion, and as such I'll be fighting in the battle. I also have the ear of the Legion's current leader, Legate Lanius. He'll listen to me, so if I tell him I want to bring some allies into the battle, he'll let them fight alongside his forces."

"Where are you going with this?" Kreger asked.

"It's simple; you people, all of you, are warriors. Some of you might prefer pursuits that don't involve combat…" She glanced briefly at Henry and Whitman. "…hell, some of you might hate combat altogether…" She looked at Johnson. "But the fact of the matter is, you have all been born and bred to fight, and you are utterly unmatched on the battlefield. You're reaching your twilight years now, the reaper will be coming for you before you know it, but there is one last battlefield waiting for you, one last great fight you can be a part of, one last hurrah, a battle that people will remember, and if you take part in it, they'll remember you too."

"Are you inviting us to join the Second Battle of Hoover Dam?" Henry asked calmly.

"Yes I am." Layla replied eagerly. "I know you don't all like the Legion, but this is the chance for all of you to either go out in a blaze of glory, or win a battle against impossible odds and be entered into the annals of history." Expressions around the tables were mixed: Moreno looked excited, Johnson looked outraged, Henry looked neutral, Whitman looked bored, and Kreger looked thoughtful. Next to the door, Veronica and Campbell looked absolutely gobsmacked.

"We're not honestly considering this are we?!" Johnson asked, voice filled with rage. "I'd sooner jump off Hoover Dam than help the Legion claim it!"

"So you'd rather help the NCR, the bastards who destroyed the Enclave, who chased us across America, hunting us down like animals?!" Moreno asked, equally enraged.

"I'm GLAD they destroyed the Enclave!" Johnson snapped. "It was evil…it needed to be destroyed. The bastards who worked for it needed to die."

"Did Joanna need to die?!" On hearing that, Johnson went quiet, and mournful expressions appeared on the faces of everyone at the table.

"I'm sorry…who's Joanna?" Layla asked, having no idea what was going on.

"Arcade's mother." Judah replied quietly, and suddenly it made sense.

"You know what? You can all do what you like, but I want no part of this madness." Johnson said harshly, before getting to his feet and storming out of the room. As soon as Johnson left, the rest of the Remnants started discussing what to do, not reacting to his departure in the slightest. While the fossils spoke, Veronica walked forwards and grabbed Layla by the wrist…hard.

"Please excuse us for just a moment." The former scribe said to the Remnants, barely keeping a calm façade as she dragged Layla out of the meeting room. Campbell followed, and shut the door as Veronica let go of Layla's wrist and shouted at her. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Campbell had to put his hands to his ears after hearing that deafening shout, and there was no doubt that the Remnants would have been able to hear it from the meeting room.

"Ow." Layla said, rubbing her ears, which had just received a shot of a pain in the form of Veronica's shout. Once they had recovered, she turned back to Veronica with a confused look on her face. "Why are you shouting at me?"

"You were just trying to recruit the Remnants, when you promised Arcade that you wouldn't!" Layla's expression turned downcast; it was obvious she'd been expecting this conversation.

"Okay…look, I take no pleasure in this, but those fossils in there are good at fighting…**really **good, like, better than us. They're arguably a bigger prize than all the guns in this place put together. With them on our side, our victory against the NCR is practically assured."

"Can I say something?" Campbell tried to interject, but the girls quickly stopped him like a brick wall.

"NO!" Both girls snapped at the same time, scaring the life out of Campbell. On seeing the unrelenting looks in their respective eyes, he held his hands up, bowed briefly, and went back into the meeting room, shutting the door behind him and leaving the girls alone to argue. As soon as he was gone, Veronica continued from where they'd left off.

"You gave Arcade your word!"

"Don't you think I feel guilty about this? You saw me mulling it over earlier; it was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make."

"And you made the wrong choice!"

"That's your opinion." Veronica sighed, before shaking her head and putting a hand to her face.

"Layla…you're doing it again." Confused, Layla tilted her head to the side.

"Doing what?"

"Being selfish." The red haired one bristled at that.

"I'm not…"

"Remember when Caesar ordered you to wipe out the Brotherhood?" Layla's eyes widened, while Veronica's hardened. "You made the wrong choice then too, the selfish choice."

"No I did…"

"Yes you did!" Veronica interrupted, prompting Layla to be quiet. "You chose to sacrifice my family, and that nearly destroyed our friendship. Sure, you changed your mind before you could actually go through with it, but for some small measure of time, you made the selfish choice, the choice that you thought benefitted everyone, but in actuality benefitted only you. You're doing it again."

"Veronica…"

"For god's sake Layla, they're his family, and you want to turn them into soldiers!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" Layla suddenly snapped. "Do you think I **want **to do this? I don't, but it's the best way to destroy the NCR."

"Stop focusing on your quest for a moment and look at what you're doing." Veronica pleaded. "Arcade's our friend…he's like family to us. How can you do this to him?"

"I…"

"Layla, I know wiping out the NCR is important to you, but please, don't let your obsession blind you like it has in the past."

"I'm not blind."

"Yes you are! You tried to give up my family to destroy the NCR, and now you're planning to throw Arcade's family at them for the same reason." Layla didn't respond, so Veronica stepped forwards, before putting her hands on Layla's shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. "Layla, you can't sacrifice someone else's family to avenge your own." Those words seemed to shake Layla to her very core, and after hearing them she looked like she'd just been slapped. She fell to her knees, and just stared at Veronica, her eyes the size of dinner plates.

"I…I was only trying to…" Layla couldn't finish, as tears started to leak through.

"I know." Veronica said softly, kneeling down next to Layla and putting aside the nervousness the red haired one created in her to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I know what you were trying to do; you want to make sure nobody else experiences what the NCR made you experience, but you keep forgetting to consider the feelings of those closest to you. When you decided to do as Caesar asked, and wipe out my family…I was heartbroken. And then, when Campbell eventually did wipe them out…it destroyed me. Arcade's lost his father, his mother, and he can't go back to the Followers so he's essentially lost them too…but he still has the Remnants. They're his family, and if he loses them, it'll destroy him like losing the Brotherhood destroyed me. I know you think you're doing the right thing, I know you're trying to make the tough choices, but this isn't you doing something bad for the greater good, this is you breaking a promise to one of your closest friends, and sending his family to the slaughter for your own goals. What you're doing…it's wrong. Please realise that." Layla didn't respond…she **couldn't **respond. She tried to, but she was so choked up that no words left her mouth, so she just knelt silently instead.

"…You're right." She said eventually, her voice filled with what Veronica slowly realised was shame. "I…I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet, but the former scribe heard her, and she smiled as she leaned in for a hug.

"I know." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around the red haired one, who just stayed motionless, making no sound whatsoever.

"I'm evil." She muttered after a brief pause.

"No you're not."

"But…I was willing to use Arcade's family as foot soldiers. Why do I keep sacrificing my friends' families? What the hell is wrong with me?" Her voice was filled with bitterness, which prompted Veronica to hug tighter.

"Nothing's wrong with you."

"That's a lie and you know it."

"Layla, look at me." Veronica pulled her head back and tried to look Layla in the eyes, but the other girl refused to give eye contact. "Look at me." Reluctantly, Layla turned back to the former scribe, and they looked into each other's eyes. "Layla, you're angry, and you're violent, and you might be a bit selfish sometimes, but deep down inside, you're a good person and I love you. Never forget either of those things."

"I'm not a good person."

"You are."

"I'm not…"

"Shush." Despite her better judgement, Layla stayed quiet. "You made a mistake, we all do, but you can still make it right. You know what you have to do." With that, she released the hug, and wiped the last few tears out of Layla's eyes and off her face, before getting to her feet. Once she was stood up, she held a hand out to Layla, and the red haired grabbed it, a microscopically small smile on her face.

"Thank you." She said, speaking in a barely audible volume as she got to her feet.

"You're welcome."

"But I'm not a good person." To her surprise, Veronica kissed her on the forehead.

"You are…now go in there and prove it." Layla smiled gratefully, before a determined look appeared on her face and she walked briskly into the meeting room. Veronica followed, and stood next to Campbell by the door as Layla approached the table.

"So how'd it go?" He asked quietly.

"Brilliantly." She replied with a smile.

"Really? Even with the recent nervousness you've been having around her?"

"Yep." Before Campbell could ask another question, the Remnants noticed Layla's arrival.

"Ah Layla, you're back." Kreger said as stood at the head of the table again, and the whole room went silent. "You're just in time; we've reached a decision."

"The deal's off." She said suddenly, without emotion. Everybody stared at her, mouths open wide in shocked O shapes.

"What?" Kreger asked, clearly confused.

"Why?!" Moreno asked, a disappointed look on her face.

"Never mind why." She snapped. "None of you are fighting in that battle, end of story." Only Moreno seemed to be significantly concerned by this.

"Like hell we're not! What happened to wanting to crush the NCR?!" Layla didn't reply. "You've gone soft witch."

"No, I just don't want to hurt one of my best friends by turning his family into a bunch of shock troopers to take out an organisation I don't like. That's not 'going soft', that's 'making the right choice'. I don't do that often, but by god I'm going to do it now." Layla shot back forcefully, but Moreno refused to back down. He got to his feet, stomped over to her, and looked her dead in the eye.

"And what if I don't agree with your decision?" To his surprise, Layla laughed, a dark, humourless laugh that chilled the air.

"Orion, you're already high on my shit list, okay? Ask yourself this: do you want to be any higher?" Her hand grasped the handle of her sword. "Do the smart thing: stop yourself from making a lethal mistake and **sit**...**down**." There was a long, tense pause. Veronica was almost certain someone was about to die (In either eventuality, Moreno would die anyway, because if he laid even a single hand on Layla then the former scribe would punch his head off), only to be shocked when Moreno sighed, before backing away and returning to his seat. Layla immediately let go of her sword, and her expression brightened slightly.

"Layla, why have you suddenly changed your mind?" Kreger asked carefully. "If I'm not mistaken, you don't like the NCR very much, and a few minutes ago you were very much **for **the idea."

"I was, but then I realised I'd be using the only family Arcade has left as weapons to fight my own personal battle for me…and I can't do that. I've lost my family, and I can't sacrifice his to avenge mine. As such, I forbid any of you from taking part in the battle" At that, Moreno laughed.

"Ha! You forbid us?" Layla narrowed her eyes. "Who the hell do you think you a…" Before he could finish mocking her, Layla rapidly drew her sword and pressed it against his throat.

"I think I'm a woman that you **do not **want to get on the bad side of." All she had to do was move her wrist slightly, and Orion Moreno would be little more than a memory.

"Layla, you can't threaten us into staying out of this war." Kreger pointed out. On hearing this, Layla turned him, fire burning in her eyes.

"Let me put it another way: I'm going to make sure the Legion will **never** accept your help in the battle, and I know the NCR won't accept you because you're former Enclave personnel, so that pretty much means you have no hope of getting into this battle."

"With all due respect…"

"Oh save it." She snapped suddenly, prompting Judah to shut up. " I know you all want your big battle at the dam, but to be honest I don't give a crap. I don't like most of you, but you're Arcade's family, and as long as he's my friend, I am not going to let you throw your lives away…not that any of you fossils have long left, but still." With that, she moved her sword away from Moreno's neck, before spinning it around briefly and sliding it back into the scabbard. "Now…are there any questions?"

"I have one." A familiar voice said. Layla turned to the door, to see Arcade glaring at her. At his side was Cannibal Johnson, who was pointing his rifle at her head. "What the hell are you doing?" He didn't shout, he didn't snap at her, he just asked the question, coldly, and quietly. If anything, the fact that he didn't sound angry made the question even more terrifying. This Arcade wasn't burning with rage, his rage had frozen, and it was freezing the rest of him too, making him colder. He wasn't going to explode…he was going to freeze her solid.

"Arcade…" Layla said dumbly, not sure what was going on. "What are you…"

"I told him." Johnson interrupted, seemingly seconds away from shooting her. "I knew Arcade wouldn't stand for this, so I told him. I told him you wanted his family to join the Legion."

"It's not like that." Layla said, but Arcade didn't seem to be listening.

"You promised Layla." She could almost feel the room get colder as Arcade spoke. "You gave me your word that you wouldn't recruit them…yet here you are."

"No Arcade, you don't understand." She said, desperately trying to explain the situation to him. "I'm trying to…"

"Don't listen to her lies." Johnson interrupted again.

"Johnson, with all due respect, this has nothing to do with you, so shut the fucking hell up before I walk over there and cave in your skull with my bare hands." At that, Johnson finally shut his trap, allowing Layla and Arcade to speak alone. "Look, Arcade, it's true that I was going to recruit them, but…"

"I don't want to hear it." Arcade cut her off, slowly shaking his head. His quiet, almost clinical tone somehow made his words hurt even more. "I thought you were my friend…I thought I could trust you…but you betrayed me."

"Arcade…" To Layla's surprise, Kreger spoke up, but he didn't get more than a single word out before Arcade turned to him.

"Be quiet Judah." That tone…she'd never heard him take that tone with Kreger before. He usually treated the old man with nothing but reverence and respect, like a true father figure. The tone he was using now though…it was cold enough to give the old man frostbite.

"Arcade, just listen to me for a second, okay?"

"Why, so you can lie to me again? Sorry, I'm not in the mood for more bullshit."

"But…"

"I can't believe I ever thought of you as family."

"Don't say that." The pitch of his voice dropped when he spoke again, so that it sounded like he was basically growling.

"You and I are done, do you hear me? We're not friends anymore, we're certainly not family, and I don't want anything to do with you ever again. You're a selfish, heartless witch, and if I lacked just **a little** of the restraint I currently possessed, you'd be dead." Johnson looked at the doctor, a surprised expression on his face.

"What, you mean we're not going to kill her?" He asked in a dumbfounded tone.

"God knows she deserves it…but if we do, we'll be no better than her."

"I know that, but she…she's a monster. If she stays alive, she'll only hurt more innocents." Johnson's finger neared the trigger. "We have to…"

"**NO**." Arcade yelled, making every single person in the room jump. Suddenly terrified, Johnson lowered his rifle, while Arcade glared at Layla. "Goodbye Red Blade Witch. May a bullet find your black heart." With that, Johnson headed for the door, while Arcade looked at her for a few moments longer, before turning and walking after him. Johnson stopped before the door, and pressed the switch on the wall next to it. The door slid open…and his head exploded.

_**Reader: What the actual fuck?**_

_**Me: What?**_

_**Reader: I wait 4 months 4 FUCKING MONTHS for this big finale you've been hyping up…and not only is it insultingly short, but it's a FUCKING CLIFFHANGER TOO?!**_

_**Me: Wow…you're really sweary.**_

_**Reader: I'M GOING TO STAB YOU IN THE THROAT!**_

_**Me: Not my throat!**_

_**In all seriousness, please don't stab me. You see, this isn't the whole finale, it's half of it. I've split it into two. There's more, okay? No need to murder me. And no, it won't be 4 FUCKING MONTHS before the next one, it'll be…a day, if that. Yes, the next one will come out quicker than…I can't think of a comparison that isn't dirty, so forget that. It'll be quick, that's the point I'm trying to make. But why split it into two in the first place? Simple. This chapter is the 'Dialogue and character development', part of the finale, while tomorrow's is the 'Violence' part of the finale. If I put them together, it's longer than…longer than…well, I'll let you fill in the blanks. Bottom line, I decided to split it in half, like a…like a Toblerone! Yay, a metaphor that isn't dirty!**_

_**Also, please don't be mad for the wait. I'm really really really REALLY sorry it took so long. I can only hope my fans (How do I have fans?) haven't jumped ship yet. Please find it in your assorted hearts to forgive a fool who can't update at a decent speed. :(**_

_**I…is anyone still here? Hello? (Tumbleweed rolls past.) If there's anyone who hasn't abandoned me or this story yet, then…can you please review this chapter and the next chapter on their own? I'd like the dialogue and the violence to have their own separate reviews, if at all possible. That reminds me: PLEASE REVIEW. Please please please review. Please. I needs it. **_


	55. 52 Card Pickup

_**I'm really struggling for card puns at this point.**_

_**And now, the 'Violence' portion of our finale. (Grins in an utterly deranged fashion in anticipation.)**_

52 Card Pickup

Arcade just stared, a shocked expression on his face as Cannibal Johnson's blood splattered all over said face. He was too stunned to even move, and it seemed likely he would be the next person to die, until Layla tackled him to the floor, mere moments before another bullet was fired in his direction. A few seconds after they hit the floor, another gunshot was heard, but this one came from behind them, as opposed to in front of them.

"Get…off…me." Arcade growled as he and the red haired one lay on the floor.

"You're welcome." Layla grumbled as he pushed her off him and got to his feet. She too got to her feet, and looked in the direction that the bullets had come from to see a dead NCR soldier. She looked behind her, to see Campbell holding one of his 10mm pistols, and the gun's barrel was smoking.

"**You're **welcome." He said casually as he formed a fake gun with his hand, and motioned shooting in the soldier's direction. Layla gave him a grateful nod, before heading over to the dead man. She knelt down next to his corpse, and further inspection indicated that he was definitely NCR. He had the uniform, the crappy service rifle, the dog tags, and the radio. She picked up the radio almost immediately, and threw it over to Campbell. He caught it easily, and she got back to work. All in all, the soldier seemed pretty unremarkable. He wasn't very well armed, he was obviously lacking skill, and he was pretty young so he probably wasn't that experienced…which could only mean one thing. _The NCR either send one really skilled guy, like Boone, or a small army of really unskilled guys. _Layla thought to herself. _And since this guy definitely wasn't skilled…_

"Campbell…" She called over to the merc as she got to her feet. "I think we've got more on the way."

"I kind of gathered that." He called back, already listening to the radio. "According to the troop chatter, reinforcements are mobilising…and there are a lot of them. This guy was probably just a scout." As Layla walked back over, the Remnants were standing around Johnson's corpse, along with Arcade. Whitman didn't seem too upset, Henry and Kreger hid their emotions well (Though one of Judah's hands was balled into a fist, and his free one lay comfortingly on Arcade's shoulder), and Moreno…

"NCR bastards!" The giant roared. Layla was surprised as she saw the grief on the man's face. "They'll pay for this." The other Remnants voiced their agreements…while Arcade just nodded, still looking down at Johnson's corpse, a blank expression on his face. Campbell stood a short distance away from the main group, and as Layla reached him, Veronica trotted over to meet them.

"What's going on?" She asked as she stopped next to Layla and Campbell. "Why's Johnson dead?"

"Ask him." Layla said darkly as she pointed over to the dead NCR soldier. Veronica's eyes widened as she saw the corpse.

"Wait…NCR troops are here?" She asked.

"Yup." Campbell replied grimly. "And there are a lot more outside."

"But…how did they find us? This bunker is securely hidden; only the Remnants know the location."

"They must have had someone following us." As Campbell said this, a familiar voice spoke over the NCR radio Layla had swiped. He held it up for all to hear, and the three of them leant their heads in so they could make out the voice.

"This is Craig Boone of NCR 1st Recon." The voice on the radio said. "All units are to enter the bunker immediately. You are hereby authorised to kill anyone you come across inside. Operation Witch Hunt is a go. Repeat, Operation Witch Hunt is a go." The three of them went silent as they heard Boone's voice. As usual, Campbell was the first to speak.

"Well…three guesses who was following us." He quipped. Layla's response was far less eloquent.

"Oh crap."

***Boone***

The sun was just starting to set as Craig Boone watched an ungodly amount of NCR forces enter the Enclave bunker. He was wearing the trenchcoat, jeans and black armoured vest of a veteran NCR ranger, along with his signature sunglasses and First Recon beret. He stood on a hill overlooking a medium sized cliff. At the bottom of the cliff was a rocky outcropping, in which the entrance to the bunker was hidden. Nobody would have ever found it, had Boone not been following Layla and co for the past week.

Every time they'd gone after a Remnant, every night they'd made camp, he'd been there, watching them through the eye of his scope. He'd had more than enough opportunities to kill them, but Oliver had made it clear that he wanted the Enclave Remnants dead too, and Layla's cabal was the only link he had to them. So Boone had waited, following them and watching them, waiting for Layla's group and the Remnants to go to the bunker, so that they'd be trapped inside with no way out. Even now, NCR troops had the place surrounded, soldiers were heading inside, and veteran rangers were on their way.

"Give me a progress report Mr Boone." A familiar voice said. Boone frowned slightly as Colonel Cassandra Moore walked forward until she was standing next to him. He disliked the woman as much as the next soldier, but recognised that she was his commanding officer, so he quickly hid the frown before saluting loyally.

"Ma'am." He greeted, before dropping the salute and giving her the report she'd asked for. "We sent a scout into the bunker ten minutes ago. He reported in five minutes ago, and we haven't heard from him since."

"So the witch has got him."

"No ma'am, I think the reaper has him now. She doesn't take prisoners." Boone looked at the men and women entering the bunker, and remembered his previous interactions with the witch. He knew three things: she was tough, she was more ferocious than a deathclaw, and she was more difficult to kill than any human being had a right to be. According to the bio Campbell put together regarding her, she survived a bullet to the head, at point blank range no less; whether that was true or not, he'd seen her survive things that would kill most battle hardened soldiers in seconds…and she was just a crazy girl with a sword.

"Are the soldiers in position?" Moore asked suddenly, shaking Boone out of his thoughts.

"Yes ma'am. More than half are already inside, and the rest are entering as we speak."

"And the veteran rangers?"

"They're on their way."

"Good." Moore stepped forwards, until she was standing on the very edge of the cliff. Boone had heard of the atrocities she'd committed, and the urge to kick her off the edge was overpowering. Still, his dedication to the NCR and his respect for the chain of command kept him still. "Call Oliver, and tell him the witch will be dead within the hour." She said confidently, but Boone shook his head.

"I'm afraid I can't do that ma'am." Moore turned back to face him, an annoyed look on her face.

"And why is that?"

"Because she won't be dead within the hour." Moore laughed harshly, but if he was bothered, he didn't show it.

"She's one woman." She said, staring at Boone as though he was an idiot.

"She has allies." He retorted.

"A hooded girl with a power fist, an insane mercenary, a doctor, and five geriatric Enclave scumbags who could drop dead at any moment. We have a small army."

"They have **her**." Moore walked closer, until she was staring Boone right in the face.

"I know of her reputation, I know she's skilled, but she's outnumbered ten to one. You're overestimating her." He stared back at her, eyes hidden behind the dark glare of his sunglasses.

"You're **under**estimating her."

"You dare to talk back to your commanding officer?!" She snapped in an enraged snarl. "I don't care how good she is Mr Boone, she's just one woman."

"With all due respect Ms Moore…" Boone replied, sliding his sunglasses downward so his eyes were exposed. "Everything you know about her, you've read in files, or heard from rumours. I've **seen** her in action, more than that, I've fought her. You **cannot **overestimate this woman. If she was as normal as you seem to think she is, she'd be dead by now. If she was really so weak, would we be sending in this many soldiers to kill her? Let me tell you, she may be trapped, she may be outnumbered, but it doesn't matter; the witch is a monster Ms Moore, a wild animal, and like any animal, you can bet she will be much more dangerous when cornered." More looked like she was about to either scream at him or hit him…when the radio on her belt started beeping. Managing to compose herself for a few seconds, she resisted biting Boone's head off, instead giving him an order.

"Since you seem so concerned about whether or not the troops can handle the job, you can go down there and lead the attack." She said forcefully, to which Boone readjusted his shades so that they were covering his eyes again, and saluted her.

"Yes ma'am." He said, once again without emotion, before skidding down the hill towards the troops. Moore watched him for a few seconds, scowling all the while, before finally answering her beeping radio.

"Moore speaking."

"What's the situation?" General Oliver asked from the other end of the line.

"Operation Witch Hunt is a go sir." She replied. "Our troops are heading into the bunker now, and Craig Boone is leading them on the ground. The witch should be dead within the hour."

"Do not underestimate her Cassandra. Oliver out." With that, the general disconnected from the line, while Moore growled angrily. _Idiots! _She thought, frustration welling up inside her. _I'll show them. I don't care how good she is, I'll have her head on a fucking plate within the hour. _With that, she turned back to the hill's edge and looked down, waiting for the battle to begin.

***Layla***

"So what's the plan?" Veronica asked seriously as she and every one of her allies prepared for battle.

"Kill everyone who isn't us." Layla replied simply as she took some practice swings with her sword.

"I like this plan." Moreno commented with an enthusiastic grin as he started to put on one of the sets of power armour that lay in cases in the room they all thought of as the main plaza. After hearing Boone's voice, Layla and co had quickly become very aware of the kind of situation they were in, and had informed the Remnants to prepare like they were about to go to war. Judah had ordered Moreno to drag Johnson's body into the meeting room so that it wouldn't distract them, and now everyone was in the plaza, readying their weapons and armour. As everybody prepared, Layla started to think about how truly bad this situation was.

Having been in as many bad situations as she had, Layla had developed a sort of rating scale for how bad a situation was. Level 1 was the normal kind of bad, her versus a group of enemies, that sort of thing. Level 2 was if those enemies had guns; still bad, but no big deal for her. Level 3 was like when Marjorie had kidnapped Veronica and Layla had faced her goons in a warehouse: heavily outnumbered against a group of armed enemies, in a fairly small space; difficult, but not impossible. Level 4 was like when The Tops had been invaded by the NCR when she was staying there: heavily outnumbered against a massively overwhelming force that had her utterly surrounded, but she still had an available escape route. Level 5, the worst situation she could find herself in, was like when the Brotherhood bunker had been attacked by the NCR: basically like Level 4 but with no way out. This…this was Level 5, but dangerously close to Level 6 (Certain death), though the presence of the Remnants helped with that somewhat.

"How bad do you think this is?" Campbell asked casually as he sat on the floor nearby, performing maintenance on the Ratslayer.

"Level 5." She replied almost immediately, surprising the merc somewhat.

"Really?" She nodded. "I was thinking Level 4; what makes it Level 5?"

"Boone." She replied simply.

"He's just a sniper." Campbell said dubiously. "How is a sniper going to be any help to them in here?"

"He's not **just **a sniper." Layla said seriously, ceasing her practice slashes and turning to face Campbell for the first time. "He beat me in a fight." That caused Campbell's jaw to drop.

"Really?" She nodded. "Shit…**I **couldn't do that."

"That should tell you something."

"Did he snipe you or…"

"Close quarters."

"Damn…"

"He's the only person in the NCR who's ever managed to beat me in a straight fight. He's the toughest man they've got, the best of the best; just by being here, he shoots the difficulty up by at least two levels."

"And here I thought he was only good at long range."

"Okay, let me give you a piece of advice." Layla walked closer, and looked Campbell dead in the eye. "If you only listen to one thing I ever say, then listen to this. If you find yourself facing Boone, at long range or short range, get the hell out of there. Taking him on by yourself is suicide. If you get into that situation, don't fight, don't quip, just run. Not counting the Remnants, only Veronica or me are good enough to take him on, and even then I'm not sure I can beat him. Long story short: don't fight him; just get the hell out of there." To her surprise, an annoyed look appeared on Campbell's face, and he dropped his tools and components before folding his arms as he replied.

"So what, you're saying I'm not good enough to beat him?" He asked, obviously offended.

"For fuck's sake Campbell, this isn't me questioning your skills; this is me trying to save your life. DO…NOT…FIGHT…BOONE."

"But…"

"**EVER.**"

"What are we talking about?" Veronica asked casually as she walked over. Her battle preparations were complete, and though she looked much the same as normal, there were some differences. She wore a belt with several knives and grenades attached to it, a holster on her right hip with a 10mm pistol in it, her power fist (Though to be fair, she had been wearing that before) and the most recent addition to her arsenal, a ballistic fist on her other hand.

"Where'd you get the new fist?" Layla asked, staring longingly at the cool looking weapon.

"Moreno gave it to me; he's got a few spares." She explained, before clapping her hands. "Again: what we talking about?"

"I was just giving Campbell the Boone speech."

"Really?" Veronica smiled, before turning to Campbell. "She gave it to me too."

"Seriously?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, though since I beat Layla in a fight, I'm one of the privileged few authorised to take on Boone."

"And I'm not?" Campbell still seemed offended.

"You've never beat me in a fight, so no." Layla said bluntly.

"Don't take it personally." Veronica added. "Boone really is **that **tough. You should've seen the number he did on Layla after they first fought. I can't even remember half of the injuries he left her with."

"Broken ribs, scar on right cheek, cut in left side, left eye blackened, broken nose, and got shot in the back; armour protected it, but spine hurt for a while." Layla cut in, expertly reciting her injuries from memory in a monotone voice.

"…You may have a point about not tangling with Boone." Campbell admitted, before sitting down and returning to his gun maintenance. While Veronica walked off to talk with Arcade, Moreno called Layla over. Moreno started showing off his power armour, which Campbell recognised as a set of standard issue Enclave tesla armour, and for her part, Layla looked genuinely impressed. Campbell decided to look away right as Moreno dared Layla to shoot him in order to test his armour's sturdiness, and his eyes scanned the rest of the room instead. Doc Henry was now wearing an Enclave scientist uniform and wielding a laser rifle, Judah was wearing an Enclave officer uniform, and Whitman was wearing…what? Where the hell did she find that? Curious despite herself, he called her over.

"What?" She asked sharply as she stood next to him, clearly still bitter about having been beaten by him last time they met.

"Where did you get a set of Chinese stealth armour?" He asked, gesturing to the full body suit she was wearing, and she sighed before answering.

"The US government confiscated some before the war, and since the US government became the Enclave, the Enclave had them in storage. They were eventually recommissioned, and issued to highly talented stealth operatives…like me." Before Campbell could come up with a witty retort, Veronica walked over. She looked quite glum, but immediately perked up when she saw the armour.

"What's that armour? I've never seen it before." She sounded genuinely surprised, likely because she'd seen all kinds of tech during her life in the Brotherhood; seeing something new must have been downright shocking.

"Chinese stealth armour." Campbell said before Whitman could speak. "Basically, it's like a stealth boy with unlimited charge, but in the form of a suit." Veronica eyed him curiously.

"A suit that lets you turn invisible?" To demonstrate, Whitman pressed a button in the palm of the suit's right gauntlet. Immediately, she vanished. "I want one." Veronica said giddily as Whitman turned visible again. Clearly not in the mood to talk to them, the old woman walked away, leaving the scribe and the mercenary alone.

"So how's Arcade?" Campbell asked casually as he sat down on the floor, leaning against the nearby wall. Veronica sighed sadly, before sitting down next to him.

"Miserable and angry." She said with a huff. "I tried to talk to him about Johnson's death, see how he was taking it and whatnot, but he wanted nothing to do with me. He basically told me to get lost." She looked down at the floor, the glum expression from before now back on her face. "If we don't clear this whole thing up, I think we're going to lose him as a friend."

"I'll talk to him after the battle." Campbell reassured her, to which Veronica looked at him strangely.

"What if we don't survive the battle?" To her obvious surprise, he chuckled.

"Veronica, we've got me, Layla, and five…I mean four, of the greatest soldiers in the Mojave. I don't think there's any way we could possibly lose this."

"I wish I shared your confidence." She said quietly, clearly still unsure.

"Trust me, before long we'll be back to normal; me and Arcade will be tormenting you with annoying quips and childish pranks, while Layla tries not to laugh and you hit me in the face. Then we'll go on and drive the NCR from the Mojave, and before long you and Layla will be a couple, you'll get married, and have hordes of cute, psychotic little lesbabies." The last word made her glare at him, but her expression quickly brightened, and she yawned tiredly, before inching closer to him on the floor.

"Can I sleep on you?" She asked suddenly, prompting a gobsmacked expression from Campbell.

"I'm sorry?" He asked in a **very **confused tone.

"I want to lean my head on your shoulder, and go to sleep." Veronica elaborated in an annoyed tone.

"But why?"

"Because I'm tired."

"Why not sleep on Layla?"

"A) She's not tired. B) I'm still nervous around her."

"But…you hate me." That comment genuinely seemed to shock her.

"Where the hell did you get a stupid idea like that?" He gave her a look that said 'Are you serious?'.

"The way you interact with me every moment of every day?" He said slowly, as though it were obvious.

"Don't assume things." She chided him with an annoyed shake of the head. "Look, you annoy me sometimes, okay? Actually scratch that, you annoy me a lot."

"Which is why I thought you didn't like me."

"Let me finish you prat." She snapped, before continuing. "Sure you annoy me sometimes, and I constantly treat you like a slave, and snap at you for even the slightest thing, but you're still my friend. Not my **best **friend, but I'd still take a bullet for you. I'd be annoyed that I had to, but I'd still gladly do it." Campbell couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Wait…I knew I was Layla's friend, and I definitely knew I was Arcade's friend…but when the hell did I become your friend?"

"Ages ago, you idiot." He was still having difficulty processing this.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" She stared at him for a long while.

"How can such a smart man be so fucking stupid?" She asked, speaking more to herself than anyone else.

"You think I'm smart?"

"Can I sleep on you or not?!" Despite her harsh tone, he was smiling when he answered.

"Of course." She smiled back, before sitting closer, and leaning her head on his shoulder. She was asleep in seconds. _Aw. _Campbell thought, finding the sight of her sleeping form absolutely adorable. He affectionately patted her on the head, before getting comfortable and closing his eyes. Before long, he was asleep as well, and he found himself dreaming of the past.

**Yesterday**

"It is time for the next part of your assignment." Vulpes Inculta said, a fox-like grin on his face. He and Campbell were stood behind the petrol station across the street from Novac's ludicrously named motel. _Layla's off doing our job, while I'm stuck here talking to this prick. _Campbell thought bitterly as Vulpes put his hands behind his back. He hadn't even bothered to go for a disguise this time, as he was wearing his full armour, complete with fox hood and black ski goggles that concealed his eyes. Though this seemed a poor decision, it was worth remembering that not only was Vulpes the master of the frumentarii and one of the stealthiest people in the wastes, but the Legion outpost at Camp Forlorn Hope wasn't far away, so it wasn't like he had a long distance to go if he was spotted.

"I'm on the edge of my seat." Campbell said sarcastically. "Can I expect my fourth payment soon?"

"**After** you complete this next task." Vulpes replied, voice devoid of emotion as per usual.

"Alright, what do I need to do?"

"As you know, I first had you infiltrate the NCR because I needed information regarding their activities, then I had you join Layla, mostly for the same reason, but partly so you could help her do damage against the NCR. You have gathered plenty of information for me now, and it is time to change your allegiance once again."

"What are you saying?" Campbell asked nervously. He didn't like where this was going.

"For such a sharp man, you can be remarkably slow." Vulpes said, a cocky tone to his voice. "I want you to leave Layla's group, and rejoin the NCR.

**The Present**

They were awoken by gunshots. Well…Campbell was. Veronica still slept adorably as Campbell's eyes shot open, and he saw that a fight was underway. He hadn't been conscious for very long before a heavyset NCR soldier charged forwards with a missile launcher and fired it at Moreno. The giant was only partway through putting on his power armour, and he got literally no time to react for the missile hit him square in the chest, before swallowing him up in an explosion and concealing him with a veil of smoke. That explosion was enough to wake Veronica up, and she frantically got to her feet, accidently bumping heads with Campbell as she did so. While she rubbed the side of her head where she'd collided with Campbell, the merc ignored the pain in his own head and got to his feet, hand in his trenchcoat all the while. His hand came out as he stood, with Vance's SMG in hand. He wasted no time in going to work.

A fairly large group of soldiers had made their way into the room, and it seemed they'd caught Layla's group with their metaphorical pants down. Regardless, Judah had reacted quickly, forming makeshift cover with some crates and hiding himself, Arcade, and Henry behind it. Moreno was obviously out of the fight, Whitman was nowhere in sight, and Layla…she was where she always was, in thick of it, stabbing an NCR soldier in the face. She had the widest smile Campbell had ever seen as she pulled her blade free, before swinging it in an arc to her side, and slicing open the throats of two NCR goons. _At least someone's having fun._ He thought as he rolled to the side to dodge the missile launcher guy's shot, before getting a grenade from inside his coat with his free hand.

He sprayed a storm of lead at three nearby soldiers, killing one and wounding another while the third got into cover, and simultaneously removing the pin from the grenade in his other hand with his teeth. He tossed the grenade in the direction of the man in cover, killing him in a fiery explosion while also ending the life of the injured guy next to him, before firing the remainder of his SMG clip at the missile launcher guy and depriving him of most of his head. Before he could breathe however, a solid blow to the back knocked him forwards. He landed face first on the floor, while a shotgun blast flew past where he'd been standing moments ago.

"You're welcome." Veronica said gruffly as she leapt over his lying form, having kicked him to the floor moments ago so that the shotgun blast wouldn't hit him, before landing in a roll, continuing that roll until she was in front of some NCR sap, and introducing her ballistic fist to her face. She looked comically surprised as the fist blew his face off, having obviously never used it before, before clapping her hands excitedly and running off to try the fist on someone else. _I think she's found a new favourite toy. _Campbell thought, smiling as he got to his feet, only for some random NCR woman to try and slash his throat. He ducked back as she struck with her knife, before drawing his ripper. She slashed again as he switched the device on, only for him to parry with his SMG, before driving the ripper into her chest cavity. The roar of the whirring blade was muffled as the device entered her, but Campbell ignored her as two more soldiers rushed him, they fired quickly, but her moved her so that she stood in front of him, acting as a human shield while the ripper continued to eviscerate her. The few bullets they fired hit her in the back, and they hesitated to fire any more, apparently not wanting to hit her. Campbell rewarded them for their compassion by kicking her now dead body to the floor, and spraying with his SMG. One soldier was annihilated, while the other rolled to the side to dodge and prepared to fire again. Campbell aimed with his SMG, only for a telltale click to reveal that the gun was empty. He swore under his breath, while the soldier smirked…until Campbell threw the gun at him. The empty SMG hit the grunt in the face, while Campbell rushed with his ripper. By the time his opponent had recovered from having a gun hit him in the face, Campbell's ripper was hitting him in the face. He didn't even have time to scream before the ripper's makeshift plastic surgery ended him.

Campbell stopped to breathe for a moment, only for a grenade to land at his feet. He swore again, before running for it. The grenade exploded a few seconds later while he dived behind the crate cover at the back of the room, landing on the floor next to Arcade.

"Sup?" He said casually, as he rolled over to lie on his back, before switching off his still whirring ripper and returning it to his belt.

"I'm not talking to you." Arcade replied curtly, before leaning over the crates to fire his plasma defender. A Wilhelm style scream a few seconds later suggested that he scored a hit.

"Clearly." Campbell replied in a deadpan tone as he removed his beloved Ratslayer from his back. "You've got the wrong end of the stick with the whole Layla thing you know." He said casually, before leaning over the crates.

"I don't care." Arcade growled while reloading his gun.

"That doesn't sound very fair." Campbell aimed through the scope of his favourite gun and pulled the trigger, turning the head of an NCR soldier on the other side of the room into a cloud of red mist.

"Cannibal said she was recruiting the other Remnants into the battle at the dam." The doctor finished reloading, before grabbing a plasma grenade from a pile nearby.

"She was…" Campbell replied slowly as he blew the head off another enemy. "…but then she decided not to because she realised it was a terrible, evil thing to do and she didn't want to hurt you." To his surprise, the doctor laughed.

"Do you really expect me to believe that tripe?" He threw the plasma grenade he'd grabbed over the cover. A few seconds later, three enemy soldiers were turned into puddles of green goo.

"Look, Layla's not smart or tactful, and her obsession with destroying the NCR can make her do stupid things, but she cares about her friends more than her quest, and you're a friend."

"She was going to sacrifice my family."

"But she realised it was wrong, and called the whole thing off, while doing her best to bar the Remnants from taking part in the battle at all."

"If it wasn't for her, the NCR wouldn't have attacked this place, and Johnson wouldn't be dead."

"Oh come on!" Campbell snapped, growing extremely tired of this asinine conversation. "You're just stubbornly trying to find reasons to be angry with her now! It's hardly her fault that the NCR are here, and she's admitted her other mistake and tried to make amends, so just get off your damn high horse and forgive her already!" Arcade stared in shock as Campbell verbally castrated him, leaving the merc free to put his rifle down and grab a pair of plasma grenades from the pile. He ripped the pin off one with his teeth, before throwing it. The very second it exploded, he ripped the pin off the other with his hand, before throwing it at another group. Many deaths followed.

"I…" Arcade stuttered, unsure what to say…until a missile flew towards their cover. "Get down!" He pushed Campbell to the floor, before getting down himself as a missile met the crate in front of them. The impact was great, and the explosion didn't help, but the crates were built to be sturdy, and theirs didn't give. Judah quickly punished the gunman by headshotting him with his 10mm pistol…from across the room. Campbell clapped, while Henry showed that he wasn't a harmless scientist by leaning over cover and shooting an approaching soldier right between the legs with his laser rifle. The soldier doubled over in pain, before weakly crying out as the blast dealt critical damage, slowly dissolving him into ash. Regardless of their multiple kills, things weren't looking good.

"They're still coming!" Veronica called nervously while grappling with four NCR soldiers. Layla didn't' shout a concerned word, but she did stop to wipe some sweat off herself for a moment as she pulled her sword from yet another NCR soldier, adding his corpse to a nearby pile of dead people. Despite their high casualties however, more NCR soldiers continued to pour through the door into the room, assorted guns at the ready and each loaded with dreams of killing the witch and being hailed a hero. Most of them had their dreams ended as Layla charged with her sword, but reinforcements arrived by the moment.

"I know it's probably redundant saying this…but this is bad." Campbell commented as he stopped to reload his rifle, having wasted his clip failing to stem the tide of NCR cannon fodder. "Why isn't Whitman helping? We need every gun we can get here!" He said in an annoyed tone, as bullets whizzed over his head.

"Oh she's helping." Arcade replied, a small smile on his face as he looked over the cover. Campbell stopped reloading for a moment to risk his own peek, and witnessed several soldiers dropping dead…even though nobody was attacking them.

"She's invisible isn't she?" Arcade nodded, while an invisible blade sank into the throat of an unlucky NCR sod. "Okay…but what's Moreno's status? He's still in the middle of that smoke, and we have no idea if…"

"Give him a minute." Judah said perfectly calmly, before headshotting a few more of their adversaries. Campbell wondered what he was talking about…until a particularly loud voice shouted over the gunshots.

"I'M READY!" A boisterous voice yelled, prompting everybody to stop firing for a moment, and look into the smoke. A few seconds later, something from a nightmare stepped out. A towering giant, dressed head to toe in massive black armour which arced with electricity, and a ballistic fist on each hand. Amber eyepieces into his helmet seemed to stare into your very soul, and he carried the biggest gun any of the NCR soldiers had ever seen. "EAT PLASMA YOU FUCKING NCR BASTARDS!" The fully armoured Orion Moreno roared as he opened fire with his plasma caster. After that point, it no longer seemed fair to call this a battle…more like a slaughter. The NCR forces had no time to retreat, and barely any time to scream as a storm of plasma descended upon them, burning through their armour and painfully disintegrating the lot of them. Layla and Veronica began to feel superfluous, standing back and watching with stunned expressions as Moreno pretty much slew the attacking force all by himself. Before long, the only thing remaining of the NCR attackers was a massive green puddle that took up almost half of the room. His work done, Moreno laughed heartily, before dropping his caster and taking off his helmet for a moment. "I think we won!" He said loudly, while every non-Remnant in the room stared at him.

"Okay…that was impressive." Layla said, barely able to find words after having been outperformed so completely.

"It makes you think doesn't it?" Veronica said, equally as awestruck. "No matter how badass you are…there's always a force of nature like **that **just waiting in the wings." While everyone else started to rest and regroup, Campbell spoke to Arcade in much the same tone as his female allies.

"I…I think I understand how five people managed to avoid the two most powerful organization in the wastes for such a long time." He commented.

"Yeah…" Arcade nodded, slightly embarrassed. "Johnson always said unleashing Moreno on the enemy was akin to a war crime. Once he stepped into battle, the rest of us could take a tea break because it was certain we'd win."

"So…we have nothing to worry about then?"

"I wouldn't say that." Whitman cut in, suddenly standing next to him. Campbell jumped back with a start, while the surprisingly stealthy old woman walked over to Kreger. In addition to the stealth suit, she was now also wearing a utility belt covered with a number of knives, throwing and otherwise. That explained what she'd been stabbing people with earlier. "Boss, I listened in to one of their radios." She said as she approached Judah, before handing him an NCR radio.

"What's the word?" The Remnant leader asked as he sat down and started to reload his 10mm.

"That was the first wave." He dropped his gun, and everybody else present (Apart from Whitman) dropped their jaws.

"**That** was the first wave?!" Campbell asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Did I stutter?" The old woman turned to him, a stony expression on her face. "It turns out we're just getting started." Arcade dropped to the floor, a shocked expression on his face.

"That…that was over thirty soldiers…" He said. "…Just how many attackers are we dealing with here?"

"Apparently…lots." Whitman replied.

"This might be a problem." Henry commented, speaking for the first time in…actually, Campbell couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken.

"What might be?" Layla asked as she, Veronica and Moreno approached the row of crates that Judah and the others had used as cover.

"You know that big, epic battle we just fought?" Campbell asked despondently.

"Yeah, it was fun. So what?"

"That was round one." Layla dropped her sword.

"…I think we're going to die." Veronica said slowly, shocked expression on her face.

"I'm inclined to agree." Arcade said.

"I'm not." Moreno cut in. "Let them bring in more so called 'soldiers' if they want. I've got more than enough ammo to paint this room completely green." He grinned confidently, but nobody else seemed to share his enthusiasm…until a few seconds later.

"I'm not giving up either." Layla said seriously, while picking up her sword. "If we fortify this place, cover each other's backs, and fight with everything we've got, we can take them." Some expressions brightened, until Judah spoke.

"I disagree." He said bluntly, earning a glare from Layla. "However, I think there **is** a way we can survive this."

"Well don't keep us in suspense." Campbell said, before focusing his attention on Judah…along with everyone else in the room.

"There is a hanger in the room next to this one, complete with a fully fuelled vertibird. The hanger opens up a secret entrance a mile away from the entrance to the bunker. It's high on the ceiling, too high for any of us to climb out, but built specifically to allow vertibirds to fly out."

"Won't they have anti air defences outside?" Veronica asked.

"Why? They just think they're invading a bunker; when planning this operation, they had no reason to think they'd have to shoot anything down. If we can get into that hanger and open the entrance, we can fly out of here and make a perfect getaway." Spirits in the room soared.

"The only problem is that room is sealed with a blast door and a level 5 security system, the most advanced security system the Enclave ever used. It would take even an experienced hacker at least 10 minutes to open it, and that's **if **they weren't being shot at, which they most certainly will be." Henry said. Spirits in the room immediately sank again.

"So, we need someone to hack the door, while the rest of us hold off a veritable army of NCR troops?" Arcade asked slowly.

"Precisely." Judah answered.

"Wait, wait!" Layla said suddenly. "I don't want to run away from these bastards!"

"Neither do I!" Moreno added.

"Layla…" Veronica said chidingly, but Layla shushed her.

"This isn't a pride thing, this is a practicality thing. We can't just abandon all the weapons, armour, and technology in this place to the NCR, not after what we went through to get them!"

"We can't win this." Judah said seriously.

"Well we still can't leave it for them! Getting their hands on this tech will only make the NCR more powerful, powerful enough to win at the dam. I'd sooner destroy this place and all its tech than let it fall into their hands."

"That can be arranged." Whitman said, surprising everyone.

"What are you talking about?" Layla asked harshly. Whitman ignored her scorn to elaborate.

"This bunker was built in the days before the war, when everybody in the US government was paranoid and stupid. They feared a place like this falling into enemy hands, so they rigged it with a self-destruct system…despite the fact that any enemy agent worth their salt could use said system to blow this bunker and every idiot in it off the map. The system requires a series of codes, but the encryption is pathetically weak. I could hack it in my sleep."

"So our new plan is to have one person hack the door to the hanger, while everybody else holds off an army of NCR goons, and somebody else heads for the self-destruct terminal, then once we're in the hanger, set it off?" Campbell asked, getting a sense of déjà vu as he remembered the events in the Brotherhood bunker.

"Sounds good to me." Layla said with a smile as Moreno nodded his approval.

"You do realise going for the self-destruct terminal is a suicide mission right?" Campbell asked bluntly. "Whoever does that will never get to the vertibird in time, and even if they could, there'll be a large number of NCR soldiers between them and us."

"That's why I volunteer myself." Whitman said stoically. "My stealth suit will help me make it there undetected, and I'm the only one out of all of us who has any chance of making it to the vertibird in time. Even if I can't…I've lived a long, good life, and the prospect of death doesn't frighten me in the least." Layla and co looked genuinely impressed as the woman they all disliked bravely offered to sacrifice her life so that the others could get away. Layla looked like she was about to say something, but then decided against it.

"That just leaves one question." Arcade said seriously. Who will hack the door?"

"I volunteer Campbell." Veronica said. "He's quite talented at that sort of thing."

"I'm talented at everything." Campbell said with a cocky grin. "However, I'm afraid I will be too busy for this most important task, because I'm going to throw myself at the enemy horde." That remark caused everyone in the room to stare at him.

"You're going to do what now?" Layla asked, not quite sure she'd heard him right.

"If you want any chance of holding this one room against the full might of the NCR military for one minute, let alone ten, then you'll need time to set up mines, turrets, Mr Gutsy bots, and all manner of fortifications, and they will **not **give you the time."

"So what are you going to do?" Veronica asked, a concerned expression on her face.

"Simple: I'm going to give you the time." He stood up, before putting the Ratslayer on his back.

"Explain." Judah said.

"I'll go out near the entrance and stall them while you guys do your stuff. Best case scenario: I'll hold the line for the full 10 minutes and we can leave without any casualties. Worst case scenario: I'll hold the line long enough for you to fortify the hell out of this room, allowing you to survive the full ten minutes."

"And you said my task was a suicide mission?" Whitman commented.

"Campbell, this is crazy!" Veronica said, an anxious expression on her face.

"Yup." Campbell replied confidently as he walked around the crates and over to where he'd dropped Vance's SMG.

"Campbell, you're good, we all know that, but you're pretty much going off to your death here." Layla said, trying to hide the concern on her face.

"Well if my death slows them down, then I'll accept it with open arms." He said calmly as he picked up the SMG, reloaded it, and returned it to the inside of his trenchcoat.

"This is madness." Judah cut in. "I understand why you want to do this, but you're just one man. Do you have any idea how many men and women you're trying to stall?"

"Nope, but I'll tell you one thing…" Campbell turned to the others and opened his trenchcoat to reveal his full arsenal …and what an arsenal it was. "…I'll bet I have more guns than they do." Before anyone could speak, he closed his trenchcoat and clapped his hands. "Now then…I'll need a sentry bot. Moreno, could you get one for me please?" To everyone's reply, the gruff giant did as Campbell asked, and left for one of the warehouses to get the requested robot.. "I'll also need some plasma grenades, if you can spare them?" Whitman looked at Judah, and he nodded. She promptly gathered up approximately ten plasma grenades, before walking over to Campbell. "Just put them on the floor, I'll find some pockets for them later." He said with a smile. Whitman nodded, before dropping the grenades at his feet and walking back to Judah.

"How can you allow this?!" Veronica asked the Remnants angrily. "You're letting him go off to kill himself!"

"Veronica." Arcade said suddenly, shutting her up. "He's right, we do need time to fortify this place, and we need someone to stall for time."

"Then…then why not send Moreno or…I don't know, someone other than Campbell?!"

"Because I'm the only one who has enough guns and ammo to hold out for an extended period against an army." Campbell explained, before sitting down on the floor.

"He's right." Arcade said. "I don't like it, but we've got the best chance of surviving if he does this." Before Veronica could argue, Layla put a hand on her shoulder.

"Layla…" Veronica asked, before shaking off the hand and turning to her. "You're not supporting this…are you?" Layla's expression remained neutral.

"If anyone has a chance of surviving this, it's Campbell." She said carefully. "You've seen him fight; you know how good he is."

"He'll be against an army!"

"Not all at the same time." Campbell said. "Plus I'll be fighting them in narrow corridors, so they'll only be able to send in a few guys at a time."

"But…" Veronica tried to think of an argument, but nothing came to mind.

"I'll be fine." Campbell said reassuringly.

"And what if you run into Boone?" He was silent for a while after that.

"…Then I'll take him to Hell with me." He smiled, but Veronica wasn't in the mood.

"Don't joke about this you idiot!" She yelled. "This is serious!"

"I know." He said quietly. "That's why I'm doing this. I want you, Layla and Arcade to make it out of here alive, and if I have to do that by blocking the corridor with my corpse, then so be it." Veronica didn't respond, she just looked down at the floor sadly. Layla put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off almost immediately. They stayed in silence after that, and a few minutes later Moreno came back with the sentry bot Campbell had asked for. After about a minute of tampering with the bot's circuitry, he managed to get it running. The machine stayed completely still, awaiting a command. He waited a moment before giving it any however, allowing himself a moment to say goodbye. "Well…I'm going now…" He said awkwardly, finding it difficult for words to come to his lips. Layla smiled, before walking closer.

"Be careful." She said warmly, before putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I always am." He replied with a nod. Layla nodded back, then moved the hand away as Veronica stepped forward. Her expression was difficult to read, and he expected her to shout at him. Instead, she lunged forwards, and trapped him in a hug. He just stood there, completely stunned and not quite sure what to do.

"Come back in one piece you brave, stupid idiot." Veronica said, her voice muffled as she pressed her face against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her as her hug tightened, using his free hand to gently pat her head.

"I promise you, I'm coming back." He said softly, and she broke the hug, before stepping back and smiling wanly at him.

"If you break that promise, I swear that when I die, I will find you in the afterlife and kick you in the balls." An amused sound left Layla's mouth, while Campbell barely resisted the urge to smirk.

"I'll keep that in mind." He said, before remembering something. "Oh, and take this too." He reached into his trenchcoat, before pulling out a holotape and handing it to Veronica.

"What's this?" She asked, confused.

"If the worst happens…just listen to it." He said mysteriously, before giving orders to the sentry bot to follow him, and stepping back to address the group as a whole. "Well, I'm off. I know some of you don't know me so you won't care, but those who do know me and do care…I'll see you on the other side." With that, what could possibly be his last goodbye, he gave his friends a brief salute, before turning and walking away. Layla and Veronica stayed and watched him leave, but to the surprise of everyone present, Arcade ran after him. No sooner had he made it to the middle of the room (Out of earshot from the others), than he stopped as the doctor's hand grabbed his shoulder.

"You can't stop me from doing this Arcade."

"That's not my intent." He let go of Campbell's shoulder.

"Then what is it?"

"I…I have a request." Campbell turned to face him, eyebrow raised.

"Oh?"

"Whatever happens, to either you or me…please take care of Veronica." Campbell's eyebrow rose even higher.

"What, just her? Not Layla?"

"Layla doesn't really need protecting."

"And Veronica does?"

"Yes! She may fight well, but I think she also has far more psychological problems than Layla. Layla can just shrug off everything we come across; she's seen it all before. Veronica…I think it's all getting to her. I just…I worry okay? She's…well…she's broken." Campbell's eyes widened. "Oh don't tell me you haven't noticed. Layla greets everything we come across with a ferocious bloodlust, you greet it with an amusing quip, I greet it by…well…not caring…but Veronica…she pretends to be alright, she acts like nothing's getting to her…but it is."

"What are you getting at?"

"She's more vulnerable than Layla. Much more. I…I don't want anything to happen to her. I've been keeping an eye on her while I've been part of the group …but there's every chance I could die here today. There's every chance any or all of us could die here today. If…if something happens to me…please…promise me you'll look after Veronica. If something happened to her, I'd never forgive myself, in this life or the next." To his surprise, Campbell chuckled. Oh hearing this, Arcade's temper flared. "What the hell are you laughing about?!" He snapped. "This is serious!"

"Arcade…I was going to protect her anyway." All the doctor's rage faded away, and he stared bewildered at Campbell. "I know exactly what you're talking about. Veronica…I think of her as a little sister. I never had any siblings, probably a good thing because they'd be dead right now, but I imagine I'd have been the kind of brother to always protect his younger kin. You feel it too don't you? You feel like…like she's family." Arcade turned away from Campbell, and focused his gaze across the room, towards Veronica.

"I do." He said seriously, before turning back to Campbell. "Although if Veronica's my sister…what does that make Layla?"

"A very, very scary lady." Both men resisted the urge to burst out laughing, settling on snickering quietly to themselves. "I promise you…I'll never let our little sis out of my sight." Campbell's tone was joking, but there was obvious seriousness there; he meant it. Arcade nodded, and Campbell turned away.

"Be sure to take care of yourself too." The doctor added, and the merc just walked away, casually waving back as he headed for the door, sentry bot in tow. Silently praying for the best, Arcade took a deep breath, before heading back to the group.

"Oh wait!" Arcade suddenly stopped as Campbell jogged back over to him. "Hang on to this; it'll be safer with you." He forced something into Arcade's hands, before rushing back to the door and leaving the room. Curious, the doctor looked at the item Campbell had given him, and recognised the group photo they'd taken outside Novac. Despite his current feelings regarding Layla, seeing her smiling there, seeing all of them smiling there…it just melted his heart. _Maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt. _He thought, only for new thoughts to enter his head as his gaze focused on Campbell's face in the image. _Don't you dare die. _He thought anxiously, while staring longingly at the door that Campbell had left by. He stayed that way for a while, before shaking his head and heading back to rejoin the others, tucking the photo into a pocket on his lab coat as he did so.

***A few minutes later***

There was nary a sound to be heard in the bunker as the second wave of NCR forces made their way through its dark, metallic corridors. The whole place was cold, and reeked of age and rust, not that any of the soldiers noticed, too focused were they on the task ahead. According to scout reports, one of the Remnants had been killed, but the entirety of the first wave had been slaughtered; that was a lot of men and women, skilled men and women armed to the teeth, killed by eight people. Of course, they had the Witch on their side, so numbers couldn't count for much in this situation. Regardless, the ranger leading this particular group of soldiers managed to keep calm, and led his soldiers forward with focused purpose…until they heard the voice.

"**Ladies and gentlemen, men and women of the NCR...welcome.**" The soldiers immediately stopped in their tracks, along with their ranger leader. One asked where the voice had come from, but the ranger shushed him and urged his group onwards. "**You've come so far, and in such large numbers, it's only fair that you get a proper greeting.**" While the men and women under his command looked around nervously, the ranger realised that the voice was coming over the bunker's public address system. He pointed out the loudspeaker on the wall nearby, and his charges relaxed a little. He gestured with his hand, and they continued onward, even when the voice spoke up again. "**Unfortunately for you...I'M your greeter.**" The voice spoke in a much more threatening tone this time, but the soldiers and the ranger ignored it, and continued through the base's winding corridors. "**Who am I? Why, I'm the right hand of the Witch, and a legend in my own right.**" They walked down a flight of stairs, and as the voice on the loudspeaker spoke again, the ranger could just make out a quieter voice, speaking from close by.

"**In New Vegas, they speak of me in hushed whispers, afraid that saying my name too loud will summon me.**" They walked slowly down the corridor, keeping an eye out for the owner of the voice. The ranger tried to quicken the pace of those under his command, as he could tell the voice's words were getting to them. "**They have many names for me in this great desert of ours; The Slayer, The Walking Arsenal...That Lunatic with the Coin. My favourite is probably The Merc with a Mouth...though I'm pretty sure it's already been trademarked.**" They turned a corner…and there he was.** "Fancy titles aside, I'll tell you who I am: my name is Campbell...and I am very good at killing.**" The speaker stood at the end of the corridor, casually leaning against a wall. He had a modified microphone in one hand, likely the device he was using to speak over the public address system. He didn't react as they arrived, simply looking at them without emotion as he continued speaking. It was only as the next words left his mouth and he heard the same words on his radio that the ranger realised something: he wasn't just speaking over the public address system…he was speaking over their NCR radios too.

"**I've been killing for over twenty years. I've killed men, women, creatures of all shapes and sizes.**" He still didn't emote, instead choosing to casually twirl a coin between the fingers of his free hand. "**I've killed Cazadors, Super Mutants, and more than a few deathclaws. I've killed entire bands of raiders, I've killed entire gangs, I've destroyed entire armies.**" One of the soldiers prepared to shoot him, but the ranger silently ordered the man to stand down. The speaker was unarmed, and while he was talking big, he was alone, and didn't seem to have any way to defend himself. Still, if he was, as he said, the Witch's right hand, then they needed to be careful. The ranger slowly walked towards the speaker, and ordered his men to do the same. "**Not impressed yet? I destroyed Camp McCarran, I blew up The Tops.**" The soldiers stopped, shocked looks on their faces…and the ranger did the same. "**I have done more, fought more, and killed more than any of you so called 'soldiers' will ever match in your entire worthless lives.**" The sudden harshness to his tone forced some of the soldiers to step back, and the ranger felt even his blood turn to ice as he looked into the man's eyes…and saw the eyes of a killer. This wasn't bluster…he wasn't lying. "**You think the Witch's body count is high?**" He laughed suddenly, a harsh, bitter sound that served to frighten the soldiers even more. "**My kill count puts hers to shame. She's killed hundreds? I've killed over a thousand.**" The soldiers started to step back, but the ranger held out a hand, telling them to stop. He pointed at the speaker, and started moving forwards again. Reluctantly, those under his command followed.

"**The blood of those who've dared to challenge me spreads all over the Mojave, and if you mess with me, your blood will join theirs.**" His tone had changed again; now it was cold and icy, chilling the approaching soldiers to the bone. "**No talking things out, no negotiation, no begging for your pathetic life...you'll die.**" The soldiers stopped again, frozen with fear. The ranger urged them forwards, but none of them obeyed, too afraid were they of the man before them. "**Now, I am here to protect the Witch, and I will do so until my dying breath.**" He shocked the assembled NCR personnel by doing something new, namely putting his coin away, and reaching into the trenchcoat he wore. As he continued speaking, passion and bloodlust welled up in his voice, causing the terrified soldiers to actually back away from him. "**I'm drawing a line in the sand boys and girls, and if any of you has the balls to try and cross that line...then I'll add you to my kill count, and you'll be little more than a footnote in my legend.**" The retreating soldiers froze as a metallic whirring sound filled the corridor. Wonder about the sound could be turned to fear as a sentry bot, painted with the Enclave's signature black colour, and optics glowing a fearsome blood red, turned the corner, and wheeled towards them, fearsome weaponry at the ready. Impossibly, the morale of the assembled men and women dropped even further. "**So go ahead, step right up children, come and cross my line, AND SEE HOW A REAL KILLER DOES IT!**" The speaker screamed at them, and any last remnants of courage or morale shattered like a pane of glass. The men and women under the ranger's command dropped their weapons, and ran for their lives. The ranger turned and shouted after them, demanding they come back and fight. They refused, so the ranger sighed, before turning back towards the speaker, the infamous merc named Campbell, and stepped forward. Immediately, as though the man had passed an invisible line in the sand, Campbell reacted. From inside his trenchcoat, he drew a 12.7mm pistol, and expertly shot the man in the face.

***Layla***

"Wow…that was quite a speech." Daisy Whitman reluctantly admitted, as she and the others finished listening to Campbell's speech over the NCR radio they'd taken off the scout that killed Johnson. They'd been fortifying for a few minutes, and already their position was starting to look quite defensible. They'd set up a large barricade in the middle of the room using a variety of items from the warehouses, had Mr Gutsy robots ready to shoot at anybody that wasn't them, and Doc Henry was currently at the top of a ladder, setting up laser turrets on the ceiling. They still had their crate barricade too, which stood at the far end of the main plaza (It wasn't actually a plaza, but they all thought of it like that) near the meeting room, and would likely be their last line of defense.

"Yeah…he has a flair for the overly dramatic." Veronica said, a small smile on her face.

"If he shoots half as good as he talks, then we might just manage this." Moreno said, a look of barely disguised admiration on his face.

"Believe me, he does." Veronica said, her smile growing as she continued talking about Campbell.

"Well according to the NCR radio frequency, the troops outside are in shambles. He really put the fear of God into them." Whitman said, clearly impressed as she listened to the radio.

"It won't last forever." Judah called from across the room, having been looking at the lock keeping them from the hangar. "Take advantage of their disarray and finish fortifying this place. We won't have long." Whitman and Moreno both saluted, before getting back to work. Veronica meanwhile just stood there, eyes on the door that Campbell had left by and worry evident on her face.

"He'll be fine." Layla said reassuringly from behind her. Veronica nodded, before ending her break and getting back to work.

***Campbell – 9 minutes until door is open***

"Heh…seems like I scared them off for good." Campbell remarked as he sat on the floor, leaning back against the wall. "What do you think? Will they be back?" He asked the sentry bot. The bot just looked at him, not offering him so much as a beep in response. "Ah, you don't know what you're talking about." The merc said with a dismissive wave of his hand…until footsteps could be heard nearby. "Well what do you know? Looks like they gathered their courage." He smirked, before getting to his feet. The bot rolled forwards, weapons ready, while Campbell calmly stretched, before taking several components out of his trenchcoat. Moments later he had fully assembled an LMG, and the second wave of NCR forces was heading down the corridor towards him. They took one look at him and readied their guns, while he waved casually. "Howdy." He said in a friendly tone, before opening fire.

The NCR forces took cover behind the corner ahead. Well…most of them did. Those that were too slow found themselves torn apart by Campbell's gunfire. A few leant out to shoot at him, only to be disintegrated by the sentry bot's laser fire. After a few seconds, Campbell stopped to reload, and someone threw a smoke grenade. Before long the corridor was filled with smoke, and Campbell laughed. Gunfire emerged from the smoke, but he crouched behind his sentry bot, allowing the bulletproof robot to take the damage while he finished reloading. Once he was fully loaded again, he rolled out from behind the bot, just in time to kneecap thee charging soldiers. The bot ended them while they were down, while he held the LMG over his shoulder to free a hand, got an incendiary grenade from inside his trenchcoat, ripped the pin out with his teeth, and threw it. He took cover behind the bot as more bullets flew from out of the smoke, while the grenade detonated a few seconds later, and the screams of burning NCR soldiers could be heard.

Before long the smoke started to fade, revealing the enemy position. The soldiers at the back laid down supressing fire with scoped marksman carbines, while troops in the front charged Campbell's position, equipped with shotguns and firing relentlessly at the sentry bot. The blasts knocked the bot back, but it stayed upright, and rewarded them with a volley of missiles. Several soldiers went flying, and Campbell charged out from behind the bot before blowing holes through the charging soldiers. The marksman carbine soldiers tried to snipe him, but he flicked the stealth boy he was using as a belt buckle, and vanished. While they concentrated on trying to find him, they forgot about the sentry bot, and were swiftly disintegrated. Campbell reappeared moments later, still firing furiously with his LMG. All too quickly, the big gun went empty however, and three armoured rangers ran forward to meet him.

Lacking the time to reload the gun, Campbell threw it away, before whistling to the sentry bot. That whistle was a signal they'd agreed on before the battle; if the bot's audio sensors picked up Campbell whistling, it was to fire missiles at the hostiles nearest to Campbell immediately. It did so, and the merc rolled to the side, allowing the missiles to turn two of the approaching rangers into piles of burnt meat. The third ranger rolled to the side to avoid the missile, and focused on Campbell with his rifle…until Campbell drew one of the Twins and blew a hole in his skull. Before he could breathe, a soldier poked his head out of cover and fired the grenade rifle in his hands. The grenade flew towards Campbell, but he easily shot it out of the air, causing an explosion in the middle of the corridor, before drawing the other Twin with his free hand and shooting the other soldier in the throat.

_This isn't so bad._ He thought as he rolled behind the sentry bot to avoid a torrent of gunfire. _Ten minutes? I can definitely handle this. _He emerged from behind cover and fired madly with the Twins, headshotting two soldiers and scoring nonlethal shots on at least four more…only for a soldier near the back to fire a missile launcher. On seeing the missile, Campbell rolled to the side…only for it to hit his sentry bot in the face. The missile did its work, exploding violently and obliterating the bot. Its head and most of its torso were decimated, leaving Campbell alone to fight the second wave. _Then again._

***Layla – 8 minutes until door is open***

"Okay…we're done." Veronica said tiredly as she sat down on one of the crates at the back of the 'plaza', and took a moment to admire her handiwork. They now had three rows of barricades including the crate barricade, six Mir Gutsy robots, eight ceiling mounted laser turrets, a large number of frag mines near the entrance, and Enclave issue sensors all over the corridor outside, so they'd know ahead of the time when the enemy would arrive. They were officially ready to fight this battle. "Whitman, what's the word on the radio?" She asked, but heard no reply. Confused, she looked around the room, but saw no sign of Daisy Whitman. "Okay, where's Whitman?!" She asked nobody in particular. "Is she invisible or what?"

"She left before you started putting down the mines." Henry said. "Probably figured it would be safest to get to the self-destruct terminal without having to bypass our minefield to do it.

"Fair enough." Veronica said, before calling over to Judah. "What's the word on the door?!"

"It'll take at least eight more minutes!" He called back. "But since I'll be needed in combat, Henry can take over the hacking once the NCR soldiers get here!"

"Understood!" Henry called over, while Moreno walked over to Veronica and dropped a huge crate next to her.

"What's this?" She asked him impatiently.

"Ammo crate." He replied with a large grin. "I gathered just about every kind of ammo from the warehouse, and loaded it into this crate. It'll help us quickly reload in the middle of battle."

"Good work." Veronica said, as Layla came over.

"When did you become the leader?" The red haired one asked, evidently confused.

"When Judah decided to spend all his time fiddling with a door, and you vanished to a random corner of the room." Veronica replied snarkily as she looked around for the NCR radio Whitman had been using.

"Hey, I don't like leading people." Layla said in a defensive tone. "It makes me nervous. I'm a fighter, not a leader." Before Veronica could reply, Arcade trotted over.

"You'll want to hear this." He said quickly, before placing the NCR radio Veronica had been looking for in-between her and Layla.

"Colonel Moore, this is Squad One, we have engaged the enemy." A male voice said from the radio. "Repeat, we have engaged the enemy. Hostile has been identified as Campbell." The report was shouted over the roar of gunfire, as though the speaker was right in the middle of a warzone. "We've taken significant casualties here, requesting immediate…" Before he could continue, there was a loud bang, followed by a splattering sound.

"Ms Moore, this is Campbell." A familiar voice said over the radio seconds later. "Your soldiers are dead. Feel free to send more. Oh, and if Layla and co are listening…Wave Two is down." With that, Arcade moved the radio away, while a big grin appeared on Layla's face.

"That magnificent bastard." She said, utterly awestruck. "He cleared a whole wave, about thirty people…by himself." Veronica didn't speak, but a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"How many waves do you think they have?" Arcade asked.

"One thing you have to remember about the NCR: they never run out of troops." Moreno said seriously, having approached from behind while they'd been listening to the radio. "Still, if we make it out of this, remind me to buy that Campbell guy a drink. He sounds like a badass."

"Orion is right." Henry said suddenly from a few feet away. "The NCR's manpower is astronomical. They will have many more waves. We'll have to hope your friend can manage it."

"He'll be fine." Layla said with a wide smile and not a trace of doubt in her voice. _I hope so._ Veronica thought nervously.

***Campbell – 7 minutes until door is open***

"Ladies and gentlemen…I am disappoint." Campbell remarked casually as he switched on his stealth boy and turned invisible again to avoid the gunfire from the approaching third wave. Bullets filled the corridor, followed by missiles which obliterated the inactive sentry bot, but all failed to hit Campbell. He appeared moments later, hunting shotgun in hand, and calmly blew a pair of soldiers away. The others ran to cover, but he managed to shoot three more in the back as they ran before he had to stop to reload. No sooner had he loaded in some new shells than an armoured ranger charged out, minigun in hand, and opened fire. The merc immediately dived behind a nearby wall, hiding him from the impassable storm of lead. Not wanting to wear out the charge on his stealth boy too soon, Campbell decided to try a different tactic to dodge the minigun. He returned the shotgun to his trenchcoat, drew The Twins, and waited. As soon as he heard a break in the gunfire, he emerged from his cover, raised his 10mms, and shot out the lights.

Immediately the corridor was swallowed up by darkness, making it completely impossible to see what was going on. Of course, Campbell had the Ratslayer…which sported a night vision scope. He returned The Twins to their holsters, drew the Ratslayer, and looked through the scope. Immediately the corridor lit up with a green hue, allowing him to see the enemies as plain as day. They stepped out of cover, confused, and he picked a head before firing. A few seconds later, the head of the minigun ranger exploded, and the soldiers began shooting all over the place, trying to kill him. They completely failed to hit him of course, even though he was standing still, but they scored an impressive amount of friendly fire kills, which he found hilarious. He decided to thank them for amusing him by putting away the Ratslayer for a moment, drawing a grenade, removing the pin with his teeth, using the scope to see the corridor in front of him, and throwing it. It landed in the middle of a group of soldiers, and because of the dark, they had no idea. Their deaths were swift.

Campbell was fully prepared to continue the slaughter, when someone lit up a flare. The corridor was immediately illuminated by a red light, held by a familiar foe.

"Campbell." Craig Boone said stonily. Campbell's eyes narrowed, while Boone ordered the soldiers behind him to stand back. He dropped the flare to the floor, before drawing the anti-material rifle on his back. In addition to the oversized rifle, he had his machete on his belt, along with a 10mm SMG and a number of grenades. He lowered his sunglasses for a moment, allowing Campbell to see his cold, grey eyes as he glared at him.

"Well, well…if it isn't my favourite NCR pawn." Campbell greeted Boone cockily. "So…how've you been? How are things? How's Oliver? Do you still have the emotional range of a brick?"

"Fine, fine, the same…and yes." Boone replied coolly, before raising his rifle so that it was pointed at Campbell's head. "You understand that I'll have to kill you now?" Campbell scoffed.

"You understand that many men before you have tried…and I put them all in the ground?"

"Just flip your coin, and there's a chance you can live through this."

"You know what? I've made my decision, without using my coin, and for the first time in my life, I'm 100% sure that I've made the right choice."

"You've chosen to die?"

"I've chosen to protect my friends." To the merc's growing ire, Boone shook his head in disbelief.

"Friends? Really? They're psychopaths, the Witch especially." Boone's holier-than-thou tone pissed Campbell off significantly, and he decided to strike a low blow.

"This coming from the guy who shot his own wife?" Boone froze, a shocked expression appearing on his face for the first time since Campbell had known him.

"How did you…"

"I hear things." Campbell explained smugly. "And I'm **very **good at information gathering. So…shooting your wife? What, was she bad in bed?" An expression of pure rage appeared on Boone's normally stoic face.

"You don't know ANYTHING." He growled, angrier than the merc had ever seen him. This anger only served to amuse Campbell.

"I know that she was captured by Legion slavers, and you followed then blew her head off before she could be bought. Let me guess…mercy kill, right? Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that. Regardless of your reasons, your wife is dead because of you." Boone hung his head, his expression hidden. "I spoke to your friend Manny Vargas in Novac you know. He described your wife to me; young, pretty, red haired, kind of pale. You know who matches that description? Layla." Boone clenched his fists tightly; no doubt he would've left nail imprints on his palms had he not been wearing gloves. "Well, apart from the freckles. Manny said she was very freckly. Still, Layla looks like the wife you killed? No wonder you've had such a pathetic track record against her. Tell me…how many times have you had Layla in your sights, only to pussy out and find yourself unable to pull the trigger?" Boone gritted his teeth. "A lot I'll bet. Can't be easy killing your woman twice now can it? Are you such a stone cold bastard all the time **because **you shot your wife, or were you always as sociable as my left bollock? If you ask me…"

"I'm going to kill you." Boone said suddenly, completely interrupting Campbell midway through his mocking rant, and knocking the merc off guard.

"I'm sorry?"

"I…am going…**to kill you.**" He raised his head to look at Campbell, and the merc could see the pure, uncontrolled fury in his eyes. He took a few steps back, while Boone pointed the rifle at his head. "You know…I don't usually get angry. The last time I let myself go was when I found the **scum **that sold my wife. It's rare that this side of me comes out…and you're going to pay for releasing it." _This…__**may**__ have been a mistake. _Campbell thought as he continued backing away. As he looked at the enraged sniper, Layla's words from earlier echoed in his mind. _DO…NOT…FIGHT…BOONE. _She'd made it very clear that he'd die if he fought the sniper, but he didn't exactly have much of a choice here. He considered flicking his stealth boy, but had little doubt that Boone would be able to shoot him before he managed it. Instead, he raised his own rifle, pointing it at Boone's head and leaving the two of them in a stalemate.

"Looks like we have a Mexican standoff." Campbell remarked.

"I have a proposition." Boone said, surprising Campbell.

"Oh?" Boone hit a switch on the wall next to him with the back of his hand, opening a door to the side of them leading to one of the bunker's many warehouses.

"You and I step in here, and we finish this. One on one, man to man. To the death."

"Boone…are you challenging me to a duel?" The sniper huffed, so Campbell decided to ask a different question. "And what of the NCR pricks behind you?"

"They won't have any part in this fight. They'll continue heading towards Layla, and leave us to settle this." Campbell just managed to hide his surprise as he considered Boone's request. This wasn't like him at all; he was usually calm and collected, devoid of emotion and totally focused on the mission. Now, he was throwing the mission aside to pursue a personal vendetta. He was acting horribly out of character…which meant Campbell's words read really gotten to him. He mentally high fived himself, before realising that an angry Boone was likely even more dangerous than a calm Boone…and Layla had made it **very **clear that he couldn't beat a calm Boone. Fighting Angry Boone, alone, with no backup…was suicide, not to mention it would be clearing the path for the rest of the NCR soldiers to approach Layla's position. Still, if he refused, Boone would probably just shoot him now, and Layla had to have finishing fortifying the room by now, plus they only had to defend the place for five minutes. _They'll be fine. _He thought, unsure whether he actually believed that, or he was just trying to convince himself. He considered flipping his coin, but reasoned that Boone would probably shoot him if he did, so he instead decided to go with his gut.

"Alright." He said simply, lowering his rifle as he did so. "You go first." Boone didn't respond, instead walking into the room. Campbell considered shooting him in the back, but decided against it since there were a large number of NCR soldiers looking directly at him, and they'd likely shoot him if he tried anything. He took a deep breath, before following Boone into the room, and shutting the door.

***Layla – 5 minutes until door is open***

"What's the word on Campbell?" Layla asked as she sat on the floor, leaning back against the first barricade and distractedly fiddling with her sword.

"I'm not getting anything." Arcade replied from a few feet away, listening carefully to the radio in his hand as he did so. "They've been maintaining radio silence for a few minutes now." He looked at the radio, a nervous expression on his face. "You don't suppose…Campbell…?"

"He's fine." Layla said seriously. "He's probably destroyed the third wave by now." Veronica sat on a crate nearby, completely silent and staring off into space. The red haired one checked to make sure she wasn't listening, before lowering her voice. "Be careful what you say; I don't want to worry Veronica unnecessarily. She's already anxious enough as it is." Layla whispered, and Arcade nodded.

"Oh, by the way…" He said slowly, nervous scratching the back of his neck as he did so. "About earlier…" Those two words caught Layla's attention, and she focused completely on him as he continued. "I just wanted to say…" Before he could continue, a loud beeping sound filled the room.

"What the hell is that?!" Layla asked, hopping to her feet and drawing her sword as she did so. In answer to her question, Henry walked up to a terminal he'd set up near the back of the room, and pressed a key. Immediately, the machine stopped beeping.

"Something triggered one of my sensors outside." He said with little emotion, picking up his laser rifle (Which had been leaning upright against one of the crates) as he did so. "Wave Three is coming." Layla, Arcade and Veronica all whitened significantly…Veronica especially.

"Wait; if they're nearly here…then what happened to Campbell?" She asked, face the very picture of concern. "Do you think he's…"

"We don't know that." Layla interrupted forcefully, not allowing Veronica to dwell on the negatives. "All we can do now, is fight."

"But what about…" Before Veronica could speak, Layla walked over to her grabbed her around the waist. A surprised blush appeared on Veronica's face, while Layla picked her up, lifting her off the crate and into the air. She dropped Veronica behind the first barricade, while crouching down behind it herself. Moreno meanwhile stood in front of the first barricade, plasma caster at the ready, while Judah swapped places with Henry. He crouched behind the middle barricade, wielding a Gauss rifle Moreno had fetched for him from the nearby warehouse, while Henry went to work on the door (Shielded by the middle barricade), and Arcade crouched behind the crate barricade, plasma defender at the ready. They were all ready for action, and now all they could do was wait.

***Campbell – 4 minutes and 30 seconds until door is open***

Boone and Campbell stood face to face in the warehouse, rifles at the ready, and separated only by a few feet. The warehouse was separated into three areas: where they stood was the front, undecorated apart from a few crates and quite small in size; in the middle of the room was the largest area, occupied by massive alleys of shelving, loaded with all kinds of weaponry and tech, and on the other side of the shelving alleys was a wide open area equal in size to the middle of the room, likely the area they'd used to load stock if the forklift was anything to go by. Campbell looked at the shelf alleys, all the crates he could use as cover, the multiple levels of shelving that he could climb, allowing him to snipe Boone from above, all the stored tech and robots he could use to help him fight…in the front of the warehouse he was exposed, but in there…he might have a chance. _Now all I have to do is get in there without being shot. _He thought, looking at Boone and attempting to formulate a plan. The sniper readjusted his sunglasses so that his eyes were once again covered, and he readied his rifle. _He'll shoot me if I make a suspicious move…but what if I make a move that isn't suspicious…just moronic? _A strategy began to form in his brain, and he made his move.

"Alright Boone…" He said seriously, raising his rifle as he did so. "…on the count of three, we both fire; agreed?" Boone nodded, and Campbell pointed his rifle at the merc's head, preparing to put his plan into action. Boone aimed his massive rifle at Campbell's head, and waited for the count. "One." Campbell aimed at Boone's head, and looked through his rifle's scope, while Boone did the same. "Two." Their respective fingers neared the triggers of their respective rifles, and both prepared to fire. The tension was palpable, as the gunfight of the century was mere moments away from beginning. "Thr…" Campbell prepared to say the word that would start their fight…only to drop his rifle. He stopped speaking, and a mortified expression appeared on his face as his beloved rifle slipped from his grasp, and fell for a few seconds before landing at his feet. Boone stopped looking through his scope, and merely raised an eyebrow as Campbell's clumsiness left him completely unarmed. "Crap." The merc cursed, before looking pleadingly at Boone. "This…this is embarrassing." He said in a sheepish tone. "Sorry…could…could I just pick up my rifle? We'll start the fight afterwards I swear." Boone looked like he was about to object, but the utterly pathetic look in Campbell's eyes made him stop, as an irritated sigh left his lips instead.

"Fine." He said irritably. "But make it quick." Campbell nodded, before moving so that he had his back to Boone, and bending over to retrieve his rifle. While Boone closed his eyes to avoid having to look at Campbell's ass, the merc grinned, and reached out two hands: one towards the Ratslayer, and one towards his stealth boy.

"You know what your greatest weakness is Boone?" Campbell asked pleasantly as one of his hands grasped his rifle.

"What?"

"You have an annoying tendency to underestimate people."

"Do I?" Boone didn't sound convinced, he sounded more exasperated than anything, as though he wanted to just kill Campbell already and get on with his life.

"Yep. For example: you think I'm an idiot, the kind of idiot who would foolishly drop his rifle before a serious firefight." Boone's eyes widened in realization. "As it turns out, I'm actually a lot smarter than that; smart enough to make you think I'm an idiot and let your guard down…allowing me to do THIS!" Boone fired, but it was too late; Campbell had already flicked his stealth boy, turning himself invisible and vanishing from sight before the bullet could fly from the chamber. It hit the wall uselessly, and Boone gritted his teeth in barely contained anger as he looked around for Campbell.

"Show yourself!" He loudly demanded. "Fight me face to face you coward!" Mocking laughter followed his order, and a furious growl escaped his lips. He continued looking around, completely unaware that a crate seemed to be levitating off the ground behind him. He turned around, just in time for a now visible Campbell to throw the crate at him. He brought up his arms to block, but the container was heavy, and being hit by it knocked Boone to the floor. He lost his grip on his rifle in the process, and Campbell ran towards it. Boone's hand shot out, grabbing the barrel of the weapon, but Campbell's hands found the weapon's main body, and he quickly got to work. His hands moved with amazing expertise, an unidentifiable blur as they swiftly moved across the weapon, doing…something…to it. Boone pulled his weapon free a few seconds later…but only got the barrel. Campbell smirked as he held up several pieces of the weapon, having taken it apart in the few seconds before Boone freed it from his grasp. He dropped the pieces to the floor, but kept a hold of one essential piece to make sure the gun couldn't possibly fire, and inserted it into an interior pocket of his trenchcoat before running away. Boone shot to his feet and drew his SMG, only for the merc to vanish before his very eyes.

A frustrated kick flew towards the crate, knocking it across the room as the sniper got to his feet, no longer in control of his emotions. All the mental restrictions that he usually placed on his anger had been released, casting him into a maddened frenzy. All he wanted to do, all he could focus on doing, was killing Campbell. As he thought about doing this however, familiar mocking laughter filled the room.

"**You know Boone, I never liked you.**" Campbell taunted, his voice sounding like he was coming from everywhere at once. _Oh great, another speech. _Boone thought sourly as he looked around, trying to figure out where Campbell was speaking from "**And now here we are, two opposites in a crate filled battlefield, ready to fill each other full of lead.**" Coming to the conclusion that the voice was coming from the crate alley, Boone slowly stepped forward. "**Call me crazy, but I think I have the upper hand.**" _You're crazy. _Boone thought, already thinking about how he was going to kill Campbell. "**We all know I have a lot of weapons right? Well guess what? Now they're all coming for you.**" Undeterred, Bone continued walking forwards. He stopped suddenly, as he thought he saw a shadow moving in the corner of his eye. He turned towards it, SMG at the ready, but saw no sign of life. "**I'm armed to the teeth you miserable motherfucker, and I will use everything at my disposal to end your life; every gun, every grenade, every missile, every mine, every bomb, every trick, every technique, every blade.**" Campbell sounded downright ferocious now, and Boone smiled bitterly. He wanted the merc to be as angry as he was. "**I'm coming at with my entire arsenal, EVERYTHING I've got, and with the resources at my disposal, I WILL FUCKING BLOW YOU AWAY!**" The volume of Campbell's voice began to rise in an echoing crescendo as he neared the end of his speech. "**I hope you've lived a long, fruitful life Boone, BECAUSE IT ENDS TODAY!**" With that, Campbell went silent, but Boone heard footsteps, suggesting that he was on the move.

"We'll see about that." The sniper replied, as he returned his 10mm SMG to its holster and ran towards the nearest shelf alley.

***Layla – 4 minutes until door is open***

The third wave of NCR forces arrived suddenly. One second the room was still and silent, the next, NCR soldiers and rangers were storming through the doors, shooting in every direction. Moreno served as a useful bullet shield, soaking up enemy fire with his nigh invulnerable armour, while Layla and co stayed in cover, waiting for their moment. It didn't take the attackers long to trigger the frag mines, and when they did they suffered heavy casualties as scores of them died in waves of fiery, explosive death. Once the mines were done, Judah gave the command, and the Mr Gutsy robots moved in, peppering the attackers with lethal plasma. Their armour was useless against the corrosive substance, and even heavily armoured rangers felt it burn through metal and skin to end their lives. The attackers found themselves taking cover in the doorway, proceeding in slowly in small groups, only to die to plasma. The bots earned Layla and co a bit of time, but all too soon they met their end, falling to a large ranger with a minigun. Next it was the turn of the laser turrets, and though they ended a few lives, their weaker armour caused them to fall far quicker than the robots. Barely two minutes had passed, and all the defences had fallen. Left with no choice, Layla and Veronica leapt over their cover and rushed the enemy line, while Moreno fired like a maniac, and Judah and Arcade carefully picked off troops from the rear. As the Witch and her forces engaged the NCR head on, the battle began in earnest.

***Boone – 2 minutes until door is open***

_Where the hell did that maniac go? _Boone thought to himself as he wandered through the warehouse, searching for any sign of Campbell. The merc was elusive, he'd give him that, but the sniper was determined not to let him get away. Finding him wouldn't be easy however, as the warehouse was utterly huge. Towering shelves filled the room, stacked high with all kinds of advanced technology that Boone didn't care about. As he walked through an alley between a pair of shelves, he heard movement…but couldn't quite place the location. Just to be safe, he swiftly drew his 10mm SMG and cast a quick gaze around the area, looking for any signs of his prey. His sunglasses made his eyes completely invisible as he looked around, ready to fire at the first sign of Campbell. No sign made itself known however, so he moved to put away his SMG. As he did however, he sensed movement from above, and dived forwards. This action saved his life.

A few seconds after he moved, a massive, 8ft tall crate fell to the floor next to him, smashing into pieces as it landed. He rolled to his feet as he finished his dive, before looking up and spotting Campbell above. The merc stood on the top of the nearest row of shelves, high enough to touch the ceiling and with his Ratslayer drawn. Before Boone could wonder how the hell he'd gotten up there, Campbell waved, before kicking a nearby crate. The crate opened as it fell down the ground, dropping a number of grenades. The merc smirked, before firing at one of the grenades as it fell. Behind his sunglasses, Boone's eyes widened, and he ran for his life. The merc's seemingly improbable aiming skills caused his bullet to hit the grenade, and caused a chain reaction. The grenade exploded, and triggered every other falling grenade too. As Boone ran, a series of explosions rocked the alley. He bolted down the alley, explosions devastating the area behind him, while Campbell opened fire with his rifle. His first shot missed, flying past Boone's head instead of blowing his brains out, and that was enough to warn the sniper that he was being shot at. As he reached the end of the alley and outran the explosions, he spun to face Campbell, and pulled the trigger of his SMG.

A swarm of 10mm rounds flew towards the merc, but he calmly flicked his stealth boy and vanished. The bullets thudded uselessly into the wall, and Boone pointed his SMG forwards, while attempting to spot the merc. He located him a few seconds later, as he pushed another crate downwards. Boone dived out of the alley to dodge this one, but the merc turned visible for a split second, revealing he was holding a grenade launcher. A sadistic grin not unlike Layla's appeared on his face as he fired a grenade Boone's way. The sniper tried to dive out of the way, but this time he wasn't fast enough, and the explosion knocked him flying.

Shrapnel tore his jeans to shreds, but his bulletproof jacket and armoured vest protected him from most of the explosion. He landed on his back a few feet away, but quickly got to his feet, just in time to see Campbell appear again, this time on the top of a another shelf. This shelf was closer to Boone, and Campbell wasted no time before firing another grenade. The sniper charged into the alley to dodge the explosion, while spraying bullets upwards with his SMG. The merc ran too however, staying just ahead of Boone to avoid his bullets. He didn't have time to fire his rifle while running, but he found plenty of time to kick crates down towards Boone. The sniper managed to stay ahead as several crates fell from above, before eventually stopping as Campbell ran out of shelf to run on. As soon as the merc stopped, Boone drew a grenade from inside his jacket with his free hand, before ripping the pin off with his teeth and throwing the grenade upwards. The merc turned invisible again, seconds before the grenade flew to his level and violently exploded.

Logically speaking, there was no way Campbell could have dodged that attack, but Boone was savvy to the merc's tricks by now…the bastard didn't have a logical bone in his body. Not taking any chances, he sprayed wildly at the shelf above, attempting to hit the invisible Campbell. As it turned out, he wasn't firing anywhere near the merc's actual location. He heard a battle cry, and stopped firing just in time to spot Campbell leaping towards him. The merc had jumped off a much lower shelf than the one he'd been on seconds ago (Though it was still pretty high), and he was pulling his leg back. Boone tried to blow him out of the air but he didn't have nearly enough time, as Campbell delivered a flying kick to his face.

While the lunatic landed on the floor in a roll, Boone went flying, landing on his back a few feet away. He dropped his SMG as he landed, so he had no way to shoot back as Campbell drew The Twins. Before he could aim and fire though, Boone grabbed a small box off a nearby shelf, before throwing it at him. Campbell brought up both arms to block, giving Boone the perfect chance to charge and deliver his own flying kick. Campbell's mouth opened in a silent expression of pain as Boone flew into him at high speed and kicked him in the gut. As soon as Boone landed, he locked a hand around each of the merc's wrists, preventing him from using his guns, before rapidly kneeing him in the gut. Pained noises escaped the lunatic's mouth as knee strike after knee strike connected to him, but he still refused to give up. Just as Boone was considering telling him to surrender, the merc's head collided with his face. The headbutt took Boone by surprise, causing him to lose his grip on the merc's wrists for just a second. This gave Campbell a perfect opportunity to break free, before pistol whipping Boone in the face.

The sniper stumbled back as a Twin collided with his face, while his foe pointed the other Twin at him. Before it could be fired however, he dropped to the floor, before sweep kicking Campbell to the floor. He dropped both the Twins, and was helpless as Boone grabbed him by the collar and dragged him up, before throwing him into a nearby shelf. He hit the shelf painfully and dropped to the floor, while Boone walked closer, slowly drawing his machete. He was about ready to drive his blade into the merc's skull…only to be surprised to hear laughing. Campbell raised his gaze so that he was looking at Boone, and the sniper saw utter malice in his eyes. While he was busy staring however, Campbell threw a grenade at him.

Before Boone could process what was happening, the grenade detonated, revealing that it was an incendiary. He brought up his armoured gloves to protect his face as a wave of fire washed over him, setting his jacket ablaze. While Campbell turned on his stealth boy and vanished, Boone prevented the flames from reaching his face by throwing off his flaming jacket. He didn't even look at it as it landed, instead turning towards The Twins that Campbell had dropped earlier. Sure enough, they were gone, vanished just like their owner. Boone didn't even have enough time to curse before the still invisible merc shot at him.

The bullet hit him in the chest, meaning the armoured vest stopped it, but Boone didn't fancy testing his luck again, so he made a run for it. He charged down the corridor while his invisible opponent fired madly with his 10mms. The gunfire stopped as soon as the sniper reached the end of the shelf alley, but he was now at a severe disadvantage. He still had his machete and grenades, but his SMG and his bulletproof jacket were back in the alley, while Campbell was still fully armed and armoured. Not about to back down, Boone stepped into another shelf alley, and found a rectangular case on one of the shelves. Seeking a weapon, he opened it, and was rewarded for his efforts. Inside was a plasma rifle, in perfect condition. He wasn't exactly used to using energy weapons, but the principal was the same as with an ordinary gun wasn't it? He picked it up and tested the weight of it, before firing a practice shot down the alley. As he did, he heard footsteps, and turned around to see Campbell pointing The Twins at him.

No snide remark, no taunt, no pointless bullshit, the merc just sneered, before firing…right as Boone kicked a crate at him. The container was small, but it hit Campbell in the face, disorienting him and causing both his shots to miss. Having no such problem, Boone fired his plasma rifle. Unfortunately for Boone, he had no idea that plasma bolts fly annoyingly slowly. Once he had recovered, Campbell easily managed to weave to the side, before readying one of The Twins and firing. Boone fired at the same time, and this time Campbell was so busy shooting his own gun that he had no time to dodge. His bullet hit Boone in the left bicep, prompting a hiss of pain from the sniper but not much else, while Boone's plasma bolt hit him square in the chest.

The merc growled as the bolt pushed him back, while burning through his shirt. Ignoring the pain, the merc vanished again, but Boone heard his footsteps this time, and ran after him as he fled. _You are NOT getting away. _He thought vehemently as he gave chase.

***Layla – 1 minute until door is open***

"This is Daisy Whitman, come in." Whitman said, speaking through the NCR radio on the same secure Enclave radio frequency that Layla and co had used to arrange the meetup in Novac.

"I read you Whitman." Judah replied as he sat on the floor, back leaning against the middle row of cover. "What's your status?"

"I've reached the self-destruct terminal and have gained access to it. Awaiting your word captain."

"Roger that. Sit tight for another minute. Judah out." With that, the former Enclave officer returned the radio to his pocket, reloaded his Gauss rifle, and leaned over his cover before blowing the head off a random NCR prick.

The battle was in full swing; bullets and plasma flying left and right, and two crazy girls right in the middle killing scores of foes with punches, stabs and slashes. Veronica was currently lost in a mob of soldiers, though the gunshot sound of her ballistic fist and the heavy clunk of her power fist could be heard every few seconds, as the pair of gauntlets ended lives left and right. Layla meanwhile was less swamped, but her body count was no less high. She swiftly slashed the respective throats of a pair of soldiers, before driving her blade directly backwards as one tried to sneak up behind her. She heard a pained groan as her blade pierced the man's ribcage, and she pulled it free a few seconds later before pushing the corpse to the floor, all without looking at him. She prepared to charge a nearby group of soldiers, only for Moreno's plasma fire to end them before she could even get there. Like with the first wave, his current kill count was higher than both Layla's and Veronica's put together, but she was determined to beat his score. To achieve this aim, she grasped her sword tightly with both hands, and promptly charged towards the nearest group, eyes focused on their vulnerable jugulars.

While his friends were busy ending lives, Arcade was crouched behind the crate barricade at the far end of the room, reloading his plasma defender and wondering if they had a chance of winning. The NCR didn't seem to be operating in waves now, instead just sending in every single soldier they had in an attempt to overwhelm their enemies; in other words, their normal military strategy. Still, while the grunts they were sending in were pathetic, there were **a lot **of them. He counted over forty deaths on the NCR's side, and still more soldiers poured into the room every few seconds. There seemed to be no end to them. _This is one of those moments where I have to act like Layla: stop thinking, and start killing. _He thought, a determined look on his face as he leant over his cover and fired at the enemy forces.

***Boone – 1 minute until door is open***

Once again, Campbell had vanished. Boone was in one of the shelf alleys, a shelf alley that looked exactly like all the other shelf alleys, and he had officially lost the merc's trail. Still feeling the effects of breaking his normally calm veneer, he punched a nearby shelf angrily, before composing himself and walking down the alley, plasma rifle in hand. He looked around, but far more carefully than normal, keeping an eye out for even the slightest shimmer in the air that would reveal the cloaked merc. He was so busy looking around that he didn't look directly ahead, so he didn't see the frag mines until he heard the beeping. He immediately rolled backwards, while the mine beeped for approximately two seconds before exploding. He landed in a seating position on the floor and finally looked ahead, revealing a veritable minefield. Frag mines littered the corridor, an ungodly amount of them, just waiting for some poor sod to walk in and be transported out of this life on the wings of a thousand explosions. He'd known the merc could be overly prepared…but this was ridiculous.

Not about to fall for Campbell's tricks, Boone was about to turn back…until a grenade fell at his feet from a shelf above. The grenade was armed, meaning he had no choice but to run towards the minefield if he wanted to dodge the explosion. _I hate him._ He thought surprisingly calmly, before running forwards as the grenade detonated. He outran the explosion, but immediately triggered a frag mine. Not slowing in the slightest, he continued to run, and his rapid journey down the corridor was quickly scored by a dozen frantic beeping noises, followed by a deadly explosion. He lost count of how many explosions he left behind him, focusing entirely on reaching the end of the alley. As explosion after explosion rocked the area, he reached the end of the alley, and heard movement in an adjacent alley. He pointed his plasma rifle outwards before running towards the sound. Sure enough, Campbell was in this alley…and he'd found himself some new toys.

The merc was knelt down in the middle of the alley, fiddling with a pair of Mr Gutsy combat robots. The machines were painted completely black, suggesting that these were Enclave model robots that were being stored here. Not taking any chances, Boone pulled a large, metal box out from a nearby shelf in case he needed some cover, before stepping closer. He prepared to fire at Campbell, when the merc finished messing with one of the Gutsy robots, and it came online. The robot's optical units glowed a deep red, and it hovered towards Boone. _Oh great…he's repairing the Enclave robots. _Boone thought, rapidly getting fed up of this.

The Gutsy opened fire with its equipped plasma weapon, prompting Boone to take cover behind the metal box he'd pulled out earlier. While the first Gutsy fired at Boone, Campbell started repairing the other one. As soon as the attacking robot stopped firing, Boone leaned out from behind his box and blasted a bolt of plasma at it. To his annoyance however, the bolt did little damage, and the Gutsy promptly opened fire again. He realised that the chassis of Mr Gutsy robots was probably designed to be resistant to plasma, to make sure a group of Gutsy bots didn't wipe each over out via friendly fire. As the Gutsy neared, it stopped using its plasma weapon, switching to its flamethrower instead. A burst of fire flooded over the area, heating up the box and leaving Boone with little room to maneuver. The machine hovered closer and closer, and the razor blade on the end of one of its arms started to spin like a circular saw. The sniper remembered that Mr Gutsy bots were far less effective at close range, and a strategy formed in his head.

He dropped his plasma rifle, before drawing his machete, and leaping out of cover. He jumped onto the box, before using the extra elevation it provided to leap onto the Gutsy. He jumped over the bot's flamethrower blasts, and landed on its main body. He held on as the bot tried to shake him off, and started to repeatedly stab it with his machete. The armour wasn't designed to protect against melee weapons because it was assumed nobody would get that close to a Gutsy, so the machete easily pierced the robot's hull. The bot continued to attempt to shake him off, but he slashed off its optical units with his machete, causing it to lose control. He jumped off as the bot swerved violently, before crashing into one of the shelves. While it was disoriented, he drew a grenade, before arming it and rolling it towards the bot. It landed underneath the machine's hover jets before detonating, providing the robot with an explosive demise. As Mr Gutsy parts cluttered the floor, Boone turned to the other Gutsy…just in time to see Campbell reactivate it. He swore under his breath as the bot started up its circular saw and aimed a slash at his throat.

While Boone struggled to parry the blow with his machete, Campbell calmly rose to his feet, wiped his greasy hands on his slacks, and waved casually to Boone before activating his stealth boy and vanishing again. As Boone blocked another blow, the bot started up its flamethrower. Thinking fast, he rolled under the robot, slashing its hover jets as he did so. Without its jets, the bot dropped to the ground, while Boone got up and drew another grenade. He armed it, then calmly tossed it behind him as he continued down the corridor. The bot was blown to kingdom come a few seconds later, while the sniper continued his hunt for Campbell.

At least…he tried to. He only managed to run a short distance, before he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. He stopped, and moved a hand to the back of his neck, only to find an unfamiliar shape. He pulled the mysterious object out of his neck and brought it up to his eyes so that he could examine it. He found himself looking at a dart, specifically a dart used as ammo in NCR issue tranquiliser pistols. Back in his days in the military, every soldier had been issued such a pistol in order to safely incapacitate enemies. After the arrival of the Legion however, many felt that the guns didn't match the new threat, so their production had been discontinued, and they were no longer issued to soldiers. They still made a good profit on the black market, selling well among kidnappers and slavers. How Campbell had got one, Boone had no idea, but there was no mistaking the design of the dart…or the uncontrollable dizziness that was suddenly gripping him. He fell to his knees as he felt the dart take effect, and everything started to get fuzzy. Despite the tranquilizer working its magic however, he managed to resist drifting off into unconsciousness, and got to his feet. Now facing a race to beat Campbell before the tranq knocked him out, Boone picked up his plasma rifle, and ran onward.

***Layla – 30 seconds until door is open***

Things were going surprisingly well. Despite fighting gun toting enemies with fists and a sword respectively, neither Veronica nor Layla had been shot yet, while Judah and Arcade were still safe in their cover, Moreno's armour was still proving to be completely indestructible (He'd been shot about fifty times now, and the armour wasn't even scratched), and Henry was less than a minute away from getting them through the door and towards freedom. It was beginning to seem like they actually had a good chance of making it out of this situation in one piece. Then things got worse.

The first sign that something was wrong was when Layla and co ran out of things to kill. As she killed her latest NCR soldier, the red haired one looked around, and realised that there weren't any more to kill. For some strange reason, the reinforcements had stopped pouring in.

"What's going on?" Layla asked in a confused tone. "Did we win?"

"No." Judah said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Be ready." Layla had no idea what she had to be ready for, but regardless she kept an eye on the door, and firmly grasped her blade in both hands. The seconds slowly ticked by, the wait becoming agonizing as she wondered what she was waiting for. Then, suddenly, the door slid open. A look of dread appeared on the Red Blade Witch's face as several men and women wearing black armour walked into the room. _Veteran rangers. _She thought, genuinely afraid as the toughest soldiers in the entire NCR military entered the room, and immediately made a beeline for Moreno.

"They're wearing black armour to intimidate their enemies?" The heavily armed and armoured giant asked no-one in particular as he stepped forward. "That's our thing! Is there anything these NCR bastards won't steal?!" With that, he started up his oversized gun, and fired a barrage of plasma at his expert attackers. Probably recognising that gunfire and explosives were useless against Moreno's armour, the veterans decided to fight him up close instead. Layla and Veronica ran over to help, only for a pair of veterans to block their path. While the girls engaged in a tag team battle against the veterans, Moreno found himself fighting three of them. They quickly got to close for him to hit them with his gun, so he dropped it before hitting one in the face. He jumped back to dodge it, while another one jumped onto Moreno from the side. While he tried to shake the attacker off, the other two struck with melee attacks from his front and back. The attacks seemed to do little damage, and he quickly knocked the duo back with a few simple strikes, but while doing that, he completely forgot about the veteran climbing around on him. The man reached out for the giant's helmet, and after a few seconds, he managed to remove it. Moreno grabbed the man by the neck and twisted, snapping it like a twig, before throwing the corpse away and focusing on the other two. He managed to punch one of them in the face, shattering his eye pieces and knocking him to the floor, before the other managed to draw his Ranger Sequoia. Moreno tried to attack him, but he was nowhere near fast enough, and the veteran calmly shot him right between the eyes.

"ORION!" Arcade shouted, voice filled with grief as the giant veteran slumped to the floor, face decorated with a bullet hole. The two veterans ignored the fact that one of their allies had had his neck broken, as the one who'd killed Moreno helped his ally to his feet before rushing towards Judah and Arcade. The Remnant and the doctor shot the approaching veterans, but their armour and coats protected them, and they managed to easily clear the first barricade with a single jump. Noticing her friends were in peril, Layla pushed the veteran she was fighting towards Veronica, before running over to help Arcade and Judah. The veteran tried to run after her, but Veronica knocked him down with a kick to the legs, before ending her own fight by punching her opponent in the throat with her ballistic fist, utterly obliterating his neck. His body and now severed head dropped to the floor, allowing Veronica to deal with the ranger that had been hounding Layla, leaving her free to save Arcade and Judah.

She leapt over the first barricade, before charging the veterans from behind. Arcade tried to shoot at them, but the one that had killed Moreno fired his Sequoia, pinning the doctor down, while the other turned to Layla. She slashed with her sword, but he easily dodged before kicking her in the face. She went down, and he drew his own Sequoia…only for someone to blow a fist sized hole in his neck. He went down, and all eyes focused on his killer: Judah Kreger. The senior citizen leapt over his cover, before approaching Moreno's killer. The ranger tried to shoot him, only for Judah to easily kick his revolver out of his hands and holster his Gauss rifle on his back. The man in the black armour aimed a barrage of swift, expert attacks at the old man, but every blow missed its target, and Judah moved behind him. Layla could barely keep track of his movements, but in less than five seconds, Judah managed to break both of the ranger's arms, and with a swift move, deprived him of his helmet. The ranger tried to kick him, only for Judah to grab his leg, and with a maneuver that Layla could barely comprehend, slammed the man throat first down onto the first barricade. He then threw the man over the barricade, before drawing his Gauss rifle. The ranger got up, and Judah blew a large chunk out of his head.

While Layla stared at him, eyes filled with awe, Judah fired at the ranger Veronica was fighting, blowing a chunk out of his leg. The ranger went down, but Veronica caught him by the neck, and swiftly broke it before dropping his limp form to the floor. Before any of them could celebrate however, ten more veteran rangers poured in, prompting Layla to whiten significantly.

"Henry, it's been ten minutes; what's the word on the door?!" Judah called as the rangers drew their Sequoias and rifles.

"I need a little more time!" Henry called back, prompting the rangers to take notice of him.

"How much time?"

"…About two more minutes." The spirits of every none NCR aligned person in the room dropped…apart from Kreger's.

"You heard the man ladies." He said seriously as he aimed his Gauss rifle at the veteran rangers before him. "Hold the line." With that, Judah Kreger and the two girls charged.

***Campbell – Approximately two minutes until the door is open***

Say what you want about Craig Boone, the bastard refused to give up. Campbell sat behind a crate in the loading area of the warehouse, taking a moment to get his breath back and save his stealth boy's charge. The device was nearly dead due to his non-stop use of it in the battle so far, and he knew that before long, he'd be forced to fight visible…even though he was barely matching Boone when **in**visible. The tranquiliser dart would likely give him an edge, but the sniper was still the toughest opponent he'd ever faced…and he'd faced **a lot**. He thought about all this as he tried to get his breath back, only to hear a voice on his personal radio. This wasn't so unusual…except that his radio was currently set to his own, personal frequency, a frequency not even his friends knew about. Utterly perplexed, the merc slowly reached the radio, before putting it up to his face.

"Who is this?" He asked in a confused tone, only to be greeted by a familiar, emotionless voice.

"Your employer."

**Yesterday**

"I want you to leave Layla's group, and join the NCR once again." Vulpes Inculta said. Campbell went quiet, various feelings playing across his face. Shock, confusion, anger, and many other emotions twisted his facial features. "I shall meet you here for a debriefing in a week's time." The fox continued, before reaching for his stealth boy. Before he could activate it however, Campbell's hand moved inside his trenchcoat. Before Vulpes could blink, the merc drew his silenced pistol and shot the stealth boy. The device exploded into wires and scrap, leaving the frumentarius incapable of turning invisible. Unsurprisingly, he didn't seem shaken by this; in fact he didn't seem to react to it at all.

"No." Campbell said seriously.

"I beg your pardon?" Mild annoyance entered Vulpes' voice for the first time, but the merc ignored it.

"I'm not going to betray Layla." A trace of something resembling anger flashed across Vulpes' features, but it was gone in an instant.

"We had a deal." The fox growled.

"Like you said last time we met, I've 'formed an emotional connection with them', and I won't do anything to hurt them." He cocked his pistol. "Neither will you."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I'm just telling you that as of right now, I'm resigning from your service. Layla's my boss now, and if you do anything to hurt her or her friends, I'll be coming after you." Even in the face of this threat, Vulpes still showed no emotion. He **did **however, pull his hood down, and remove his goggles, exposing his entire face.

"Think about what you're doing Campbell." He said sternly. "If you leave my service…those close to you will suffer." Campbell chuckled briefly at this; if Vulpes was surprised by the unusual reaction, he didn't show it.

"Blackmail? Now who's threatening who?"

"Not a threat, a warning. You know my reputation Campbell; you know what I'm capable of." As he spoke, Vulpes finally showed some emotion, as his expression and his tone darkened significantly. "There is no place in this desert that I cannot infiltrate, there is no piece of information that I cannot learn, there is no person or object that I cannot find, there is no mind that I cannot outmanoeuvre, and most importantly: there is no man, woman or child that I cannot kill. I am a fox Campbell, and this desert is my hunting ground. If you question me, if you get in my way, or if you leave my service, then those you care about – the witch, the scribe – they will become my prey, and I **will **hunt them down." He went silent as he finished his speech, waiting for Campbell to retort. It didn't take long.

"Well in that case…" Campbell took aim at Vulpes' head. _None of that is bluster; he really is as good as he says. If he goes after Layla and Veronica…I probably won't be able to protect them. _His finger neared the trigger. _Best to stop the fox before it can hunt._ With that thought, he fired. At least, he was about to, when Vulpes waved a hand at him. The hand was holding an unknown powder, and he released it as he waved, causing the powder to fly into Campbell's eyes. The effect was immediate.

"Goodbye Campbell." Vulpes said in that same, emotionless tone as Campbell started to scream. "I'll be seeing your friends shortly." The merc had no idea what was going on, as the powder burnt his ocular units. Whatever that powder was, it had utterly blinded him, and it was delivering intense, stinging pain. Regardless of his blinded nature, Campbell stood up, and shot several times in the direction he assumed Vulpes was standing in. All around him was silence, making it impossible to tell what was going on. To prevent falling over or walking into something, Campbell remained completely still, while listening for any clues as to Vulpes' location. After about a minute, the world came back into focus again. His eyes were stinging and red, but he could see perfectly again…meaning he could see that Vulpes Inculta was nowhere to be seen. He considered looking around the area, but knew that there was little point. A minute was more than enough time for Vulpes to make himself utterly scarce, and if he didn't want to be found, there wasn't a force in the Mojave that could find him. Annoyed at himself being bested so easily, Campbell put return the pistol to the inside of his trenchcoat. Not wanting to think about what had just occurred, he put his hood up, before going off to search for Daisy Whitman without a word.

**The Present**

"Vulpes." Campbell said coldly as he got to his feet.

"Campbell." The fox replied, in a tone equally as cold.

"Should I bother asking how you got this frequency?" The merc asked humourlessly.

"If you're going to ask that, then you might as well ask how I managed to infiltrate the bunker, reach the self-destruct terminal, and kill Daisy Whitman." Campbell nearly dropped his radio.

"What?!" His composure cracked, allowing utter shock to enter his voice. From his tone, it was evident that Vulpes found this amusing.

"The old woman is dead. She thought a stealth suit could hide her from me. She was sadly mistaken, though the suit will certainly prove useful in my plans."

"What are you doing here?" Campbell growled. When Vulpes replied, it was in the cocky tone he usually used when showing off his intellectual superiority. Campbell hated that tone.

"I promised you I would hurt your friends if you didn't do as I say. Now I'm standing right next to a the self-destruct terminal for this entire complex. Figure it out." Campbell's eyes widened.

"If you even think of…"

"You're in no position to be making commands Campbell." Vulpes snapped. "I can kill your friends by pressing a single button. I hold all the cards.

"Do you really think you'll be able to get out of here before this place self-destructs?"

"I do."

"Well guess what: if you can make it out, so can I, and as soon as I'm out, I will find you and fucking kill you."

"Will you now?"

"You know how good I am."

"Well I'm better."

"Listen to me you little…" Before Campbell could finish, a series of bullets suddenly hit his radio, causing it to explode into a pile of wires and scrap. The merc immediately spun around, to find Craig Boone walking towards him. _I hit him with a tranq dart…HOW THE HELL IS HE STILL GOING?! _Campbell wondered, completely struck dumb as the sniper approached, even though the tranq should have knocked him out instantly…and it was over a minute since the dart had hit him.

"End of the line." Boone said, his emotionless veneer having returned.

"Good; I have other things I need to do tonight." Campbell replied, Vulpes' threat fresh in his mind as he reached inside his trenchcoat and drew a pair of guns: Vance's SMG in one hand, and his sawn-off shotgun in the other. He pointed both guns at Boone, while Boone pointed his 10mm SMG at him. _I don't have time to deal with this idiot. I need to get to the self-destruct terminal and stop Vulpes. _He thought as he stared Boone down. They were both skilled, but this time, he was quicker on the draw.

Boone ran to the side as the merc fired a barrage of rounds from his SMG, causing 9mm bullets to thud into the crates on the shelf behind Boone instead of actually hitting him. Still, Campbell continued firing, and Boone kept running to the side to avoid, up until the clip for Vance's SMG ran empty. Boone stopped and prepared to fire his own SMG, forgetting that Campbell was holding a second gun. He remembered a few seconds later as Campbell fired his sawn-off shotgun, hitting the sniper in the gut and knocking him backwards. He collided with the shelf behind him, but stayed on his feet, and thanks to his chestpiece he was no worse for wear. While Campbell stopped to reload both his guns Boone charged, tackling the merc into the crate that he'd been resting on moments ago.

Campbell dropped both his guns as he collided with the crate, and Boone brutally headbutted him, before kneeing him in the stomach and throwing him to the side. Campbell landed on his front a few feet away and Boone slowly walked over to him, SMG at the ready. Before he could fire however, he heard a low metallic growl. Before he could wonder what that was, Campbell knelt up, his back to Boone, before quickly turn around, active ripper in his hand. His miniature chainsaw sawed right through Boone's SMG, cutting into his hand in the process. Boone backed away, teeth gritted as blood poured from the wound on his hand. Campbell smirked sadistically, before getting to his feet and rushing Boone again. Despite losing his SMG however, Boone wasn't unarmed; he still had his machete. He rapidly drew his blade, before just barely dodging as Campbell lunged and attempted to gut him. The ripper tore at Boone's machete, but failed to damage the blade, and Boone kicked Campbell away, before slicing at his throat. Not about to take Boone on in a close quarters knife fight, Campbell backed away, avoiding several strikes as Boone repeatedly attempted to cut him. He reached for his stealth boy, only for Boone to kick his hand away. The merc hissed as his hand was injured, while Boone tried to stab him in the throat. Campbell barely managed to block the stab, but Boone swiftly followed it up with a sweep kick, knocking the merc to the floor. The second he landed, he flicked his stealth boy. Boone stabbed downwards, but Campbell vanished, and his blade failed to find flesh.

The sniper swore under his breath…until he realised he could still hear Campbell's ripper. The merc seemed not to realise this, as he didn't turn the device off as he ran away, allowing Boone to follow. _You are NOT getting away! _He thought in a tone angrier than any he'd ever used when speaking, as he focused entirely on finding the merc and gutting him. He followed the noise to the middle of the loading area…only to find the ripper lying on the floor, still active. None of this made sense. Firstly, Campbell would never be stupid enough to leave his ripper on when invisible, and secondly, he'd never just abandon a weapon like this. These facts could only mean one thing. _It's a trap. _Boone thought, as his highly honed First Recon senses detected an ambush. Sure enough, he heard the sound of an engine starting up, and towards it to see a forklift charging towards him, with Campbell at the wheel.

He was grinning like a maniac as he drove towards Boone, all ready to skewer him with the forklift's blades. The sniper had a machete, while the merc had a forklift, and the psychosis necessary to use it as a weapon. Despite his superior skill, Boone knew he was outgunned. Still, he holstered his machete and stood his ground as the maniac drove towards him. At the very last second, he dodged to the side, before jumping onto the vehicle as it passed. Campbell could only watch as Boone hung on to the roof of the forklift with both hands, and kicked him in the face. Utterly enraged, Campbell released one hand from the steering wheel and punched Boone in the balls. The sniper let out a pained grunt, but he still held on. Fed up of this, Campbell hit the brakes. With surprising skill, he spun the forklift around, not only performing a perfect U-turn, but forcing Boone to lose his grip. The merc fell off the forklift, and because of the vehicle's momentum, he went flying into a pile of crates, knocking them all to the floor.

Despite the impact, he was soon on his feet, which was good as Campbell was charging again. Just as the sniper began to worry how he was going to handle this, he remembered that his machete wasn't his only weapon. As the forklift neared, Boone ripped two frag grenades from his belt. Behind the steering wheel, Campbell's eyes widened as Boone ripped one of the grenade's pins off with his teeth and threw it. The merc immediately turned the wheel, causing the forklift to swerve to the side. The grenade exploded a few seconds later, while Boone ripped the pin off his other grenade and threw it, before grabbing two more grenades and doing the same thing. Campbell swerved repeatedly as Boone threw a multitude of grenades at him, until one of the detonations damaged one of his tires. He immediately lost control, and Boone moved to a safe distance as he crashed into a nearby wall.

He fell out of the forklift moments later, blood running from a deep cut on his head, and Boone walked closer. He drew his machete again, while Campbell stood up, a fearful expression on his face. He literally had his back against the wall, he was injured, and he'd lost most of his guns. There was no way out. He tried to flick his stealth boy, but it was no longer on his belt, likely having flown off during the crash. He swore, until a twinkle appeared in his eye. His fearful expression turned into a hate filled sneer, and he promptly pulled out a 12.7mm SMG, the same powerful gun that he'd used against Layla in their first battle.

Boone moved almost instantly, crouching and using the forklift to block Campbell's shots as the merc fired madly with his oversized submachine gun. He followed so he could get Boone into his sight, only for the sniper to lunge at him. Boone slashed with his machete, but Campbell parried the blow with his SMG, before swinging the hefty gun at his head. The sniper swerved under it however, before clenching his free hand into a fist and introducing it to Campbell's gut. A pained expression appeared on the merc's face, right before Boone struck said face with the hilt of his machete. Campbell went down, dropping his SMG in the process, and Boone promptly kicked the gun across the room, before grabbing the merc by his collar. He pulled Campbell up, before preparing to stab him in the face. Campbell put a stop to this however by suddenly drawing a knife from inside the right sleeve of his trenchcoat and slashing Boone's face with it.

The sniper recoiled as a bloody cut was added to the left side of his face, while Campbell promptly followed the attack up by stabbing Boone in his unprotected shoulder. The sniper hissed in pain, before kicking Campbell away. He took a second to remove the knife from his shoulder, only for Campbell to draw a second knife, this one from his left sleeve, and rush him again. Boone pulled the knife free, before throwing it away and using his machete to block as Campbell tried to stab him again. He struck the merc with the back of his hand, before knocking him to the floor with a spinning roundhouse kick. Campbell slowly got up, only for Boone to run over and kick his stomach, then pull him to his feet and push him towards the wall. Campbell collided face first with the wall, while Boone charged and prepared to stab him in the back. He moved before the attack could hit however, prompting Boone to stab the wall, while Campbell drew The Twins again. Boone suddenly spun to face him however, knocking the guns away with a single kick, before delivering a strong punch to Campbell's face. The merc was faster than he looked however, and he weaved away from the attack, before smoothly removing his trenchcoat. Boone turned towards him, just in time to have the coat thrown over his head.

While the sniper was blinded, Campbell went to town on him. He moved around to his rear, then punched him in the back of the head. He continued to punch Boone over and over again in a violent frenzy, before grabbing him by the back of the neck and slamming him face first into the wall. Boone kicked him away however, before throwing the coat off and charging the now completely unarmed Campbell. One of the lenses on his sunglasses was broken, but that didn't slow him down, and he delivered a barrage of punches, striking his opponent in the face over and over again. He finished the combo by jumping and kicking the merc in the face, knocking him to the floor.

Campbell landed painfully, but despite the beating, he still got up. Enraged, Boone tried to kick him again. This time however, Campbell dodged to the side, before punching Boone in the side of the head. The sniper stumbled, before running forwards and trying to punch Campbell again. Once again however, the merc dodged, and he continued to dodge as Boone attempted a punching combo. _Why the hell can't I hit him?! _The sniper wondered, growing increasingly flustered as Campbell continued to get the best of him. As his vision started to blur, it became obvious. _The tranquiliser. _Even as he thought this, he started to sway on his feet. Campbell seemed aware of what was going on, and an amused smirk appeared on his face as he grabbed Boone's head, before bringing his knee up under the sniper's chin.

Boone crumpled, dropping to the floor while Campbell folded his arms. He landed face first on the floor, and Campbell stretched for a moment before violently kicking him. Then he kicked him again…and again…and again…and again…and again…and again. Boone curled up into a defensive ball, barely aware of what was going on as Campbell kicked him again and again. After a few seconds, he stopped kicking, and went over to his discarded trenchcoat. Through a great force of will, Boone managed to stagger to his feet, even though his entire body was hurting and he was only seconds away from passing out.

"I must admit, I'm impressed you stayed conscious this long." Campbell taunted, sounding like his voice was coming from miles away as he crouched down and rifled through his trenchcoat. "But I'm afraid this is where your story ends." Boone slowly walked towards him, while Campbell laughed. "Goodbye Boone." With that, he found the gun he'd been looking for: a flare gun. "Now, you're going to burn in Hell…" Campbell continued to gloat as he stood up and readied the gun. "…and I can understand that you probably won't like that very much, but don't worry; because I like you so much, I'm going to get you used to the burning sensation of Hell…**by setting you on fire**." With that, Campbell flashed a sadistic smirk not unlike Layla's, before firing the flare gun.

Thinking fast, Boone charged forwards, before performing a forwards roll. He rolled right under the inaccurate flaming projectile, before springing to his feet and kicking Campbell in the face. The sudden blow knocked the merc right to the floor, and he rolled backwards a bit before landing on his rear. While he tried to stop his head from spinning, Boone slid into a crouch next to Campbell's trenchcoat, and rooted around in it. After a few seconds, he found what he was looking for.

"Oh go ahead Boone, shoot me." Campbell remarked cockily. "In your state I doubt you can fucking see me. Why don't you just give up and let the tranq do its work? You can't fight effectively like this anyway."

"You're right…I can't." Boone said without emotion as Campbell confidently strode towards him. "I can however, even the playing field." Campbell stopped.

"What?" For the first time since Campbell had known him, Boone smirked…before pulling Campbell's tranquiliser pistol out of the trenchcoat. The merc's eyes widened, just as Boone shot him. The dart stabbed into his chest, and immediately Campbell's entire world started getting fuzzy and spinning around at the same time. "How…the hell…do you function…like this?!" He asked loudly, unable to believe that Boone had fought him for so long while under the effects of…this. He had no idea what was going on, his vision was blurry as fuck, and he could barely stand, meaning he had no chance of dodging as Boone got up, slowly walked towards him, focused all of his strength, and gave Campbell the most powerful punch her could possibly deliver. The merc immediately slumped to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth and completely devoid of consciousness. The sniper looked down at his fallen opponent for a moment, a victorious grin on his face, before the effects of the tranquiliser finally got the better of him, and he too slumped to the floor.

***Layla – Approximately ten seconds before the door is open***

Layla was bleeding. The area around her mouth was stained with blood, she had a nasty looking bruise on her forehead from where she'd been pistol whipped, she was as tired as she'd ever been…and she had no **FUCKING **idea where her sword was. Still, she was alive, and seeing as she'd been fighting hordes of veteran rangers for two minutes, that was certainly something.

While Layla struggled to match a ranger in hand to hand combat, Veronica was holding her own in a similar situation a few feet away, Arcade was trying to shoot a ranger that had made it past the second barricade, and Judah…he was busy being a badass. Once again, Layla and Veronica were being shown up by a Remnant, as Judah fought not one, not two, but **five **NCR veteran rangers in close combat…**at the same time**. Layla had known he was good…but **goddamn**.

"Henry!" Judah called as he floored a ranger with an expertly placed kick. "What's the status on the door?!"

"A few seconds!" Henry called back. Judah ducked under a ranger's punch, flipped the man over his shoulder, swiped his Sequoia, used it to shoot a third ranger right through the eyepiece, then used it to shoot the ranger bothering Arcade in the leg. The man went down, and Arcade promptly disintegrated him, before waving to Judah in thanks. The old man waved back, before grabbing a veteran by the hand, tripping him, breaking his hand, then releasing him to kick a fifth, charging ranger in the balls. The man went down, and Judah took a moment to relax after beating five veteran rangers, the toughest sons of bitches in the Mojave, in a row.

_Must…not…admire him. _Layla thought as she barely held her own against her own ranger. _Must…not…stare…in…admiration._ Fed up of this, she dug her nails (Which she hadn't clipped in a while) into the ranger's throat, and violently kneed him in the balls repeatedly. Blood poured from his neck, staining her nails as they stabbed him. Once she was sure he wouldn't fight back, she removed his helmet, pushed him face first to the floor, and began to repeatedly stomp on his head. She did this until her leg got tired, her boot was heavily stained with the man's blood, and she lost all feeling in her foot.

"Done!" Henry suddenly cried, causing every eye in the room to focus on him. "The door's open!" He yelled, before getting to his feet to open the door…and having a hole blown right through his torso.

"HENRY!" Arcade screamed, as the doctor collapsed to the floor, all life having left his body. The rifle wielding ranger who had done the deed looked quite smug…until Layla found her sword and beheaded him in a mad fury.

"HE WAS THE ONLY REMNANT I ACTUALLY LIKED YOU FUCKING PRICK!" Layla roared, before continuing to slice madly as more veteran rangers rushed her. She managed to slash the throats of two more, before she found herself overwhelmed. Rangers surrounded her violently punching and kicking until she found herself on the floor, devoid of sword. The rangers surrounded her, only to step back with what she realised was actual **nervousness**, as Judah Kreger stepped forward.

"You've killed most of my team." He remarked with surprising calmness as he took off his gloves, and dropped them to the floor. "I am normally a calm man. Now, I will cease being calm, and you will reap the consequences." With that, he charged forwards…and Layla lost track of what was going on. She didn't know if it was because she was midway through blacking out and was flickering in and out of consciousness, or if he was really that fast, but before she knew it, Judah was surrounded by veteran ranger corpses…and he didn't have a scratch on him. He turned to her and smiled, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"You okay?" Veronica asked both of them as she ran over, gloves covered with blood and brains.

"We're fine." Judah answered, as he helped Layla to her feet. "Now then…why don't we get out of…" Before he could finish his sentence, a grenade landed at his feet. He barely had enough time to push the girls to safety before the explosive device went off.

"JUDAH!" Arcade howled as his mentor was swallowed up in a fiery explosion. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of him, and since he was no longer standing there, it was possible to see the man who had killed him, standing in the doorway.

"Hello Layla." Boone greeted her as he threw a non-moving Campbell into the room.

"CAMPBELL!" Veronica cried as she ran over to the merc, while a large group of NCR soldiers and rangers swarmed in behind Boone, surrounding Layla and co. Arcade considered fighting, but as he looked around the room and saw his dead family, all the will to fight left him…especially when a soldier came in and deposited Daisy Whitman's corpse on the floor.

"Daisy…" Arcade said quietly, tears running down his face as he realised the last of his family was dead.

"Boone…you fucking bastard." Layla growled, reaching to pick up her sword. A ranger behind Boone suddenly fired his Sequoia, and Layla cried out as a bullet thudded into her left soldier.

"No more fighting Layla." Boone said coldly as his men and women moved in. "No more bloodshed." Veronica, Layla and Arcade stood together, utterly surrounded by opposition. "You've lost."

_**Wow…I can't believe this…I'm going to have to do it again. Yup, this finale is even longer than I thought it would be, so I'm going to have to split it EVEN FURTHER. The finale to the finale will be coming tomorrow, so be ready. What? WHAT?! This chapter is already 24,411 words! Are you saying you want more?! You want a chapter that's over 30,000 words?! That's crazy, even for me! Look, I know it's dickish for me to ask you to be patient, considering how long this whole bloody thing has taken, but still…PLEASE be patient. Just one more day now till this fucking monster of a finale is done.**_

_**Anyway…epic Campbell VS Boone battle! Oh yeah. I've been waiting to write that fight for ages, it's a battle I've been fucking salivating over, a fight that, for me personally, is the highpoint of this entire finale. Well…you know…apart from what's coming up in the next chapter. Hehehe. **_

_**Still, what did you people think about the fight? Not just the boss fight, but every fight in this chapter? Campbell holding his own against thirty plus men? Moreno killing a massive group of guys with a plasma caster? Judah beating up excessive amounts of highly skilled, elite veteran rangers even though he's over 70 years old? SO…MUCH…BADASSERY. I told you this would be the 'Violence' part of the finale didn't I? I tried not to make it as repetitive as some of my other violence centric chapters. Did I succeed? No? Oh what do I care? I love violence, so writing this shit is a reward in of itself. BLOOD…VIOLENCE…DEATH. HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA! (Clears throat.) Sorry.**_

_**Oh also, the Remnants are dead. If you liked them, sorry…but you can't deny that they went out in a blaze of glory…apart from Johnson and Henry I guess. Also, I was creative enough to kill all the Remnants in different ways. Johnson: Head blown off. Moreno: Bullet to the head. Whitman: A method that I haven't revealed yet but is different from the others. Henry: Bullet through torso. Kreger: Blown to shit. At least I didn't make the tragic character deaths boring, right?**_


	56. The Chips are Down

_**No…puns…left. UGH.**_

The Chips are Down

The battle was lost. The four Remnants were dead, Campbell wasn't moving, they were surrounded on all sides by NCR soldiers, and their fates rested in the hands of Craig Boone, Layla's second greatest enemy behind General Oliver. On the rating scale she had devised to judge how bad a situation was…this situation broke the scale.

"Is Campbell okay?" She whispered to Veronica as Boone took a moment to contact General Oliver on his NCR radio.

"Well…he's breathing." The former scribe replied, smiling wanly. "But he's a mess. If I had to guess what had caused these injuries…I'd say he broke the 'Don't Fight Boone' rule." Layla shook her head, before looking at Campbell. _You courageous dumbass. _She thought sadly, before turning around to look at Arcade, who was currently looking at Whitman's corpse. The old woman's eyes were opened in an expression of shock, and her throat had been violently slit, covering her neck with blood.

"How are you holding up?" Layla asked him, and he glared bitterly at her.

"The people I thought of as my family are dead, butchered before my eyes. How the hell do you think I'm holding up?" Sensing that this was a touchy subject, Layla decided to leave him be, instead looking around the room and trying to think of a way out. She and the others were still armed, but they were completely and utterly surrounded by soldiers and veteran rangers, and Boone was nearby. She hated to admit it, but there seemed to be no way out.

"General? This is Craig Boone speaking." Boone said to his radio in a formal tone. Once he realised Layla was listening, he walked over to the door to speak in private. Despite the distance, she could still just barely make out what he was saying, though since she couldn't hear Oliver, it made little sense. "Operation Witch Hunt was a complete success sir. The Enclave Remnants are all dead, Campbell is out of action, and we have the Witch and her allies in custody. Now awaiting further instructions." He went silent as Oliver replied…and his expression slowly changed. Bizarrely, his emotionless veneer cracked…and a look of genuine shock appeared on his face. "Sir…you can't be serious." He paused again to let Oliver speak, before replying angrily. "This is ridiculous! He's already betrayed us once, why…" Oliver cut him off again, and Boone listened for about ten seconds before speaking. "But…" Oliver spoke again. "Sir…" Once again he was cut off, listening for a minute straight. He paused for a while after that, before a frustrated sigh left his lips. "Yes sir." He said begrudgingly, before putting the radio away and walking over to where Layla and co were sat.

"Trouble in paradise?" Layla said smugly. The sniper ignored her, instead giving an order to one of the nearby rangers.

"Wake the mercenary up." He said curtly, and the ranger opened, before kicking the downed Campbell. A pained noise escaped his lips as the merc suddenly regained consciousness.

"Ow!" He said, sleepily, though he rapidly woke up as he realised the situation. "Huh…I guess I lost then?" He asked perfectly calmly. Boone didn't respond, and it was at this moment that Layla noticed one of the lenses on his sunglasses was broken. Campbell must've put up more of a fight than she'd thought.

"Get up." The sniper barked. Campbell looked like he was about to use a witty retort…until over a dozen Ranger Sequoias were pointed at his head. Left with no choice, he shrugged, before shakily getting to his feet. He nearly toppled over, but Veronica quickly got up and helped steady him. "Bring him here." A ranger pushed Veronica back to the floor, before grabbing Campbell. A feral expression appeared on her face, and she looked like she was about to throw a punch, when Sequoias were pointed at her from every angle. Arcade struggled to hold her back, while the ranger that had grabbed Campbell all but dragged him over to Boone. While this was going on, Layla just sat there in silence, thinking. _This doesn't make any sense. _She thought, confused by this turn of events. _I'm the target here, so why's he so interested in Campbell? And what did Oliver say that pissed him off so much?_

"So Boone, I've got to ask…what's with all the attention?" Campbell asked casually, while Boone just glared at him.

"Flip your coin." He growled, surprising everyone in the room.

"Oh Boone, I never knew you were so interested in my coin tricks." Campbell said jokingly, while Boone snarled at him.

"Just do it."

"Might I ask why?"

"You have a choice to make." Campbell seemed genuinely intrigued now.

"And what choice is that?"

"What side you're on." The shock could be felt throughout the entire room, though of all his friends, Campbell was the only one to maintain a straight face.

"Why should my allegiance matter to you? Don't you want to just kill me?" He asked, sounding genuinely serious for the first time in this conversation.

"My orders have changed." Boone explained, obviously not very pleased about it by the sound of things. "By order of General Oliver, you are to rejoin the NCR." Layla's, Veronica's and Arcade's jaws all dropped simultaneously, while Campbell surprised everyone by laughing.

"You can't be serious." His amused expression turned much, much darker. "These people are my friends, and I will **not **abandon them. Nothing you can do to me will make me rejoin the NCR."

"Oh, I know that." Boone said coldly, before ripping a Ranger Sequoia from the hand of a nearby ranger, and pointing it at Layla's head.

"Don't." Campbell said in a low, threatening tone, but Boone ignored him.

"I have my orders Campbell. I have to make you rejoin the NCR, and since nothing I can do to **you** will make you change sides…I have no choice but to do things to your friends instead.

"Leave them out of this."

"Why?" Boone's grip tightened on the revolver, as he focused his gaze on Layla. "She's the most dangerous woman in the Mojave. Do you have even the slightest idea how many families who've lost loved ones, how many children who have had their parents slaughtered, how many couples who've lost their fiancé, how many grieving parents who've lost a child, how many people who've known someone in the NCR who was killed by this **witch**…how many would thank me if I pulled the trigger right now? I could avenge so many people…good people…men and women who didn't deserve to die to some insane killer with a grudge. I want to do it, you know I do…but you can stop it if you rejoin the NCR." Boone's speech seemed to anger Campbell immensely, as he pushed past a nearby Ranger to walk right up to Boone.

"Don't act like you're the good guy in this." He snarled. "How do I know you won't just kill her as soon as I turn? You're working for **Oliver **for fuck's sake. He **will **kill them, I know this for certain. The only thing you'll get from threatening my friends is a swift death." Before Boone could retort, Campbell copied him by snatching a Sequoia from a nearby ranger. The man tried to stop him, but the merc pistol whipped him to the floor before pressing the revolver against the side of Boone's head. Almost immediately, every gun in the room was pointed at him, but he didn't look any less eager to pull the trigger.

"Drop the gun." Boone ordered.

"You first."

"Keep this up, and I'll make you watch as I kill them one by one."

"Do that, and I will **NEVER **join you." An uneasy silence fell over the room, as both men firmly held their guns, both more than willing to pull their respective triggers.

"Shoot him!" Layla shouted. "I'd rather die defiant than live so that you can rejoin these bastards!" Passion filled her voice, but she was swiftly silent as a ranger struck her in the back of the head with his rifle. She fell face first to the floor, and Campbell's eyes widened in fury.

"Stand them up." Boone ordered, and a group of rangers immediately pulled Layla, Veronica and Arcade to their feet. They stood in a straight line, offering Boone a perfect shot with his revolver. While it was obvious what Layla wanted, Veronica and Arcade were completely silent, as though they had no idea what to say in this situation.

"Stop it." Campbell demanded, but Boone ignored him.

"I didn't want to do this." Boone said slowly, before lowering his revolver. Campbell was surprised, and his surprise only increased as Boone turned towards him, so that the revolver the merc was pointing at him was directly touching the broken lens of his sunglasses. Then, he addressed every NCR man and woman in the room. "If I die, the witch and her friends are to be kept **alive**, then transferred to the custody of Colonel Cassandra Moore." The rangers and soldiers around them emitted shocked gasps, and a look of utter horror appeared on Campbell's face, while Layla, Veronica and Arcade just looked confused.

"Who's Cassandra Moore?" Veronica asked Layla, assuming that since she killed so many members of the NCR, she should know who this woman was.

"I have no idea." Layla replied, and both women looked at Arcade.

"Don't look at me." He said, his expression matching the confusion that was on their faces.

"You wouldn't." Campbell said quietly.

"I don't want to." Boone said emotionlessly. "But I will if I have to." Campbell went silent. "You know what will happen if Moore gets a hold of them don't you?" The merc didn't respond. "You and I both know that Moore is an utter psychopath. The things she will do to your friends…they'll be begging for death."

"Don't."

"This is in your hands." As a show of confidence, Boone calmly dropped his revolver, leaving him at Campbell's mercy. "They might die if you switch sides, but if you don't, then not only will they **want **to die, but they'll do so cursing your name." Campbell's anger seemed to fade, and his expression became impossible to read. "You can decide how they die: quickly, or with agonizing slowness. What will it be?" The merc stayed quiet for what seemed like forever. The hand holding the gun began to shake, and he looked so utterly unsure of himself; it was an expression Layla had never seen on him before, and it frightened her. Time passed excruciatingly slowly; seconds quickly became minutes, and the minutes started to pile up as Campbell just stood there quietly. Layla was silently wishing for something, anything to happen, when the merc dropped the revolver. Without a word, he stepped back, and drew his coin.

"Campbell, don't do this!" Layla called over to him. "Whatever this Moore bitch will do to us, we can take it. Don't rejoin them for us!" The mercenary didn't listen, instead closing his eyes, quietly sighing, and flipping the coin. Every eye in the room was focused on the coin as it flew into the air, before dropping down towards Campbell. He caught it with his practiced expertise, before looking at the result.

"Well?" Boone asked. The merc walked close to him, his expression pure stone. He didn't reply, instead pulling his arm back, and punching Boone in the face. Every gun that was pointed at him was simultaneously cocked, as the powerful blow knocked Boone to the floor. Campbell rubbed his hand, apparently haven broken it, while the soldiers and rangers shouted orders at him. They all went silent as Boone got back to his feet. His nose was broken and spewing blood, and the other lens of his sunglasses was broken, but other than that he seemed fine. He threw the ruined sunglasses away, and Campbell finally spoke.

"I'm back with the NCR." He said in an almost robotic tone, before briefly saluting Boone.

"No…" Layla said quietly, as the merc turned back to her. Nothing resembling the man she'd befriended could be seen on his face or in his eyes. He was once again an enemy, the man who destroyed the Brotherhood bunker, the foe she had fought on numerous occasions, the one responsible for her incarceration in Camp McCarran. Even worse, he'd done it all for them.

"Good." Boone said as he rubbed his injured nose.

"What will happen to them?" Campbell asked in a concerned tone.

"Your friends will be incarcerated in Camp McCarran while they await their trial."

"So basically, we wait until Oliver decides what day he'd like to execute us?" Layla asked bitterly, but Boone ignored her.

"What now?" Campbell asked.

"Before we leave, there's just one more thing that needs to be taken care of." Boone said mysteriously, before crouching down to pick up the Sequoia Campbell had dropped.

"And what might that be?"

"A test of your loyalty." Boone said simply, before handing the gun to Campbell. "Take this gun, and kill Layla." Expressions of shock appeared on the faces of Layla, Veronica and Arcade, but none matched the shocked expression on Campbell's face.

"You can't be serious."

"Oh I am." Boone said coldly, before forcing the gun into Campbell's hand. "Kill her." Campbell's look of shock turned to one of rage, and he pushed Boone away.

"YOU BASTARD!" He roared.

"You work for the NCR now." The sniper said smoothly as he dusted himself off. "Obey your orders, or your friends will be handed over to Moore."

"I did this to save them. If you think I'm going to…"

"You don't have a choice." Boone interrupted forcefully. "Kill her, or Moore will."

"Campbell don't do this!" Layla cried, while a conflicted expression appeared on the merc's face. "You don't need to do this to save us!"

"I…" Campbell shook his head, before turning to Layla. "I'm sorry." He said softly, before pointing the Sequoia at Layla's head.

"Stop!"

"I care about you, Veronica and Arcade more than anything else in the world." He said sadly. "If I have to give you a swift, painless death so that you can avoid a much more agonising death…" He rubbed his rapidly dampening eyes with the back of his hand, and his gaze hardened considerably. "…then that's what I'm going to do."

"Campbell…" Layla tried to argue, but no words entered her mind. She was struck dumb, utterly unable to think of a way out of this situation. She looked to Veronica and Arcade for advice, but they seemed to be even more stunned than she was.

"Layla…I want you to know that the time I spent with all of you…it was the best time of my life." His finger neared the trigger. "I…I've never been happier. The three of you are the best friends I've ever had. I'm just so sorry I fucked it all up."

"This isn't your fault." Layla said, but he shook his head.

"No, it is." A thousand thoughts filled his head, and even more regrets. _If I hadn't accepted that damn job for Vulpes, then he wouldn't have killed Whitman, and we might have actually made it out of here. If I hadn't stopped to fight Boone, the soldiers wouldn't have gotten past me and overwhelmed your position. If I'd actually BEATEN him, then he wouldn't be here to force me to do this. If…if I…if I'd just…if I hadn't…_ He shook his head again, this time to clear his thought before they drove him insane. "Layla…Veronica…Arcade…please forgive me." He prepared to pull the trigger, and Veronica finally found her voice.

"CAMPBELL DON'T!" But it was too late, as the gunshot drowned out her words. Layla closed her eyes and waited for the end, for the second and last time a bullet would find her head…but the fateful bullet never came. Confused, she opened her eyes…only to find someone standing in front of her…someone much taller than her. Because of his height, the bullet that would've hit her in the head only managed to hit him in the chest. _Who…wait…no. No. NO. _She thought, unable to speak as she realised who had taken the bullet for her.

"I have no idea why I did that." Arcade Gannon remarked as he fell to the floor, Campbell's bullet causing blood to pour from his chest.

"ARCADE!" Veronica cried, as she knelt down next to the bleeding doctor. Layla just stood there, staring at Campbell, unable to either move or speak. Campbell, to his credit, looked just as shocked as she was. "Arcade, what the hell did you do?!" Veronica asked hysterically as she knelt over the doctor. His shirt was rapidly turning red, and his lab coat would soon follow.

"I…I was saving my friend." He replied weakly. Those words knocked Layla out of her stupor, and she immediately crouched down next to the man who'd been shot.

"Arcade…" She said, unable to believe what was happening. "…you took a bullet for me." Though she was stating the obvious, the doctor smiled back at her.

"I did."

"Why? Dammit why?! That bullet was for me!" Layla yelled, on the verge of tears. "I'd probably just survive it anyway! You…you didn't have to die."

"I was going to die anyway." The doctor said. "If I'm going to die…the I'll die saving my friends, the people I truly care about. You…Veronica…Campbell." A few feet away from them, Campbell looked at the Sequoia, a disgusted expression on his face. _No. _He thought, unable to believe what he had done. _No…not him…not Arcade. _Angry and grief-stricken, he threw the gun away before running over to Arcade. Ignoring the fact that he was no longer aligned with them, he knelt down between Layla and Veronica, and looked into the eyes of the friend he'd shot.

"I'm sorry." He said, not just to Arcade, but the women on either side of him too. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so, so sorry. Arcade, I…I never wanted this to happen. I…I…"

"I know." Arcade said warmly.

"No, this shouldn't have happened. This is my fault, this whole thing is my fault. If I hadn't lost my fight against Boone…if I hadn't been so fucking weak!" He punched the floor next to him and looked off to the side, unable to bear looking Arcade in the eyes.

"It's not your fault."

"It is."

"Campbell…"

"I'm sorry." Through a great force of will, he looked back at Arcade. "Arcade…you're my best friend…I…god, I'm sorry." To his surprise, Arcade started laughing. "Okay…what the hell can you possibly have to laugh about?" The doctor's wan smile only widened.

"I just realised…your curse…" Campbell's eyes widened. "…it got me too." Realisation struck Campbell like a sledgehammer to the face. "Your curse, remember? All your lovers end up dying. I…I guess I fit the criteria."

"Arcade…" _No…I can't lose another person due to this damn curse! _"Arcade, stay with me." He was kneeling in a puddle of blood now.

"Campbell…don't…feel guilty…about this." The doctor's voice was getting quieter now, so Campbell had to lean closer to hear him. "No matter what happened, no matter what you think…this isn't your fault." Unable to take anymore, Campbell got to his feet and walked away, trying desperately to fight the tears that tried to escape. Layla and Veronica had no such luck. "Layla?" The red haired one leaned closer.

"I'm here Arcade." She said quietly, and he smiled.

"I know…I gave you a hard time. I didn't agree with your goal…or your morals…I hated what you were doing…and we likely would have ended up fighting on opposite sides if you continued the path you were on…but still…I wouldn't trade the time we spent together for anything. For the first time…since I split up with the Remnants…I had a family…friends…I…I love you all." Layla wanted to respond, but she completely failed to find the words. Nothing she could think of was suitable for this moment.

"Arcade…" Veronica said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she hugged the dying man. "Don't go…please…I can't lose someone else…" She cried, barely able to speak due to the sobs wracking her. He responded by pulling her hood down, and gently ruffling her hair.

"You two…take care of each other." He said slowly, like it was a great effort to speak. "You…" He stopped, his eyes closing slowly as he went completely still.

Veronica was still bawling her eyes out, so Layla pulled her away from the hug and wrapped her in a firm embrace, while Campbell looked away from the corpse, refusing to look at the best friend that he'd killed.

"You still have a job to do." Boone said coldly, completely failing to sympathise with Campbell's loss. At that moment…the merc snapped.

"How dare you…" He said quietly, before raising his voice as he grabbed Boone by the throat. "HOW DARE YOU!"

"Let go of me."

"YOU SHOT YOUR WIFE IN THE FACE, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SYMPATHISE WHEN A MAN SHOOTS HIS BEST FRIEND?! WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" With that he pushed Boone away, knocking the sniper to the floor. "I don't care who I'm aligned with, I will NEVER obey an order from you AGAIN. If you have any more jobs for me to do, YOU CAN SHOVE THEM UP YOUR FUCKING ASS!" With that last defiant rant, he looked at the distraught Layla and Veronica, while trying not to look at Arcade. _I'm sorry. _He thought, while Boone got to his feet.

"Fine." The sniper said calmly, before picking up the Sequoia he himself had dropped earlier. "I'll do it myself then." Campbell moved to stop him, but a ranger held him back, and Boone walked forward before pointing the revolver down at the grieving Layla. "Goodbye Witch." Still crying, Layla looked at him defiantly, while his finger neared the trigger. Pure, undiluted hatred burned in her eyes, but the sniper hardly cared since said eyes were looking down a gun barrel. He prepared to pull the trigger…when the whole room went white.

***Boone***

_What the hell?! _He thought immediately as his senses were overwhelmed by sound and noise. He was completely blind, and his ears were filled with a loud ringing. _A flashbang. _He realised quickly, as he tried to regain his senses. Even though he was blind, he still knew where Layla was, and he fired every bullet in his revolver in the direction he'd been pointing in before the flashbang. Before long, his vision returned…and he saw that Layla and her female friend were gone. Because of his still ringing ears, he didn't hear the loud expletives he screamed to the heavens, but he assumed it could be heard all the way back in Novac. Once all the men and women under his command recovered, he started giving orders.

"FIND THEM!" The soldiers and rangers spread out, except for two. One ranger was holding Campbell down on the floor, while the other stood over them, Sequoia at the ready if he tried anything.

"We secured Campbell sir." One of the mercs said, pointing out the obvious.

"Let him go." Boone barked irritably.

"Sir?"

"He had no weapons on him when I brought him in here so he couldn't have thrown the flashbang, NOW LET HIM GO AND FIND THE WITCH!" The rangers nodded, and the one who was kneeling on Campbell got to his feet, before the both of them ran off. No sooner had the merc got to his feet than Boone began interrogating him. "Where did they go?"

"How should I know?" Campbell asked bitterly.

"Don't play dumb with me. They had an escape plan, a way out of this bunker in case they lost the battle. What was that plan?" Campbell looked at Boone for a solid ten seconds, before flipping his coin.

"Heads, I tell you; tails, I don't." Boone gritted his teeth in frustration, while Campbell caught the coin without looking.

"Well?" Boone demanded. "What's the result?!" Campbell looked at the coin for a fraction of a second, nowhere near long enough to see the result, before looking Boone right in the eyes.

"Let's say tails." Utterly enraged, Boone barely resisted the urge to punch Campbell in the face, instead walking away, leaving the merc to walk over to the body of the doctor he'd shot, and kneel down next to it. The normally emotionally stable sniper was about to start pulling his non-existant hair out, when somebody shouted from nearby.

"Sir, I've found something!" A soldier said from next to a door on the right wall. Boone ran over to it, and quickly found what the soldier was talking about: the console to open the door had been sliced with a sword, leaving the door impossible to open.

"They went in here!" He called to the other men and women under his command. "Get this door open!"

***Layla***

Running purely on adrenaline, the Red Blade Witch stacked all kinds of items in front of the door, making doubly sure that nobody would be getting to this room any time soon. _Don't think about Arcade, don't think about Arcade, don't think about Arcade, don't think about Arcade. _Her brain demanded, forcing her to block out all the anger and grief so that she could successfully get herself and Veronica out of here. As she worked, she remembered her first thought after her mother died, the words she'd used to snap Veronica after her stupor when she learned the Brotherhood bunker was about to explode. _**No, there'll be time to mourn later.**_Her mind told her, and she nodded, a determined look on her face as she continued blocking the door.

They were in the hangar, complete with a fully fuelled vertibird that was ready to go. There were only two problems: 1) Neither of them knew how to fly a vertibird, and 2) Veronica was practically comatose. She simply sat in the furthest corner of the room, legs curled up so that her knees touched her chin, while looking straight ahead with a thousand yard stare. She'd been utterly unresponsive, even when Layla had dragged her into the hangar after the flashbang had gone off, so the red haired one had just left her there while she made sure they got of this in one piece.

Having finished barricading the door, she tried to think of a way to escape. The hangar was the best way out, but without any idea how to fly a vertibird, it was akin to suicide. Still not quite sure what sort of mental state Veronica was currently in, Layla decided to avoid anything suicidal. On thinking of Veronica, she looked over to the girl, and saw that she was cradling something. It was small, rectangular, and…_Campbell's holotape! _Layla realised, before running over. She sat down next to Veronica, and took the holotape from her. The shell-shocked girl didn't resist at all, and Layla inserted the holotape into her Pip Boy before playing it.

"Hi." Campbell's voice said from Layla's Pip Boy. Veronica seemed to perk up at that slightly, but she still didn't move, speak, or change her expression. "If you're listening to this, then things have obviously gone bad. I'm assuming I'm dead. If that's true, I probably already gave a climactic, dramatic speech before dying, so I'm not going to bore you with another one." Layla looked at the door to the hangar, the door leading to the room where Campbell was, and suddenly felt a whole lot sadder. "Now, the main purpose of this holotape is to give you instructions on how to program the vertibird's autopilot so you can get out of here. I recorded it last night at the Dino motel, because I always plan ahead, and because I was incredibly bored. Yeah…I was surprised that a motel with a giant dinosaur statue could be so boring. Anyway, I'm going to get on with the tutorial now, so listen closely." Layla paused the holotape, before running towards the vertibird. She climbed aboard the craft, before hurriedly making her way into the cockpit. Once she was sat down, she played the holotape again. "Okay, are you in the cockpit?" There was a brief, five second pause. "I'll take that as a yes. Okay, to start with, press the…"

***Campbell***

"Hey buddy." The merc said sadly as he sat next to Arcade's corpse. "How're you feeling?" The corpse didn't reply. "Sorry, that was a stupid question, seeing as…" Images of Arcade's death filled his mind. He remembered the shock he felt as Arcade moved in front of his shot, and he suddenly felt sick. "…well, you know. That's what I wanted to talk to you about actually. I…I know you said that none of this is my fault, and it's nice of you to say that, but let's face it: you were talking bullshit. This whole thing **is **my fault, and…well…I know I said it repeatedly earlier, but I feel the need to repeat myself. Arcade…I'm sorry. I'm so…so…so sorry. I'm sure you can probably guess, but I never wanted any of this to happen. You're the best friend I've ever had, and I…" More memories filled his head. He tried to shake them off. He failed. "I know we didn't know each other long, but the short time we spent together, you, me and the girls…it was the only time in my life where I've ever felt that I belong somewhere, you know? I've been wandering for a long time, but spending time with you, Layla and Veronica…I don't know…I felt like I had a home. Look at us now; I'm joining the NCR, the girls are on the run again, and you…" More memories. He was crying now. "Wherever you are…I just hope you're happy. I hope you're with your Mum and Dad, the Remnants, and that boyfriend you had when you were a teenager, you know the one. Oh, and don't worry about me…hopefully I'll be there soon." With that, he closed his eyes, and with some significant effort, managed to force a smile onto his face. When he opened his eyes, he saw Boone standing over him, and his smile vanished.

"Were you just talking to a corpse?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"Get up and help us get into that room." He ordered, pointing to the door leading to the hangar as he did so, which a number of rangers were currently trying to open. Campbell stayed seated, glaring at the sniper.

"I thought I told you: I'm not following your orders anymore."

"Do as I say."

"Or what, you'll kill me? GO FOR IT. Or were you planning to threaten my friends again? Yeah, good luck with that." Boone looked like he was about to argue, when he got a call on his radio. Without a word, he turned and walked away from Campbell, before answering the call.

"Hello? Oh, General. Yes, we've…what? What do you mean I haven't reported yet? I reported to you a few minutes ago to tell you Operation Witch Hunt was a complete success." Campbell turned to look at Boone, and saw that the sniper had a confused expression on his face. "Sir, I definitely talked to you. You told me to get Campbell to rejoin us." There was a long pause, and Campbell could hear Oliver shouting over the radio, even from this distance. "But I…" More shouting. "The Witch? She…" Even more shouting. "Yes sir…she escaped." Yet more shouting. "I'll deal with it. Alright. Yes sir. Over and out." With that, Boone put his radio away, a flummoxed look on his face. Campbell, meanwhile, looked very amused. "I have to go speak to Colonel Moore." He announced, before addressing the men trying to open the door. "Campbell is not to leave this room, understood? If he tries anything, you have my permission to kill him." The men saluted, and Boone saluted back before leaving the room. Now alone, apart from the men on the other side of the 'plaza' who were far out of earshot, Campbell sat quietly, just looking at the corpse.

"Losing a loved one is the greatest pain a man can suffer through." A voice suddenly said. Campbell spun around, and saw a random NCR soldier standing nearby. "Or so they say." He continued. Campbell was about to tell the man to go away, when he looked at him closely…and recognised the animalistic grin on his face. "Oh but where are my manners?" The stranger said pleasantly. "Private William Fox, at your service sir." Campbell listened to the fake name, and only two words came to mind. _Vulpes Inculta._

"You!" He yelled, before trying to punch the 'private'. The man dodged easily however, and Campbell climbed to his feet before attempting another punch.

"I wouldn't." He said, sounding like the fox he really was once again. "The NCR fools over there have permission to kill you if you try anything. Striking a private counts as 'trying something'." With great difficulty, Campbell managed to calm down, but he still scowled hatefully at the fox. He was wearing an NCR uniform, and had a much more youthful, naïve appearance to him, but there was no mistaking those eyes. This 'Private Fox' was definitely Vulpes Inculta, without a doubt.

"This is all your fault." The merc hissed.

"Is that how you repay me for saving your friends?" Campbell tilted his head in confusion.

"What are you…" He could just about here the penny drop as he realised what the fox was talking about. "The flashbang."

"Indeed." Vulpes' typical cocky tone appeared, causing Campbell to angrily clench his fists. "I was standing behind the mob of rangers that surrounded your friends, and was able to throw the flashbang that aided their escape without being spotted."

"I thought you were going to blow them up?"

"That was a bluff you idiot." He said harshly, as though this fact was blatantly obvious. "I need the Witch alive for my plan. Of course, Craig Boone didn't." Slowly, this whole situation was beginning to make sense.

"You called Boone earlier on his radio, impersonating Oliver in an attempt to have me rejoin the NCR."

"Exactly." The fox replied, but in Oliver's voice. It was an absolutely perfect imitation; Campbell had been blind, he would've assumed he was talking to the general himself. "I've read up on Craig Boone, and I knew he would accept any order from his superior officer, no matter how unorthodox, so I impersonated Oliver, and ordered Boone to recruit you again. It seems he succeeded."

"You bastard!" Campbell lunged again, this time managing to grab the fox's collar. "This is your fault! Arcade's dead because of you!"

"I had nothing to do with it. He was the one who got in the way of the bullet, and you're the one who fired the bullet. I didn't force either of you to do those things." Despite the rage building up inside him, Campbell couldn't help but admit that Vulpes was right. Even if he hadn't been right, the merc still couldn't get away with any serious violence while those rangers were nearby. Vulpes had timed this conversation perfectly.

"…Alright fine." Reluctantly, he released Vulpes. "I'm in the NCR now anyway, so consider me rehired."

"Good."

"Although when this job is over, I will have to kill you. You understand why of course."

"I do." The disguised frumentarius nodded, before turning away from Campbell. "You will receive your next payment in a few days, at which point we will discuss your final task." He started to walk away.

"And what of Layla?" Campbell asked in a concerned tone.

"I told you, I need her for my plan." He replied, still walking away.

"And Veronica?"

"If you do as you are told, then I will have no reason to hunt her down." With that, the desert fox suddenly vanished. _Stealth boy._ Campbell thought immediately, before sitting back down next to Arcade's body.

"I know, I'm a terrible person." He said to the corpse, before noticing something sticking out of its pocket. Acting on curiosity, he pulled the something out…and immediately wished he hadn't. Staring back at him was his own smiling face, in addition to three faces he recognised. He felt a knife stab deep into his heart as he looked at the group photo the four of them had taken that very morning, before everything had gone to hell. The photo was now soaked with blood, and possessed memories so painful, that Campbell felt physically ill just looking at it. Still, he didn't tear his eyes away, instead continuing to look at the photo.

He looked at Layla's face, and remembered that one night on the roof of The Tops, when he told her about his family, and they bonded over the loss of their respective loved ones. _I'm sorry. _He looked at Veronica's face, and remembered an hour ago, where she told him how she considered him a friend. _I'm sorry._ He looked at Arcade's face…and the pain became too much. He tucked the photo back into his trenchcoat, and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. He failed miserably. _Everyone…I'm sorry._

***Layla***

"And that's how you program a vertibird's autopilot." The Campbell recording announced cheerfully. "Now, I have various messages for whoever's listening to this, just in case I am actually dead, so if you're not a specific person, please pass this tape to that specific person…unless they're dead, in which case…shit. If I'm still alive, then please turn off the holotape at this point." There was a brief pause. "If you're still listening, I'll assume I'm dead. Well…that sucks. Still, that means the show can go on. Beginning final messages…now." He cleared his throat, before speaking the first name.

_**Hi ****_all. Now, I don't usually make use of musical_ ****accompaniment, but this is a special case. Since I can't put links on (WHY BLARGH), simply go on Youtube, find the Staff Roll for a game called Klonoa, Door to Phantomile. Now, the choice whether or not to do this is completely yours, but personally, I find playing the music while reading the following messages, helps give the proper feeling when reading this scene. As said previously, it's up to you. Now, on with the finale!**_

"**Arcade**: Hey. I imagine you're taking my death pretty hard. Can't say I blame you. Look, I know losing someone you're madly in love with must be hard, but you're a great guy, and you'll find someone else, I promise you. I imagine all the blood, violence and death is getting to you, but above all, stay positive. This world is shitty, but you're one of the good things in it, and with your skills, you have the potential to make it great. You're the only man in our group now, so be sure to keep an eye on our two crazy gals…unless they're dead, in which case…sorry. Anyway, wherever I am, I'm sure I'm happy. Life was never that great anyway; I'm sure I'll enjoy the afterlife much more. In summary, goodbye, and good luck." Layla could barely hold back tears as she listened to the holotape. _Arcade…_ She thought, before trying to compose herself. She vigorously wiped her eyes with her knuckles, while Campbell spoke again.

"**Veronica**: Hey kiddo. Yeah, okay, you can stop with the party now. I know, you're probably glad that I'm dead. Or…maybe not? I don't know, I never could figure you out. Forget Layla, you're the craziest member of our team. But you know what? I still like you. I understand the bitchiness, really. I know your life has been rough, especially since Layla entered it, and I know you have a lot of pent up anger and frustration, which you release by lashing out at me. I just want you to know, I never took any of the abuse, verbal or otherwise, personally. I know that deep down, you probably care about me…and I certainly care about you. You're like my little sis or something…I'd do anything to protect you. If you ever get lonely, or sad, just remember: I'll always be watching over you. And if you ever need to shout or insult someone, just say some insults, and you can be sure I'll hear them. You need a punching bag, and even if I'm gone, I'll always be happy to be that punching bag, because to be honest…I just wanted to see you smile, and if I absorbed all your sadness and anger, then there was more of a chance of you smiling. Just…please, don't stop smiling, okay? And don't give up on Layla. I know she's crazy, and terrible in the ways of love, but you two really are made for each other. You need to look after her; all you've got now is each other…unless Arcade is still alive, in which case…great! In summary, stay happy, and stay safe." As touching as the message was, Layla decided not to show it to Veronica…yet. In her current state, Layla didn't want to make her any sadder than she already was. _When she's feeling better, then I'll let her listen to it. _She thought, as Campbell said her name.

"**Layla**: Well yeah, of course you'd still be alive. Nothing can kill the Red Blade Witch…not even me. I don't know how you'll feel about my death, but I just want to say: I'm sorry I let you down boss. I know you're counting on me, and if you're listening to this, then I probably fucked up. If that's true, then I'm sorry, because you really are the best person I ever worked for. I believed in your dream you know. I'm not sure about the whole 'Legion taking over' thing, but the NCR are definitely a blight, and I certainly wouldn't shed a tear if they were removed from the Mojave…at gunpoint if necessary. Now, I only ask because you're the best person I could possibly get to do this for me, but if you could kill the guy who killed me, that would be great. Loudly announcing, 'This is for Campbell!' before slashing his head off is optional, but I would greatly appreciate it. All jokes aside though, I do have something important to say. Layla…no matter what happens…no matter who you lose…no matter how many defeats you suffer…no matter how many enemies stand in your way…promise me you'll never, ever give up. You're the strongest, most determined person I've ever met, and I just know that you'll make your dream come true someday. Keep fighting, keep killing, crush the NCR, and make me proud. Oh, and by the way…if I meet your parents up here, I'll let them know just how great you're doing, and tell them what an amazing young woman you turned out to be. In summary: Stay strong, keep fighting, and look out for the others. Oh…and for the love of God, throw Veronica a metaphorical bone already."

Layla removed the holotape, tears now flowing down her cheeks. She didn't bother wiping them away this time, instead pocketing the holotape, and going to get Veronica. The former scribe was still sat there, apparently not having moved since she left.

"Veronica, we have to go." Layla said softly, but the girl didn't move. It was hard to tell whether she was in shock…or if she had just given up all hope. Regardless, Layla wasn't going to leave her to die. She knelt down, before picking the smaller girl up. Once she had her, she than carried her bridal style onto the vertibird, an action Veronica would no doubt have loved if she were in her right state of mind. Once they were aboard, Layla sat the still girl down and buckled her in, before going to the cockpit and activating the autopilot. Almost immediately the bird began to take off, and as if detecting this, the ceiling above them opened up. "Time to get the fuck out of here." She said as she sat down across from Veronica, and the craft flew into the air. It rose higher and higher off the floor, until if flew through the entrance in the ceiling. It rose up a high shaft, eventually emerging through an opening at the top.

Anybody watching got a surprising sight, as an Enclave vertibird suddenly flew out of the top of a mountain. It hovered there for a few seconds, allowing Layla to buckle up. She was only midway through this process before the autopilot kicked the engines into overdrive, causing the craft to fly towards the coordinates she had entered as fast as possible. Ignoring the usual unpleasantness of flying, she leaned forward, and locked Veronica's hands with her own.

"We're out." She said softly. "We made it. You and me…together as always." She sounded happier than she actually was, but she desperately wanted to cheer Veronica up. The girl didn't respond, and Layla's expression turned downcast…until she noticed a small smile on Veronica's face. "You okay?"

"No." Veronica whispered, smiling wanly.

"You will be, I promise." She unbuckled her seatbelt, and moved to the seat next to Veronica before hugging the girl tightly. "It'll be okay."

_**The fellowship is no more.**_

_**For the easily confused, Vulpes just acted like a manipulative bastard, playing Boone like a fiddle to make Campbell work for the NCR again, which means he's at least partly responsible for Arcade's death and the destruction of the fellowship. Does the fact that he saved Layla and Veronica make up for that? I'm inclined to say NO.**_

_**I believe this was what those in the troping community call a WHAM EPISODE. Shocking things have happened, allegiances have changed, deaths have occurred, including the death of a major character, and the status quo has been forever altered. Layla and Veronica's lives will NEVER be the same again. Arcade's dead, Campbell's stuck working for an organization he hates, Veronica is traumatised, and Layla is as angry as she's ever been. How's that for a climax?**_

_**Speaking of the climax, can you believe those three chapters were all supposed to be one chapter? Like…seriously…that would be about 49,000 words. How long would that take to read? I mean, I usually write long chapters…but CHRIST.**_

_**On a random note, _**I'm never going to write another pun title ever again for as long as I live. Seriously…why they so hard? Speaking of puns, have you figured out why the previous chapter was called '52 Card Pickup'? It's because I SUCK AT CARD PUNS, but mostly because everything has fallen apart, (Like when the cards fall on the floor in 52 Card Pickup), and Layla and Veronica now have to PICK UP the shattered remains of their lives. Wow…I actually hit the nail on the head with that one.**_**_

_**So…the finale is done. THANK…FUCKING…GOD. You cannot even begin to imagine how happy I am to finish this damn thing. My blood, sweat, tears, and other bodily fluids (Hehehe) have gone into this chapter. It required more inspiration than anything I've written before, so a big thanks to that flighty minx inspiration for focusing long enough to help me write this thing, after waiting FOUR FUCKING MONTHS. Sorry…I'm still ashamed it took so long.**_

_**Anyway, the update speed should return to normal now, and by normal I mean bad, but nowhere near as bad as FOUR FUCKING MONTHS. I already know what's happening in the next chapter, so with any luck it shouldn't take so long. Chapter 58 is going to be a big one, but nowhere near as big as this, so there shouldn't be any FOUR FUCKING MONTH wait for a while.**_

_**In conclusion, I hope you all enjoyed this finale, and more importantly, I hope you'll forgive me for taking FOUR FUCKING MONTHS to finish it. Was the wait worth it? Was it not? Did the events of the chapter shock you? Was this three part finale…GOOD? Do you want to kill me? Please let me know by reviewing. No seriously, I'm not saying this jokingly, I honestly and seriously want most everyone who reads this chapter to review it. Even if you have nothing good to say, I don't care. With the amount of time, effort, and bodily fluids that have gone into this three part finale, I NEED to know if it's good or not. Please. Thank you in advance, and thanks for sticking with me…even through FOUR FUCKING MONTHS.**_

_**:)**_


	57. New Beginnings

_**Welcome to the first chapter of the next story arc! We're nearing the endgame now ladies and gents, meaning this is probably the last story arc. Aw...come on...please don't cry. We've had some good times, but all good things have to come to an end. And besides, it's not like there's only two or three more chapters left or something. We've got a fair few things that need to happen, and those things will take up at least 10 chapters, so this story isn't quite over yet.**_

_**Anyway, Layla has lost her fellowship, and the status quo has been forever altered. When things change so completely, what else can you do but...begin again?**_

New Beginnings

All was peaceful outside the Old Mormon Fort. The sky was red, as the early morning sun was just beginning to rise into the heavens. Most of the doctors inside the fort were fast asleep, though a good number of the guards were still awake, and ready to protect the place if necessary. Julie Farkas, leader of the Followers of the Apocalypse's New Vegas branch, was also still awake, though only with the aid of near lethal amounts of caffeine.

As the woman in charge, she always had a lot of paperwork to do, and had formed a caffeine addiction out of necessity in order to help her stay up all night to complete it. What with treating patients, advising those under command, and dealing with administrative duties (Such as telling random merchants that NO, the Followers were not selling their medical supplies, and those looking to buy some should look ELSEWHERE) all day, and filling out paperwork all night, she barely got any time to herself these days, and she certainly got no sleep. She couldn't actually remember the last time she'd slept, but it seemed to be a lifetime ago. Having finished her paperwork early the night before (Admittedly, she'd burned the last few papers to save time…sleep deprivation made her do crazy things like that), she was wondering whether or not she'd be able to sneak away for an hour's sleep…until one of the Followers guards came up to her.

"Ma'am…we have a problem." He said simply…but with a noticeably terrified look on his face. Before Julie could ask him about the nature of their problem, he lit up like a pre-war Christmas tree. His body was covered with glowing red dots, and Julie had seen enough violence in her life to recognise them as laser dots…the kind some NCR snipers used on their rifles.

"I see your point." She remarked with calmness that surprised even her, before the large doors in front of the fort burst open. An unfamiliar woman walked in, accompanied by an entourage of men and women who were all wearing the same…**familiar**…uniform. "The NCR is here." She informed the noticeably terrified guard in front of her, though saying it now seemed to be stating the obvious. Though confused thoughts were running through her head, Julie shook them off, and focused. "Get all our non-combatants inside. Quickly." The guard nodded, before running off. As he gathered up doctors, scientists and patients, the laser dots focused on Julie as the woman with the entourage approached. She waved her hand, and the dots disappeared from the doctor, while the woman stopped to stand in front of her. _What's going on here? _She mentally wondered as the woman stared her down. _What could the NCR possibly want with us? Judging by their activities since General Oliver took over…this probably isn't going to be a social visit…or a pleasant one._

"Can I assume you're in charge around here?" The woman asked with grace and civility that Julie had no doubt were utterly fake. The woman stared quizzically at her mohawk for a moment, before Julie clapped to get her attention.

"Doctor Julie Farkas, at your service, miss…" She greeted the woman courteously, before pausing to allow her guest to fill in her name.

"Moore. Colonel Cassandra Moore." The name rang a bell…a very unpleasant bell. _Wait…is this the Moore who…_Julie looked into her eyes…and recognised the eyes of a killer. _Oh yeah, it's her. _Moore narrowed her eyes. _Shit._

"And what can the Followers of the Apocalypse do for you today Miss Moore?" Julie asked, dreading the answer even as she asked the question.

"By the order of General Oliver, you and your entire organization are wanted for questioning. We are to escort you to Hoover Dam, where the questioning will take place." Julie saw a malicious glint in Moore's eye…and she subconsciously shivered. _I really need a cup of coffee. _She thought as she backed away slightly.

"I'm afraid the Followers are very busy Miss Moore; we can't all simply drop what we're doing to head to Hoover Dam. We have patients, and experiments, and…" To her surprise, Moore smiled.

"So, you're choosing to resist arrest?" _What? _Julie thought, not quite sure what was going on. Moore made things infinitely more clear as she swiped a shotgun from the hands of a nearby soldier and addressing her troops. "You heard her, the Followers of the Apocalypse refuse to surrender to the NCR. Begin Operation Stain Removal." Before Julie could ask what the hell Operation Stain Removal was, Colonel Moore cocked the shotgun she was holding, and shot the leader of the Followers in the face.

**Hours Ago**

"So they got away?" General Lee Oliver asked, sounding uncharacteristically calm.

"Yes sir." Colonel Cassandra Moore confirmed, sounding uncharacteristically nervous. The two of them were in Oliver's office in Hoover Dam. This was one of those rare occasions when Boone wasn't present for one of their meetings, since he'd been tasked with keeping an eye on Campbell. It had been three days since Operation Witch Hunt, and Oliver still hadn't spoken to the merc yet, though he **was **keeping him under close surveillance. "In all fairness sir, it was entirely Craig Boone's fault."

"I'm sure it was." The general said unconvincingly. "So…Operation Witch Hunt was a failure?" He said bluntly, worrying Moore slightly. She was his favourite, but she feared his temper like anyone else.

"I wouldn't say that sir. We managed to secure the bunker, and there's enough tech and equipment in there to give us a massive advantage against the Legion." Despite this positive news, Oliver's expression didn't brighten.

"And what of the Enclave?"

"The Remnants were all killed sir, including the doctor aligned with Layla and her team."

"Ah yes…'Arcade Gannon'." Oliver said musingly, sitting down and joining his hands in a pyramid shape on the desk. "The…Followers of the Apocalypse doctor…right?"

"Right." A thoughtful look appeared on Oliver's face.

"What I am going to say is extremely confidential. If it leaves this room, I will see you hang. Do you understand Cassandra?" Moore wasn't shocked by this; General Oliver usually gave out death threats. It was widely expected to receive at least three a day if you worked on the dam.

"I understand sir."

"Good." He got to his feet, before walking over to the wall where he'd hung Layla's sword weeks ago, before someone had stolen it. How things changed. "Have we confirmed that Gannon was affiliated with the Enclave?"

"We have sir. Boone eavesdropped on a few of the doctor's conversations with Layla and her cohorts, and he mentioned having grown up in the Enclave. He also fled after its destruction along with the other Remnants."

"I see." Oliver turned back to Moore, hands clasped behind his back. "Do you think he was the only one?" Moore titled her head to the side in confusion.

"I'm sorry sir?"

"Do you think Gannon was the only Follower affiliated with the Enclave?" Moore hadn't been expecting that question, and she struggled to answer it in a way that wouldn't piss of the general.

"Well…I…I hadn't really thought about it sir."

"Just imagine it Cassandra: more Enclave scum, hiding within the Followers of the Apocalypse. For all we know, they're all Enclave. Every one of them."

"Sir…"

"This is a problem Cassandra. It has to be dealt with." Moore was usually plenty willing to kill a few poor fools…but what Oliver was suggesting sounded immensely unwise, even to her.

"General, with all due respect, what you're saying is merely conjecture. We have no idea if there are any more Enclave personnel in the Mojave." To her surprise, the general didn't shout at her.

"You're right, of course." He said, still sounding surprisingly calm. "But how long did the other Remnants hide in this very desert, without being detected by us? Almost two decades. If there are more Enclave agents in our midst…we won't find them. Our best chance is to pick the most likely location for their agents…and cleanse it."

"'Cleanse' sir?"

"You know exactly what I mean Cassandra." He said, a sinister smile appearing on his face. "You've done some cleansing before."

"I know, but…"

"I'm well aware that I could be wrong about this Cassandra, but be honest: do you honestly think we can afford to take that chance?" There was a long pause, at the end of which, Moore sighed.

"No sir…I don't."

"Then you can lead the cleansing." Her eyes widened at that.

"Why not Boone?"

"He has too much morality; it gets in the way. You have no such weakness."

"Well…if you think I can handle it…"

"I do." He walked around the table, before clamping a hand onto her shoulder. "Do the job…and do it well." A dark, sadistic smile appeared on Cassandra Moore's face.

"Yes sir."

**The Present**

"Operation Stain Removal is over sir. No survivors." Moore spoke into her NCR radio, sounding disturbingly cheerful considering the desolation that surrounded her. The Followers of the Apocalypse hadn't stood a chance. _God I love my job. _Moore thought giddily as she looked down at Julie Farkas' corpse. The dead woman was missing a good chunk of her head, though enough of her face remained for her to be sporting a very shocked expression. Moore stomped on it with her heavy combat boot, and suddenly there was no face left at all.

"Excellent work Cassandra." Oliver replied, sounding quite pleased that an operation had gone well for once. "Leave your troops there to mop up, and return here immediately. I have more work for you."

"Yes sir." Moore replied, before turning off her radio and putting it away. She still had the shotgun she'd swiped from a soldier earlier, and she held it over one shoulder as she surveyed the carnage she had wrought.

It had barely taken five minutes. The Followers hadn't even had enough time to get their non-combatants inside. Doctors, scientists, and even patients were swiftly cut down by the snipers Moore had placed on the surrounding rooftops. Her entourage had stepped into the fort's interior and quickly swept through, ending the lives of anyone they found. A few had tried to attack Moore, but her shotgun had made short work of them. One of them had been a screamer, howling loudly as she blew off his kneecaps and choked him to death by standing on his throat. He'd been her favourite to kill. The Followers guards had tried to fight back of course, but they were, in Moore's own words, 'Fucking pathetic'. Though Moore had been alone in the courtyard, the snipers watching over her meant none of the guards had even gotten close to harming her. One had begged for his life. She'd made him swallow a live frag grenade. She still had some of his blood on her uniform.

Currently, the courtyard was filled with corpses and blood, and her soldiers were gathering up the bodies to throw into a large fire they'd constructed in the middle of the yard using the tents and flammable materials from the labs. As they threw another corpse on the fire, Moore got out a cigarette and walked up to it. She basked in the pleasant warmth of the flames for a moment, before using the fire to light her cigarette.

As she put the cancer stick to her lips, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. _Oh good, the game continues. _She thought excitedly, before giving chase. She followed the moving form into one of the fort's towers, and found herself in a small storage room. Wooden crates and dusty lab equipment filled the room, and Moore readied her shotgun as she looked for the runner. It didn't take her long, as she heard pathetic whimpering coming from ahead. She pushed aside one of the crates, and found her target crouched down behind it, a terrified look on her young face.

She was only a kid, barely older than 8 by the looks of it. She wore a hospital gown stained with blood (Probably not her own, maybe the blood on the corpse she'd been hiding under), and nothing on her feet, which she was suffering for as she seemed to have stepped on some broken glass. She had chocolate brown hair tied in a pair of adorable pig tails, and a pair of big brown eyes which were currently crying. She got to her feet and scampered away from the sadist walking towards her, but quickly ran out of room to move. She found herself trapped in a corner, as the woman with the shotgun walked closer and closer.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Moore lied. The kid didn't look convinced, until the woman held out a hand to her. "Take my hand, and I'll take you to a place where no-one can hurt you." Slowly, nervously, the little girl took the offered hand, and Moore pressed the shotgun against her face. The gunshot startled a flock of crows gathered on the roof of the building, causing them to hurriedly fly away. As they flew, one crow looked down and saw a human throw a much smaller human onto a fire, but it picked up the pace and flew much higher before it could see more.

***Layla – Several Hours Later***

Layla's thoughts were a sea of worries as she walked up the familiar hill to the Legion stronghold. Her injuries from Operation Witch Hunt weren't that's severe, and she was already ready for battle again. The only signs that she'd been in a life threatening situation recently (Apart from the fact that she was almost always in a life threatening situation), was the nasty bruise on her forehead that she'd got from being pistol whipped, and the recon armour she wore, which was stained with the obscene amount of NCR blood she'd spilled in the battle. She hadn't had a chance to clean the armour yet, so it was almost completely covered with blotches of dark red. She'd also been shot in the left shoulder during that battle, but she'd been shot many, many times in her life, and after removing the bullet that night after getting to safety, she'd been able to easily ignore any residual pain the injury caused.

As Layla took in her surroundings, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. Even now, this place repulsed her; it regularly smelt of death and blood, which normally wouldn't bother her, but coming from this place it served only to unnerve her; all around her she was greeted by sights of Legion bastards working slaves to death, or assaulting women and children; the main sounds to be heard were crying and the screams of Legion slaves, and she could almost taste the death and decay in the air. The only one of her five senses this place didn't offend was her sense of touch, but she made an effort to avoid touching anything in this place whenever she could. She had done some questionable things in her time, but this place, and the things it made her bear witness to, left little doubt in her mind that Caesar's Legion were utterly, unequivocally evil…and she was on their side. She shook her head as she reached the top of the hill, and walked through the camp towards the tent that had formally belonged to Caesar.

Still, she'd had these thoughts before, and while the realization that she'd made a truly Faustian bargain had sickened her, she'd long since made peace with it…after vowing to make the Legion pay after she was done with them. The thoughts that wracked her brain right now were of a different subject entirely, and anyone who had witnessed the events in her life recently would have little doubt as to the nature of these thoughts. She was thinking about her friends.

Arcade was gone from this world, having given up his life to save hers. Even now, three days after the incident, she wished he'd stood there and let her die. The thought that one of her closest friends had died for her sickened her. Her mother had died for her too, arming a grenade and holding NCR ranger Chris Hoke's leg so that he couldn't escape from the blast, allowing Layla to get away and killing herself in the process. Layla hated anyone sacrificing themselves for her, because in her mind, she simply wasn't worth it. _I'm just a weapon, a weapon designed for the sole purpose of obliterating the NCR. _She thought bitterly as she passed a withered old lady, who was being viciously whipped by a smirking legionary. _People shouldn't die to save a weapon. _Arcade was a good man, a gifted man who could've used his talents to help people in the Mojave, to make the desert in which they all lived a much better place. Instead, he'd cut his own life short to save a woman who's only purpose was to kill. In a way, Layla hated him for that, for killing himself for nothing and leaving her to feel the guilt, but mostly, she hated herself. It was her fault he was dead. Not Boone, not Campbell's, her fault. He was **her **friend, it was **her **job to protect him, and she fucked it up. Every evening since then, she'd gone outside and said '_I'm sorry_' into the chill night air, hoping that wherever he was now, Arcade would hear it.

Campbell, another one of her closest friends, had made an equally grave sacrifice, essentially throwing his life away and repositioning himself under the thumb of the NCR to save Layla's life. And it all been for naught, because he'd been ordered to kill her immediately afterwards…forcing Arcade to take the bullet. Though Campbell was on the enemy's side now, she knew why he had done what he'd done, and she was determined to make it her primary mission to bring him back to the fold. She was going to burn the NCR to cinders, but not before she pulled Campbell out of the fire. They'd been through too much for her to kill him. Still, looking back on the incident, on Arcade's undeserved, untimely death, some small part of her wished the merc's bullet had found her skull, but she reluctantly admitted that she needed to be alive, because otherwise there would be no-one left to make the NCR pay for their crimes…and no-one to take care of Veronica.

And that was where most of her thoughts lay, on the wellbeing of Veronica, the only friend she had left (Campbell notwithstanding). The vertibird had transported the two girls to Arcade's old shack (It was full of memories, but it was the only place they could call home right now), and the two girls had been living there in the days since. In those three days, Veronica hadn't said a single word, and Layla had barely seen any sign of her. The former scribe had stayed in her room, not even coming out to eat, and hadn't responded when Layla had knocked or talked through the door. The only reason the red haired one knew her friend was still alive was because she'd opened the door a crack the previous night and found Veronica fast asleep, with tears staining her cheeks. Layla had walked in, pulled the blanket up to her chin, kissed her on the forehead, and left her to sleep. That morning she'd told Veronica, or more specifically Veronica's bedroom door, that she was going to Fortification Hill, and she'd be gone for a few days. Neither the girl, nor the door had replied.

While Layla herself had of course been shaken by the events in the Enclave bunker, they had obviously had a much greater effect on Veronica. The happy, jokey girl that Layla had once known had been replaced by a silent specter. The red haired one couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in her friend's head, and the thought of the former scribe being permanently mentally broken brought her to tears. She'd done her best to try and help Veronica, but none of her attempts seemed to have made any difference. It seemed that she had truly died in the Enclave bunker, and ever since then Layla had been looking at and talking to her corpse. _If Arcade had survived instead of me, he'd probably be able to help. _Layla thought, remembering how good the doctor had been at helping Veronica deal with her problems. _Of course, if I died instead…would she be in worse shape than she is now? _Such a depressing question didn't bear thinking about, so she shook it off, and pushed all her worried thoughts to the back of her mind as she reached the command tent. _I'll deal with all that later. Right now, there's business to attend to. _She thought firmly as pushed aside the flaps and walked into the tent.

Even with Caesar's death, this place hadn't changed a bit. It was still a monument to one man's ego, dominated by a needlessly extravagant throne, and filled with violent thugs dedicated to that man's insane dogma. Said thugs looked up at her as she entered, and where early in her relationship with the Legion she had been greeted with harsh, judgemental glares, now she was greeted by looks of grudging respect, with a noticeable hint of fear. Layla smirked as she realised that the Legion's dogs had learnt what happened when they got her angry, and had started treating her with respect to avoid having that happen. In addition, her ruthlessness and skill in battle had caused some members of the organization to genuinely respect her, and treat her with the courtesy they'd normally show only to men. There were many philosophical arguments about whether it was better to be respected or feared, and Layla smugly realised that she'd gotten both.

There was nobody sitting in the throne, so she walked around it and into the tent behind, all without sparing the praetorians so much as a passing glance. The tent somehow seemed empty without Lucius, but it was still occupied. Two praetorians stood, watching her carefully, and between them, the new leader of the Legion was bent over a table, looking at the map that rested atop it. She cleared her throat loudly as she entered, prompting the man to turn and face her.

"Ah, Layla, you return to us." Legate Lanius said in his typical deep, powerful voice. He was still taller than any human had a right to be, and he towered over Layla as he walked towards her. She didn't know whether it was his height, his voice, or the golden armour he wore, but he was without a doubt the most intimidating person she had ever met, and she instinctively backed away as he approached. "You have been absent for some time, ever since the assassination of the NCR president." He mused as he walked past her, and out into the open air. Slowly, Layla followed. "Explain yourself."

"I've had…issues…with the NCR." She said slowly, picking her words very carefully lest she offend Lanius. He'd been mostly polite in her dealings with him, but she knew of his reputation. Quite frankly, it was terrifying. If everything she'd heard was true, and the giant sword he wore on his back wasn't just for show, he was likely the most dangerous person in the Mojave, even more so than her. According to the rumours, he was at least as sadistic and violent as her, and while she didn't know the accuracy of those rumours, she wasn't looking to find out.

"Elaborate." He said without emotion. She obeyed.

"I was captured shortly after dealing with Kimball, and incarcerated in Camp McCarran. I was tortured while there, but managed to escape, and spent a few weeks recovering from my injuries. Afterwards, I went on a quest to retrieve some useful assets for the Legion. I managed to attain these assets, but the NCR struck again. Ultimately, I was defeated and forced to run." She clenched her fist as she spoke the last sentence, feeling great shame as she recounted her defeat to Lanius, a man who valued strength above all things.

"What were these 'assets' you were attempting to retrieve?" He asked, with what Layla realised was curiosity. Hearing such a thing from a man like Lanius was unusual, but regardless she attempted to answer as he sat down on Caesar's throne, and she stood before him.

"I was attempting to retrieve highly advanced technology from the Enclave, technology that could give the Legion an even greater advantage in the coming battle at the dam." She said enthusiastically, but was surprised when he scoffed.

"Technology?" He spat, the distaste in his voice evident. "Only the weak rely on technology to win battles. That is the domain of the New California Republic. The Legion fights with raw power, relying on the strength and skill of individual soldiers to crush our enemies. This 'gift' you sought to bring us would have been treated as an insult." Layla could hardly believe what she was hearing. The fact that the Legion disliked technology made sense, but that meant…_Everything we did…all those deaths…Arcade and the Remnants…they were for nothing? _If it was anyone else, Layla would've drawn her sword and wildly struck out at the person who gave her such news, but since it was Lanius, she barely managed to restrain herself. Still, the burning anger seared her insides, and rose up to the surface where it scorched her face with a hostile expression. To her dismay, Lanius noticed this. "I take it you were not knowledgeable about our stance on technology?" He asked in a neutral tone, and she found herself gritting her teeth when she replied.

"No." She said simply, unable to say anything else because of the intensity with which her teeth were being clenched together. Through great strength of will, she forced herself to calm down, lowering her anger level from 'murderous rage' to 'mildly pissed off'. Once she could speak normally again, she explained why she was angry. "I…members of my team died during the mission." He nodded as she spoke.

"You feel their deaths were in vain." She nodded back, and his posture seemed to relax, as he leant back in the throne. "You should have consulted me before going on this quest of yours, then you would not have wasted lives or time." His tone was stern, but not overly harsh. It seemed this was the kindest tone Lanius could manage. Begrudgingly, Layla decided to take the statement in the spirit in which it was intended.

"You're right…my legate." She said respectfully. She considered bowing, but it didn't seem like the kind of thing that would please Lanius (He valued strength, not subservience) so she didn't bother.

"You are a weapon Layla, and weapons cannot kill effectively without someone there to wield them. From now on, you will not act independently. You will act only as an agent of the Legion. You will be my sword, and I will use you to strike down our enemies. Do you understand?" Layla paused to take this in for a moment, before nodding slowly.

"I do."

"Good." His tone was slightly lighter than normal, and she took this to mean that he was pleased. The man's emotional range left something to be desired, but with his strength and presence, it hardly seemed to matter. "Now, there is a matter I wish for you to attend to." He said, but before he could explain what the matter was, a familiar voice spoke suddenly, earning the attention of everyone in the tent.

"Forgive me, but I have to interject." Layla, along with every praetorian around her, turned to the tent's entrance, and saw a familiar figure standing there. Short, slim, wearing a power fist and hooded robes…there was only one person it could be.

"Veronica?!" Layla exclaimed. The hooded girl ignored the question, instead approaching the throne. The praetorians moved to intercept, but Lanius calmly raised his hand, causing all of them to stand down.

"You know this woman?" The legate asked Layla.

"Yes." The witch spluttered, having no idea what was going on. "She's…my…one of my allies." She said nervously. "She's been aiding me against the NCR since before I joined the Legion."

"And what is she doing here?" Lanius didn't even look at Veronica, which only seemed to annoy the former scribe.

"I can speak for myself." She growled, earning Lanius' attention.

"Speak when you are spoken to woman." He snapped, but she didn't back down. It was impossible to read his expression, but from the way his posture changed, there was no doubt that the fact his voice didn't even make her flinch surprised him.

"I'll speak whenever I want to." The expression on her face made it obvious that she wasn't in the mood to be taking shit from anyone. Layla felt a chill run down her spine as the legate stood up, and walked towards Veronica. He stood in front of the girl, towering over her easily, but she stood her ground.

"Why did you come here?" The fact that he hadn't called her 'woman' made it obvious that she'd impressed him slightly. She kept her hostile stance as she spoke.

"I want to join the Legion as a special agent, like Layla." Nobody in the tent had been expecting that. To the annoyance of both women present, the praetorians around them began to laugh, as though they found this very idea ridiculous.

"You obviously do not realise the hubris you display by making such a request." Lanius said coldly, hand slowly reaching to the sword on his back. Layla wanted to reach for her own sword, but it had been confiscated on her way up, leaving her at a severe disadvantage should Lanius become hostile.

"Enlighten me." Veronica said confrontationally, and the legate immediately obliged.

"You are a woman. In the eyes of the Legion, you are nothing. Demanding to fight for us is shooting far beyond your station, and insulting to the Legion as a whole. Were you a slave, I would strike you down right now."

"You're welcome to try." Layla had never seen Veronica act like this. _What the hell is she doing?! _For a moment, Layla considered the possibility that Veronica wanted to die, and she was baiting Lanius into killing her. _No, that's ridiculous. _She pushed the thought away quickly before it could take root. _Veronica wouldn't do that. She wouldn't…_Wanting desperately to believe her own thoughts, Layla stood ready to move in should Lanius try anything.

"Your bravery is admirable, but foolish." The legate looked ready to attack at any second, so Layla instinctively thought of a battle plan should things turn sour. There was a praetorian to the right of her, and she narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. _Charge praetorian, knee him in the balls, then break his neck while he's stunned. Veronica should dodge Lanius' first slash. While he's off balance, swipe ballistic fist from praetorian and perform jumping punch to Lanius' back. Other praetorians will charge. Use Lanius as a shield to block their punches, then swipe his sword. Use it to behead him and the praetorians, then mop up any survivors. Finally, grab Veronica's hand, drag her out of the tent, and get the fuck out of Dodge before anyone realises what happened. _She realised it wasn't a perfect plan, and any number of things could go wrong, but it would have to do. As Lanius spoke again, the red haired one prepared to charge the praetorian to her right at a moment's notice. _I need the Legion to stop the NCR…but if they hurt Veronica, then I'll murder every single one of them. _She thought resolutely, no doubt in her mind whatsoever. "Why do you wish to fight for the Legion?" Lanius asked, and when Veronica answered, she sounded more serious than Layla had ever heard her sound.

"I want to crush the NCR." She said simply. "I'm just as skilled as Layla, if not more so, and I can be a big help to you. Give me a chance to prove it." There was a brief pause, then Lanius moved his hand away from his sword, causing Layla to let out a sigh of relief.

"Very well." The master of the Legion answered, before walking back to his throne and sitting down again. "Remove your power fist." Veronica did as he asked, slipping her fist off her hand and dropping it to the ground. "Praetorians, disarm yourselves, then attack her." The praetorians did as he asked, while he looked directly at Veronica. "The praetorians are my most skilled hand to hand fighters. They will test your skill." Before Veronica could respond, the surrounding praetorians approached her. Layla was tempted to step in, but Veronica looked at her, and something in her friend's gaze caused her to stand down. The former scribe settled into a combat stance as the praetorians struck.

One praetorian ran ahead of the rest of the group and performed a technique Layla had heard was known as the legion assault. He leapt into the air, before striking his right palm down into Veronica's face. She easily rolled to the side to dodge, while he landed on the ground. He turned to face her, just in time for her boot to find his face. He was knocked onto his ass, while two more moved in, attacking her from either side. One tried to punch her in the face, but she weaved out of his reach before kicking him back, and striking an elbow into the face of the praetorian behind her. He stumbled back, and she span around before sweep kicking him off his feet. The other praetorian charged, but she turned around and delivered a fist to his nose, sending him sprawling, before spinning around and kicking the downed praetorian in the face. She took a moment to crack her knuckles, before getting into a fighting stance and waiting for the rest of the praetorians to charge. She'd already downed three, but six more moved in, and quickly surrounded her.

She didn't move an inch as her six opponents completely surrounded her, instead waiting for them to make the first move. The surrounding warriors stood still, and she closed her eyes, listening for the first sign of movement. After a few seconds, a praetorian to the right charged, and she reacted immediately. She blocked his punch, before introducing her own fist to the underside of his chin. Another nearby praetorian charged at that, and tried his own punch. She grabbed the praetorian she'd just punched, before using him as a shield to take the blow. The charging praetorian accidentally punched his friend in the gut, and Veronica darted to the side, before roundhouse kicking both of them to the ground. _Five down. _Layla thought as two more charged.

One aimed low with a kick, while the other aimed high with a punch. Veronica stomped on the leg of the kicker, breaking his limb, before grabbing the arm of the puncher. She swiftly dislocated his arm, before grabbing said arm and flipping him over her shoulder. The kicker with the broken leg limped towards her, but she calmly strode over to him before grabbing his collar. She punched him five times, before letting go of his collar, allowing him to drop to the ground. _Seven. _Only two praetorians remained now, and she turned to them before giving them a 'bring it' gesture. They charged without hesitation.

The first jumped into the air and attempted a flying kick. She caught him mid strike however, and held him bridal style for a few moments before tossing him over her shoulder and ducking as the other man tried to punch her. She weaved and ducked to dodge every one of his strikes, before attempting to trip him. He hopped back to dodge, while the goon she'd held bridal style charged from behind. The man in front of her punched again, but she moved aside, causing his punch to hit the Bride in the face. The Bride went down, while Veronica moved behind the puncher and kneed him in the back. The attack knocked him forwards, but she grabbed him by his cape, before dragging him back and kneeing him in the spine again. He struggled to escape, but her grip on his cape was too tight, and she kneed him in the back over and over again. The Bride got to his feet again, but the former scribe didn't divert her attention away from the man she was kneeing. After a few seconds, she dropped his unconscious body to the ground, while the Bride charged again. He tried a kick on her face, but with impressive agility, she dropped low, doing the splits. While still in that position, she shot a fist directly up. The Bride's eyes widened as the fist went up his skirt, and he cried out as she punched him in the balls. He fell to his knees, while she got up. She looked at him with distaste for a few moments, before pulling her leg back. She stretched it as far as it would go, before swinging it forwards, kicking the kneeling man in the face. He went down like The Tops' stocks after the explosion, leaving Veronica standing there, surrounded by unconscious praetorians and without a scratch on her. _Eight. Victory. _Layla thought, a small smile appearing on her face as she did so.

"Have I proven myself yet?" Veronica asked stonily, turning to Lanius as she did so. The new leader of the Legion silently looked at her, apparently examining the woman before him. Still unsure as to what his reaction would be, Layla drifted over to one of the discarded ballistic fists, ready to equip and use it should he turn violent. To her relief however, he didn't turn violent. Instead, he stood up, before addressing the woman that had easily defeated his praetorian guard.

"Your skills are indeed impressive." He said, the harshness that had been in his voice when talking to her earlier now gone. "However, unlike Layla, we do not know you, and thus, cannot trust you. Because of this, I will allow you to fight for the Legion, but only under Layla's direct supervision. You will report to her from now on, and only engage in Legion assignments when accompanied by her. Do you find this acceptable?" Veronica's face was impossible to read, and for a brief moment, Layla thought there was going to be a fight after all. Thankfully, she turned out to be wrong, as the former scribe knelt down in the dirt, and bowed before Lanius, picking up her discarded power fist as she did so.

"I do." She said quietly, and Lanius nodded, before walking back to the tent behind the throne.

"Good. Layla, present her with a Mark of Caesar, so she can come and go as she wishes, then proceed to Vulpes for your assignment. I have battle strategies to look over." With that, the man in the golden armour returned to his tent, while Veronica walked away, slipping her power fist onto her hand as she did so. Layla followed her, and found her standing on the cliff overlooking the arena. The hooded girl's expression was still unreadable, even as her best friend approached and stood next to her.

"I suppose I should congratulate you." The red haired one said, and was relieved when Veronica looked at her. _I missed that. _She thought happily as the former scribe smiled.

"Yes, you should. I'm taking giant leaps for womankind." She said sarcastically, before turning so that she was facing Layla, with the cliff edge and the arena below off to her left. As much as the witch liked seeing her friend happy, she asked a question that she was sure would sour the mood.

"Tell me…why did you join the Legion?" Veronica went quiet, and just looked at her for a moment before turning away, leaving Layla talking to her back.

"I want to help you in the Battle for Hoover Dam, obviously. If you think I'm staying behind after all we've been through, then you've got another thing coming." The answer was believable, but Layla didn't buy it. Veronica had helped her plenty of times, but she'd never seen fit to join the Legion. She had to have an ulterior motive.

"I get that you want to help me, and I get that you pretty much share my hate for the NCR at this point…but there's something more going on here." Veronica's reply was almost immediate.

"No there isn't." The reply was rushed, and didn't sound even slightly genuine. Layla was about to inquire further, when she suddenly realised what was going on.

"Is this about Campbell?" Veronica's reaction was obvious. She visibly stiffened, and Layla noticed that her fists were tightly clenched.

"What if it is?" All good cheer was gone from her voice now. She sounded almost…hostile.

"Veronica…" Layla began, only to be cut off.

"He's on the enemy's side, and the best way to get a shot at him is to join the army he's fighting against."

"What are you saying?" The former scribe sighed, before turning back to Layla. It was at this point that Layla noticed that her friend had thick, black bags under her eyes, and her gaze was disconcertingly heavy.

"I've had a lot of time to think, and I've decided I'm going to kill Campbell." Suddenly it all made sense. The reason Veronica been so silent for the past few days was because she'd been thinking about what to do. Unfortunately, she'd decided Campbell was her enemy, and in order to get a shot at him, she'd followed Layla to the fort, and allied herself with the Legion. It was an insane plan, something nobody in their right mind would even consider. Unfortunately, Veronica wasn't in her right mind right now. She was still reeling from the events at the bunker; she wasn't thinking straight.

"Veronica, stop. You don't have to kill him."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Veronica snapped, causing Layla to recoil as though she'd been slapped. Never before had the hooded girl sounded so angry when talking to her. "For God's sake Layla, that mad bastard shot Arcade!"

"He didn't mean to." Layla said quietly, causing Veronica to scoff.

"Oh right, of course; I forgot, killing Arcade was an accident, because he was aiming for **YOU! **And yet you're defending him!"

"He's still our friend."

"No he isn't. Boone killed our friend; this new bastard is a traitor who killed one of my closest friends."

"Arcade was my friend too."

"Which is why I'm baffled that you don't give two fucks about avenging him!" Veronica was practically seething, and Layla started speaking very carefully in an attempt to calm her down.

"Veronica…Campbell didn't want to betray us. It wasn't his fault." She said slowly, but the scribe wasn't having any of it.

"DO NOT say his coin made him do it, because that is bullshit." She said harshly. "His coin is a fucking inanimate object! He **chose **to listen to it, he **chose **to betray us, and I'm choosing to end his life!"

"You know what that coin does to him. He can't resist it."

"That's his fucking problem, not mine! Insanity is no excuse for killing one of your closest friends and betraying the rest of your friends! You're perfectly insane, and you've never betrayed me!" Layla looked down at the ground on hearing that, and her voice lowered in volume as she replied.

"My insanity's different and you know it." Her voice was so quiet that her words were practically mumbled, but they were perfectly audible, and while Layla's voice quietened, Veronica's voice loudened.

"I'm not arguing over semantics here Layla, I'm stating a fact: Campbell was fully aware of what he was doing when he betrayed us. He made a conscious decision to pull the trigger, and he made a conscious decision to walk off with Boone. He picked his side, and I'm going to make him regret it." _No, no, no…_ Layla was reminded of herself whenever she declared vengeance on someone, and she desperately tried to steer Veronica off this path.

"It doesn't have to be this way." She pleaded, causing her friend to look at her with disgust.

"Okay, when have you ever…EVER…shied away from killing someone? I hate to repeat myself…but WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Veronica's words stabbed at Layla like knives, but she refused to back down.

"Campbell is my friend, probably the best friend I've ever had next to you. If there's a way to get him back without killing him, I'm going to do it."

"The only way is for him to flip his damn coin, and there's a 50% chance it'll tell him to shoot us."

"I'm sure there's a way; we can get him back." Layla said hopefully, only for Veronica to metaphorically smash her hopes with a sledgehammer.

"Don't you get it? I DON'T WANT HIM BACK! If that bastard comes back, what'll he do next? He could betray us again at the drop of a hat, or worse…he could take **you **away from me. That motherfucker CANNOT be trusted! He's unpredictable, a wild card, and he needs to be put down!" Veronica wasn't listening to reason, so Layla gave up trying to convince her. Instead, she used the threatening tone she normally reserved for enemies, and delivered an ultimatum.

"Veronica, I'm only going to say this once: as long as there's a chance we can get our friend back, I will **not **let you kill him." The two girls had stepped closer without realising it, and now both stared determinedly into each other's eyes.

"Layla…please…don't fight me on this." Veronica begged, surprisingly using the pleading tone of voice that Layla had been using only moments ago. "I'd rather have you stand by my side than his." Normally, Layla would never have been able to refuse a request from Veronica. Hell, she'd likely join the NCR if Veronica asked her to. This time however, she put her foot down…literally, as she stomped the ground to emphasise her point.

"I'm not going to give my best friend a knife so she can kill my second best friend." She said resolutely. "If you try to kill him, I **will **stand in your way." A saddened look appeared on the former scribe's face, and Layla felt a small measure of guilt worm its way up her spine.

"Layla…" Remembering what she was talking about, she shook the guilt away, but softened her tone slightly as she spoke again.

"Don't let your rage take over Veronica…don't make the same mistake I've made all my life." She implored. Veronica didn't react, instead glaring at Layla with fire in her eyes. Layla glared back, and the two girls stared each other down. Just as she was starting to fear that they might come to blows, a familiar, silky voice spoke from nearby.

"Ah Layla, good to see you again." Vulpes Inculta said charismatically as he walked up the path leading to Caesar's former tent, and the cliff in front of it where the two girls stood. Layla looked over to Vulpes for a split second, and Veronica immediately walked away.

"Wait!" Layla called after her, but the former scribe didn't listen. "Veronica!" She pushed past Vulpes, before walking past some tents and disappearing from sight. Layla looked down at the ground glumly, while the fox approached.

"Trouble in paradise?" He jibed, allowing the witch to rise up from her depression by fuelling her with pure, undiluted anger.

"Fuck off." She growled, before pushing past him (Much like Veronica had done), and walking to the path leading down to the tents. The fox called after her, but she ignored him, and stomped through the camp. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew that she needed to get away from him. As she passed a particular tent, her nostrils were invaded by the smell of burning metal, and she turned to investigate.

A man stood outside the tent, smelting a sword, and several similar swords and machetes decorated the interior and exterior of his tent. They hung from the roof, sat on racks, and even lay on the floor. As Layla looked at the stock, her eyes focused on one sword, before widening considerably. _Wait a minute…_She thought as she walked forwards, not looking away from that sword as she did so. _Is that? _She picked up the large blade, and looked it over in her hands. _It can't be…_

"Hey!" The blacksmith barked, striding over as he did so. "Put that sword down!"

"This sword…is mine." She replied coldly, before pointing the massive blade at his throat. He raised his hands, and nervously backed away, leaving her to continue looking at the weapon. She recognised every scratch, every dent, every chip, every bloodstain…this was her sword alright. It had its own smell, a smell she remembered clearly. It was a mixture between shampoo (Which was what her hair usually smelled like), and the smell of blood. Holding it in her hands, it even felt the same. _It…it's my sword. _She could hardly believe this. _It's my sword! _A wide smile broke out on her face, and she suddenly felt…happy…happier than she'd felt in a while. Letting her emotions free, she hugged her sword tightly, not caring who saw. This…it was like losing a friend, only to find them alive weeks later. "I missed you." She whispered, while rubbing her face against the flat of the blade.

"You're welcome." A familiar silky voice said. Almost immediately, she pulled the weapon away from her, spun around, and pointed the tip of it against the throat of the speaker…Vulpes. This wasn't the first time the fox had had Layla's sword pointed against his throat, so of course he didn't bat an eyelid.

"I thought I told you to fuck off?" She snarled. To her annoyance, a cocky grin wormed its way across his face, the same cocky grin that he always wore when he knew something that the person he was talking to didn't know.

"Is that any way to thank the man responsible for this touching reunion?" He asked smugly, irritating Layla further.

"What are you babbling out?"

"I went to Hoover Dam, and stole your sword from the office of General Lee Oliver." Layla looked at her sword, then back at Vulpes…then back at the sword again…then back at him. The whole time, her mouth was agape.

"You?" She asked dubiously. He nodded, smugness growing by the second.

"I left it with the blacksmith when I arrived, and he kept it safe while I waited for you to return. I was going to show it to you, but you left in a huff. Luckily, it seems you and the blade were destined to reunite." If anyone else had done this for her, Layla would've hugged them tightly and spent around ten minutes straight thanking them over and over again. Unfortunately, this was Vulpes, so instead she pulled her blade away from his throat, before offering him her free hand.

"Thank you." She said, keeping as much emotion out of her voice as she could manage. He continued to smirk as he took her hand, and shook it.

"You're quite welcome." He said pleasantly, before taking his hand back and putting it in his pocket. "Oh, and give this to your girl." He pulled out a small object, before tossing it in her direction. Layla caught it in her free hand, and saw that it was a gold coin with the Legion's bull on it, attached to a bronze chain. _The Mark of Caesar. _Layla thought as she looked at the familiar object. She tucked it into her pocket along with her own Mark, before looking Vulpes in the eyes…or rather, the goggles that concealed his eyes.

"Now, a question: why did you do this for me?" This question seemed to amuse the fox, as he chuckled briefly before responding. That was Vulpes Inculta for you, he never showed any emotion unless he was getting one over on someone else…or someone else was getting one over on him, which rarely happened.

"I retrieved your beloved weapon for you, so now you are in my debt. As such, you will accompany me on a mission."

"No." Layla replied almost immediately, before walking away.

"This is the only way you can repay the debt." He said emotionlessly as she passed him. She stopped for a moment, standing to the side of him, and turned her head so that she was looking right at him.

"Shove your debt up your ass." She spat, before looking ahead and continuing to walk away. Since she wasn't looking at him now, she didn't see his cocky expression change to his normal, neutral expression.

"Lanius said I had a mission for you. This is it." She didn't even bother asking how he knew that. She had long since accepted the fact that he seemed to know everything.

"I'll tell Lanius that I want nothing to do with you. He'll understand. He doesn't like you either." Though Layla didn't know Lanius very well personally, she knew a great amount about him from the rumours she'd heard, and one had said that he disapproved of Vulpes' methods, and disliked him in general. This was, of course, true, though it did little to slow the fox down.

"I see." The fox said, as she neared the gate leading out of the camp. "If that's your final answer, I suppose I'll have to tell Lanius that his new warrior used to be a scribe within the Brotherhood of Steel." Layla stopped, shock colouring her face. She really shouldn't have being surprised that his apparent omniscience extended that far, but she honestly hadn't been expecting that. "Lanius shares Caesar's views on the Brotherhood, and he will kill anyone aligned with them without hesitation. It's a good thing you and your friend seemed to just have a falling out; means you won't be as sad when Lanius puts her on a cross." _Blackmail. _Layla thought, feeling the anger he'd brought up earlier rising to the surface once more. _He's blackmailing me AGAIN. _She gritted her free hand so hard that her nails drew blood, and slowly turned to face the fox.

"One day…I am going to kill you." She growled, before walking back towards him.

"I'm sure you are." He said in mockingly, as his cocky veneer resurfaced. "Can I expect your compliance then?" Layla didn't reply, instead stopping in front of him, and raising her sword. As much as she wanted to bring it crashing down on his head, she knew he was a valued member of the Legion, so instead she slashed the air slightly above him, slicing off the left ear of the dog on his head. The ear fell downward, landing on the ground in front of him. He didn't even look at it.

"What's the mission?"

_**The fox has another task? Clearly this can only end well. Still, it seems there are yet more status quo altering changes going on. The Followers have been wiped out, Veronica's joined the Legion and has a vendetta against Campbell, and Layla has been reunited with her beloved sword. Aw. Nice to have something good happen to her for a change isn't it? **_

_**Changing topics for a second, I've already started writing the next chapter even as I upload this one, and it should be round about the same length, so hopefully you won't have to wait very long for Chapter 58. Still...it's me. Any time I say updates are getting better, take it with a grain of salt. Actually, fuck that. Take it with a ton of salt. Drown that bitch in salt.**_

_**So...thoughts? I want to know how everyone's feeling about all the new stuff that's happening. Please, review and tell me what you think. Oh, and also...is it normal to ship your own characters? I'm just asking because...Layla x Sword...just throwing it out there. :)**_


	58. Life Goes On

**_...I really couldn't think of a better title for the chapter than this. I know I suck at titles in general, but I really feel like harakiri is the only way I can redeem myself for this. About the chapter...yeah...it's a bit late. You're not surprised are you? I'll be in the corner of shame if you need me. (Sad face.)  
><em>**

Life Goes On

Vulpes Inculta was smirking as he led the way into his tent. Layla was scowling as she followed him. The interior of the tent had changed since the last time she'd seen it. A table had been added to the middle of the room, and several photos hung from the ceiling, showing shots of the same building, all from different angles. There were more photos on the table, in addition to maps and documents that bared the NCR's seal, emblazoned in large, red letters with the word CLASSIFIED. Clearly, the fox had been busy.

"You still haven't told me what my assignment is." Layla pointed out, standing near the tent's entrance with a hand on her hip as Vulpes stopped next to the table. He looked at it for a moment before turning to face her, that predictable emotionless look on his face.

"It's quite simple." He began, with what was probably a bold faced lie. Layla knew Vulpes; his plans were **never **simple. "You've already helped us take over Camp Forlorn Hope, and destroyed Camp McCarran." She wasn't surprised that he knew that; not only was he pretty much omniscient, but it was a pretty well-known fact these days that Camp McCarran had been blown up, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who was responsible. "There are now only two major bastions of NCR resistance remaining: Hoover Dam…and Camp Golf." Layla tilted her head to the side as he said that. She'd made it her life's mission to destroy the NCR, and made it a habit to find out everything she could about them…yet she'd never heard of Camp Golf.

"We're not going after the dam until the battle, so I guess Golf is our target?"

"That is correct." The fox replied, while gesturing to the photos around him. "As you can see, I've done a bit of research on the subject."

"Well maybe you can clue me in then, because I've never even heard of Camp Golf." He chuckled slightly as she said this, and the smug grin he wore whenever he knew something that someone else didn't returned to his face.

"Certainly." He cleared his throat, before speaking in an almost monotone voice, as though he was reciting from memory. "Camp Golf was one of the first bases the NCR formed, and for a long time served as their main headquarters. When the Legion attacked, it gained immense strategic value, placing it on the frontlines of the First Battle of Hoover Dam. That importance waned after the battle ended however, and it became a place for the NCR to dump soldiers who weren't performing to expectations. Nowadays it serves three major purposes: whipping the NCR's dropouts into shape, guarding a pipe that waters the NCR Sharecropper Farms, and serving as a home and headquarters for the veteran rangers. Though it has nowhere near the importance of Hoover Dam, it is still a major asset to the enemy. We are going to remove it from the equation." Layla found herself grinning. Though she didn't like Vulpes, and wasn't familiar with Camp Golf, the possibility of harming the NCR always made her smile.

"I'm on board. What's the plan?"

"Camp Golf is split into two parts." With his left hand, he gestured to one of the photos hanging nearest to him. The picture showed a group of tents positioned next to the building in the other pictures. "Firstly, you have the camp itself, which is made up of these tents. This is where the NCR's rabble lives, and also contains the unfortunate individuals who have to train said rabble." Once he was finished speaking, he moved his hand so that he was pointing at another photo. This showed the building that featured in most of the other pictures, and was shot from the front. "Secondly, you have this building. Before the war, it was a resort for the rich and powerful, but now it serves as a home base for the veteran rangers, the most dangerous soldiers in the NCR military. This building also serves as a communications hub, receiving intelligence reports from ranger outposts all over the Mojave." He walked away from the photos for a second, and approached a tarp covered shape on the other side of the tent.

"Tomorrow, at midnight exactly, you will meet me on the cliff south of the resort building. I will be waiting for you at the base of the watchtower on that cliff. Every two hours, the guards manning the watchtowers change over. At 11pm, a new guard will take over the watchtower. I will kill him before you arrive at midnight, leaving us with an hour to complete our objective before a new guard mans the tower."

"And what's our objective?" Layla asked, leaning over the map table as she did so. Apparently having been waiting for her to ask that question, Vulpes smirked, before removing the tarp he was standing next to, revealing the shape hidden underneath. There were two objects, each looking like a pair of scuba tanks tied together. There were a number of complex wires and machinery attached to the devices, and each had a control panel on the front. The witch had no idea what she was looking at.

"Our objective is to sneak these machines into Camp Golf. They will remove the NCR problem." Vulpes said, almost sounding…eager.

"And…what exactly are they?" Layla asked, still confused.

"For lack of a better term: gas bombs." Her eyes widened.

"Okay…you have my attention." She said slowly.

"Tell me Layla, have you heard of The Big Empty?" The fox asked, as he walked around his 'gas bombs'. Layla searched her brain for any recollection of the name he'd stated, but drew a blank.

"Nope." His smug grin appeared again, and she bristled as he knelt down behind the bombs. It was obvious he absolutely **loved **knowing things that others didn't. _Smug git. _

"In the South West Commonwealth, beyond the border of the Mojave wasteland, there is a large, empty ruin. Before the war, it was called Big MT. Now…its name is mostly unchanged. It was once a research and development complex, the largest and most advanced of its kind in the entire pre-war world. They pushed the very envelopes of science there, developing technology beyond your comprehension. Of course, the place is now a shell of its former self, merely a giant monument to the scientific power of pre-war America. Before the bombs fell, the scientists of the Big MT developed a lethal, artificial, airborne toxin which they called: the Cloud. Testing revealed that the Cloud was probably the most dangerous gas ever created; it was capable of lasting for decades, corroded metal on contact, and was adept at killing any and all life it encountered, regardless of whether or not they were wearing a radiation suit. The scientists decided to weaponise their creation and sell it to the military. Thus, the Cloud bomb was born." Layla tilted her head as she looked at the bombs. They really didn't look that dangerous, but if what Vulpes said was true…_Oooh, the NCR are going to feel this one. _She smirked…until she realised something.

"Wait a minute…if the gas lasts for decades…then how will we claim Camp Golf for the Legion?" The smugness radiating off Vulpes only increased; it was almost tangible (Layla expected her Pip Boy's Geiger counter to start beeping any second), and it irked her as it came into contact with her skin.

"As it turns out, that problem was already fixed for us…by the Enclave." Layla shook her head, not quite sure she'd heard him right.

"Come again?" Vulpes looked amused, which only irked her further.

"The Cloud's longevity was precisely the reason that was deemed unsuitable for military contracts, meaning that the Cloud bombs you see here were the only two ever created. Fortunately, the Enclave recovered these devices from a storage warehouse years ago, and decided to do what the scientists at the Big MT could not: make the Cloud bomb a viable weapon. The Enclave are adept at weapons development you see, and they were able to solve the problem that plagued the first iteration of the Cloud bomb."

"How?" To Layla's continued annoyance, Vulpes actually chuckled at her question.

"I doubt you'd understand, being a thug and all." The witch's eyes narrowed.

"Try me." Vulpes shrugged, before beginning his explanation.

"Very well. You see, the bomb contains a liquid extract of the Cloud. When it detonates, the device exposes the liquid to extreme heat, causing it to evaporate into a gas. Once the chemical reaction has occurred, the device vents the gas through its dispersal unit, allowing it to spread and end lives. By altering the genetic makeup of the few liquid cloud samples they could find, the Enclave scientists were able to develop an artificial kill trigger; meaning that the gas would disperse by itself after a short length of time. After the liquid has evaporated, the gas has roughly ten minutes of life, after which it will disperse, making the area safe for habitation once again." Layla's head span as she tried to understand what he was saying.

"So…basically…after you set off the bomb…ten minutes later, the gas goes away?" Layla asked slowly, and felt her blood boil when Vulpes clapped sarcastically.

"Well done." He said condescendingly as he got to his feet. "The plan is thus: we place the bombs, activate their timers, and leave the scene. Once the timers hit zero, the bombs will vent Cloud gas, killing everyone in Camp Golf. Ten minutes later, the gas disperses, and the Legion has a new base." Layla brought a hand to her chin, as a thoughtful look crossed her face. _Wow…that __**is **__pretty simple actually…apart from the super advanced space age gas bomb bit anyway. _"Any questions?"

"Just one." Layla let go of her chin and looked down at the map on the table in front of her as she asked. "Where are we placing the bombs?"

"Good question." He said, without a hint of condescension or sarcasm. She found herself genuinely smiling at the compliment, until he moved to stand next to her in front of the map table, at which point her expression turned neutral (With thinly veiled hostility) once again. "For this, we will split into two teams." Vulpes explained as he pointed at the map. "You will take one bomb and go here, the resort building. You will infiltrate the building, make your way down to the basement, and place the bomb. At the same time, I will infiltrate the camp itself, and place my bomb in one of the unoccupied tents. Bear in mind, that this is a STEALTH mission. That means you can't bring your sword…either of them…and you can't kill anyone unless you're spotted, at which point you must kill the witness as quickly and quietly as possible before he raises the alarm. If the alarm is raised, the entire mission will be a failure and we will have to pull out. If this happens, Lanius will hear about how it was **your **incompetence that ruined the plan." Layla gritted her teeth angrily as he continued. "Furthermore, this is strictly a two person job. Adding anyone else to our number will increase the chances of detection. That means it will be just you and I on this assignment; no backup. Your scribe friend will have to stay behind." _Sorry Veronica. _Layla thought, before nodding.

"So, what should I do when I reach the basement?"

"Place the bomb down, then contact me. I know you already possess a radio, and I will give you a private frequency for this assignment. When you have placed the bomb, call me on my frequency to inform me. Once we have both placed our bombs, I will instruct you on how to arm the device, and we shall arm our bombs at the same time. You will have fifteen minutes to vacate the premises and return to the watchtower. After the fifteen minutes are up, the Cloud extract will turn to gas, the gas will disperse, and everyone in the building will die. If you're not at the rendezvous point when the bombs detonate, you will be left behind. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, but I have a question." Vulpes looked at her, and she continued. "If these bombs were upgraded by the Enclave, then how did you get them?" Vulpes smirked, before walking back over to the bombs as he replied.

"When development was completed, the bombs were locked away in storage until they were needed, but the NCR's purge of the Enclave began before they could be used. They remained in storage…until I found them." As he spoke, Vulpes sat on his bedroll at the far end of the room, and turned on a radio sitting next to it. The familiar, soothing voice of Mr New Vegas immediately filled the tent.

"Hello, listeners, I'm Mister New Vegas and may I say you look beautiful today." He said in his typical charismatic voice, before getting on with the news. "Today's top story: an NCR supply bunker mysteriously exploded earlier today, resulting in significant casualties. The formerly abandoned bunker was commandeered by the NCR three days ago, only to suddenly explode in the early hours of this morning. The officer supervising the bunker reports that thirteen people were killed in the incident, and twenty six more were seriously injured. Though the investigation is still ongoing, it's believed that the explosion was caused by a saboteur activating the bunker's self-destruct protocol. Investigators currently have no leads as to the identity of the saboteur, but it is widely believed that Caesar's Legion was involved in some way." While Mr New Vegas droned on, Layla looked at Vulpes.

"He's talking about the Enclave bunker I found isn't he?" She asked the fox.

"Is he?" Vulpes asked, obviously feigning innocence. "I have no idea." Obviously well aware that his act was annoying Layla (And likely feeling very amused about the fact), he decided to tell the truth. "Alright yes, it is. Naturally, I knew about your plan to find the Enclave bunker, and naturally I was so saddened when you lost it to the NCR." He blatantly sneered at her as he said that last part, making the urge to get up and punch him almost impossible to resist. Somehow, Layla managed to contain her anger, while the fox continued. "I couldn't allow such a valuable installation, filled to the brim with all kinds of advanced technology, fall into NCR hands, so at precisely 5am this morning, I infiltrated the bunker and activated the self-destruct. I found the Cloud Bombs while I was there. You may now thank me." Layla didn't speak. Though she was glad that the NCR didn't have the resources that the bunker provided, the fact that Vulpes had had to clean up her mess, and the fact that there had even been a mess in the first place, aggravated her to no end. It reinforced the fact that the whole mission for the bunker had been a colossal waste of time, a waste of time that had cost her two friends, and had likely driven her best friend over the edge.

"I'll thank you when you stop making my skin crawl, i.e. never." She bit back, before turning away from him. "I'm aware of the plan now. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"No, that will be all." Vulpes said, before waving a hand dismissively. "We will carry out the plan tomorrow night. If you are late, or fail to show up, Lanius will hear about it. You may go now." _Good._ Layla thought, before turning and walking away. As she neared the tent flap however, Mr New Vegas said something that made her stop in her tracks.

"My condolences and best wishes go out to those poor men and women who lost friends or loved ones in the explosion. You will be in my thoughts, and my prayers. Sadly, our next story is even more grim: a horrible massacre took place at the Old Mormon Fort early this morning, resulting in the deaths of every single member of the Followers of the Apocalypse, including all their patients and security staff. You heard that right ladies and gentlemen; the Followers of the Apocalypse are no more. This is truly a dark, sad day for the Mojave." As Mr New Vegas delivered a eulogy for the deceased organization, Layla found her mouth hanging wide open. _God…_ She thought, unable to react in a more significant way, as her brain froze in shock. Not wanting to hear the rest of the story, she left the tent without a word.

***Campbell***

_That's it…Oliver has officially lost his mind. _Campbell thought as he sat quietly in his cell, using his Pip Boy to listen to Mr New Vegas' report regarding the destruction of the Followers of the Apocalypse. It didn't take a genius to figure out who was responsible; well…it did…but fortunately, he was no slouch in the brains department. From what he could tell, after learning that a Follower doctor (Arcade) was affiliated with the Enclave, Oliver had likely started seeing wolves in every one of his fields, and had taken a flamethrower to one field in the hopes of killing any wolves that lay within. _Crazy bastard. _Campbell scowled as he thought of all the undeserved, pointless deaths the general had caused, all because of his own paranoia. Of course, nobody knew that the NCR had had anything to do with the incident, but anybody who knew anything about Oliver would be able to figure it out.

_I'm on the wrong side. _Campbell thought, not for the first time since leaving the bunker with Boone three days ago. There wasn't much he could do about it short of flipping his coin again, but the piece of legal tender had been confiscated shortly after he'd arrived at Hoover Dam. While serving Layla, he'd become more accustomed to using his brain, as opposed to his coin, to make decisions, so it was unlikely his brain would shut down, but even so he was beginning to feel withdrawal symptoms. Whenever he felt anxious, the feel of the coin in his hand usually reassured him. It wasn't here now, so all he could do was worry. If he'd had any hair left, all this worry would probably be making it fall out. He felt like he'd aged ten years in the past three days. _I'm not going to make it. _He thought as he stared at the wall, and started to miss his friends. Fortunately (Or not), another 'friend' chose that moment to enter his cell.

"The general would like to speak to you." Craig Boone said in his typical, gruff tone.

"I'm touched that he would deign to grant a lowly peasant such as myself an audience." Campbell said sarcastically.

"Move." Boone snapped. A witty retort entered the merc's head, but he simply wasn't in the mood, so he got to his feet and walked out of the cell, with Boone following close behind. They walked down Hoover Dam's dull, grey, winding corridors for a few more minutes, before walking into the general's office. Oliver didn't speak as they entered, instead motioning to a chair in front of his desk. Boone pushed Campbell forwards, and he slowly sat down.

"I want my coin back." He said stonily the very second his ass touched the seat.

"You're lucky to have your life, never mind your damn coin." Oliver barked, before swivelling in his chair so that he was turned away from Campbell. "Do you know why I called you in here?" He asked after a brief pause.

"Because you're so desperately lonely?" The merc replied, only for Boone to slap the back of his head. "I'm guessing that wasn't the right answer. Was I close? Hot or cold?" Oliver turned back towards Campbell, and he saw that the general was glaring. It amused him.

"I forgot how annoying you are."

"Most people do; it's why I have so many friends despite being insane." Ignoring Campbell's words, Oliver got to the point.

"Campbell, you betrayed the NCR, threw in your lot of the witch, and caused significant damage to this organization. You are a criminal and a terrorist, and normally I'd have you hung, drawn and quartered in New Vegas' public square in the middle of the day, so that everybody could see what happens to those who betray the NCR."

"New Vegas isn't classy enough to have a public square and you know it." Campbell joked, clearly annoying the general to some extent.

"I suggest you take this seriously, otherwise I might throw your coin off the dam." Campbell's amused expression hardened immediately.

"I wouldn't advise that." Oliver scoffed, causing Campbell to frown.

"I have nothing to fear from you Campbell; you're unarmed, you don't have your coin to make choices for you, and I'm guarded by Boone, who, if I'm not mistaken, beat you in a fight during the events of Operation Witch Hunt." Campbell scowled at the memory.

"He also has me." An unfamiliar, female voice said from the doorway. The merc turned to the best of his ability in the chair, and saw a woman enter the room. She looked to be in her thirties, had honey blonde hair, and the insignia on her uniform suggested she was a colonel. Intriguingly, her right hand was bandaged up, though Campbell supressed his curiosity as the woman moved to stand next to Oliver.

"Campbell, Cassandra Moore. Cassandra, this is the infamous Campbell. I don't suppose you two have met?" Both individuals shook their heads.

"Can't say I've had the pleasure." Moore said in a tone that made it difficult to determine whether or not she was being sarcastic.

"Sorry, but when I associate with ladies, I try to avoid the crazy ones." Campbell said with a smirk. "I know of Miss Moore's reputation." His smirk turned into a grin as he looked at Moore. "You're basically the NCR's very own Layla. How's that working out for you?"

"It has its perks." Moore replied without missing a beat. "The pay could be better, but I get plenty of job satisfaction."

"Yeah, I imagine having enough power that you can justifiably go mad with power is a hoot."

"Few things kill boredom quite like abusing authority."

"I hear that." Campbell nodded, an amused smile on his face. "Plus, you get plenty of exercise right? I mean, with all those puppies Oliver has you kick, I bet your legs are two big blocks of muscle."

"My arms are better, what with all the prisoners I get to beat for information." Campbell burst out laughing, and surprisingly enough, Moore started laughing too.

"I think I like you." Campbell said, sounding happier than he'd sounded in the entire three days he'd been here. Before Moore could reply, Oliver loudly cleared his throat, earning everyone's attention.

"Getting back on topic…" The general began, looking directly at Campbell as he spoke. "…in spite of your insanity and lack of loyalty, you are undoubtedly one of the most effective agents I've ever had. Not only did you succeed in wiping out the Mojave branch of the Brotherhood of Steel, but you were also responsible for placing every securitron in the city under NCR control, and for the capture of Layla."

"And then I helped her escape." Campbell smirked.

"Yes." The anger was evident in his voice as he said that one word, but it vanished as he spoke again. "In light of your previous service to the NCR, I am willing to offer you a full pardon for your crimes, if you swear loyalty to the republic and serve me without question. Does that offer interest you?" Campbell had no wish to serve Oliver, no matter what perks he'd get, but he knew that if he returned to Layla's side, she and Veronica would become targets for Vulpes, and he couldn't risk putting them in danger. He inwardly sighed before replying.

"Give me back my coin, and you have a deal."

"And what guarantee do I have that you won't flip it and defect again?"

"What guarantee do **I **have that you won't kill me as soon as I outlive my usefulness?" An awkward silence filled the room, as Oliver tried to think of a response.

"Sir, Boone and I can keep an eye on him for you." Moore said. "If he even thinks about flipping his coin, I'm sure neither of us will hesitate to kill him, Boone especially." The sniper nodded, and Oliver sighed before leaning back in his chair.

"Fine, but you are forbidden from flipping the coin. If you do so, Boone will kill you. Boone will also be keeping an eye on you twenty four hours a day because, to be frank, we can't trust you."

"True." Campbell looked up at Boone, and a mocking grin appeared on his face. "So Boone will be like a pet puppy, following me around all the time? Aw, that's adorable. Granted, he's a pet puppy that will kill me if I so much as sneeze, but it's just nice to have a pet."

"Another rule, you may not speak unless spoken to." Oliver looked at Boone and Moore. "A rule for you two as well: no talking to Campbell…unless you're giving him orders."

"Oh, I have a rule!" Campbell announced, raising a hand as he did so. "I don't take orders from Smiley over here." Oliver and Boone narrowed their eyes at the same time. Campbell had to make a conscious effort not to laugh at this.

"By Smiley, I assume you mean Boone?"

"Yes." He elbowed Boone in the ribs for emphasis, only for the sniper to slap the back of his head again. _Worth it. _"My rule is as follows: I will not, under any circumstances, ever, take any orders from Craig Boone."

"You will take orders from myself, Moore, or Boone, and you will obey them without question." Oliver said, only for Campbell to surprise him by slamming a hand down on the table. Boone immediately pressed his 10mm SMG against the back of Campbell's head, but the merc didn't seem to notice.

"That wasn't a joke Oliver." He said, his light-hearted tone gone and replaced by a threatening, dark tone. "Boone made me kill a very dear friend of mine, and was unsympathetic to that friend's death. I won't follow any orders from him."

"You will do as you're told." Oliver barked.

"Oliver, with all due respect…**I'd sooner kill everyone in this room.**" On saying that, he suddenly moved. Grabbing a pen from Oliver's desk, he leapt out of his seat, shooting an elbow back as he did so. The elbow hit the sniper in the throat, and in the brief time he was distracted, Campbell reached his feet, spun on his heel so that he was facing Boone, and tackled him into the wall. Before Boone knew what was happening, his SMG had been knocked from his grasp, he was against the wall, and a ballpoint pen was inches away from his eye. Since his sunglasses were ruined in Operation Witch Hunt, the eye was uncovered, and completely defenceless. Just like that, Campbell had one of his least favourite people in the world at his mercy. Of course, Moore had a pistol pointed at his back, but that was a minor problem. "I'm tempted to make a pun about the pen being mightier than the sword. Would that be cheesy or not? What do you think Boone?" The sniper didn't reply.

"Campbell, stop." Oliver said, sounding like a school teacher scolding a naughty child, while slowly backing as far away as possible.

"Nah, I'd rather fill Boone's eye with ink…right before I rip it out and make him eat it." Campbell had an unhinged look on his face as he spoke, while Boone looked calm, as he usually did. On hearing the merc's words, Moore cocked her pistol, causing him to roll his eyes.

"I said stop."

"Look, I'll do anything that you and Moore tell me to do. If one of you says 'jump', I'll say 'how high'? Boone says 'jump', and I'll shoot him in the kneecaps before jumping up and down on said kneecaps."

"Point taken. I'll grant you the right to deny any order given to you by Boone, so long as you drop the pen." Campbell pretended to consider this for a moment, before shaking his head.

"Nah, I think I'll just kill him. I bet if I jam this thing far enough into his eye socket, I can stab him in the brain."

"Last warning Campbell: drop the pen, and let Boone go."

"What's my motivation?"

"If you don't, I'll shoot you in such a way that you'll be paralysed from the neck down for the rest of your life." Moore said casually, causing Campbell to burst out laughing.

"Wow, you don't screw around do you?"

"You'll find out in a few seconds." The female colonel smirked as she slowly took aim with her pistol.

"You know, I'm almost tempted to let you take that shot, just to see if you can manage it or not."

"Oh I've done it before. I then cut the paralysed guy's arms and legs off, while he couldn't feel a thing. Understandably, he lost his mind soon after, so I threw him in a ditch and went to the Gomorrah for a drink."

"You know, I think you and Layla would really hit it off if you had a chance to talk." Moore chuckled briefly at that.

"Yeah, you're not the first to tell me that."

"I bet I'm not, I bet I'm not." They both laughed for a brief moment, before Moore took aim again.

"So…drop the pen and step away from Boone, or spend the rest of your life as a vegetable?" Campbell stopped to think for a few moments, before sighing. He pressed the button on the end of the pen to retract the point, before putting it into an interior pocket on his trenchcoat and stepping away.

"I'm keeping your pen by the way." He informed Oliver, shortly before Boone's fist collided with his jaw. The punch caused him to land face first on the floor, but he didn't seem too bothered. While he got back to his feet, Boone stared daggers at him, Moore calmly put her pistol away, and Oliver slowly sat back down.

"So, do we have a deal?" Oliver asked as Campbell reached his feet.

"I can refuse any order given by Boone?" He asked, rubbing his chin as he did so.

"Yes."

"But I can't flip my coin?"

"No."

"Can I do coin tricks?"

"As long as they don't involve flipping the coin, yes."

"Hmm." Campbell took a moment to consider this, before walking towards the table. Oliver seemed worried that Campbell was going to draw the pen and try to stab **him **with it, but he calmed down once Campbell offered his hand. "It's a deal." Oliver shook the offered hand for all of five seconds, before letting go and gesturing towards the door.

"Our business is concluded. You can go now." Before Campbell could so much as speak, Boone started shoving him towards the door. The merc groaned as he was forcibly pushed out of the room, while Moore sat down in the chair opposite Oliver's desk.

"Sir…why did you ever hire him?" The colonel asked, looking back at the door as she did so. Oliver pinched his nose with two fingers, obviously expecting this question.

"He was rumoured to be the best of the best, a mercenary of unparalleled skill who could match Layla. Turned out he was all of that, and a complete and utter maniac. I figured sending a psychopath to kill a psychopath would be an effective strategy."

"But instead they formed a cabal and destroyed Camp McCarran."

"Yes." Oliver's anger rose as he said that word, but he calmed down again as he continued. "What is your opinion on him Cassandra?"

"Permission to speak freely sir?"

"Always." Moore thought for a moment, before answering.

"He's a dangerous, unstable lunatic who would have no qualms about killing all of us."

"Much like you." Oliver smirked. Moore frowned a little, but otherwise showed no reaction to the jibe.

"However, he's also a smooth talker, deceptively intelligent, clearly skilled, and won't let morals get in the way of completing an assignment, unlike Boone. He's also…admittedly…quite amusing."

"Final verdict?" Moore paused briefly before replying.

"I like him. He's a wild card to be sure, but I think in the grand scheme of things he could be more useful than Boone."

"And what if he betrays us again?"

"You have me helping you this time sir. If he becomes a turncoat, I'll kill him without a second thought." Oliver smiled, before leaning forwards and forming a pyramid shape with his fingers on the desk.

"Good. I'm glad there's one person in this place I can count on." With that, he leaned back again, and put his feet up on the desk. "So, why did you come in during my meeting with Campbell? I assume you have news?"

"I do." Moore replied nervously, while Oliver got out his engraved hip flask. "Well, two pieces of news."

"Go ahead." While the general opened the flask, Moore cleared her throat, before speaking.

"Firstly, I have reason to believe that Chief Hanlon is falsifying field reports." To her surprise, Oliver laughed as he heard her words.

"Finally, an excuse to get rid of that thorn in my side. I'll leave this to your discretion Cassandra." He looked downright jubilant as he poured the alcoholic contents of the flask down his throat, while Moore…still looked nervous.

"Secondly…the Enclave bunker…exploded this morning." Oliver dropped his flask, and started coughing and spluttering as he nearly choked on his booze. Moore sighed. He was going to shout again.

***Veronica***

Veronica seriously needed to kill something. Angry thoughts about Layla and Campbell were buzzing around in her head like annoying flies, but she took a mental fly swatter to them. Dwelling on her thoughts wouldn't help anyone, she needed to focus. _If I'd been focused on that day, Arcade might still be here. _One of her angry thoughts slipped free, but she supressed it before it could distract her. She'd accomplished her goal, she'd made it into the Legion, now all she could do was wait. If she stayed on the opposing side, she'd fight Campbell at some point, and when she did she'd send him to meet Arcade, to face the friend that he betrayed. _Bastard. _Another angry thought escaped. That one she allowed to stay free, as it represented her feelings at the moment. _Bastard. _

She'd been walking randomly ever since her argument with Layla, and now found herself at the arena in the middle of the Legion camp. Several muscular legionaries were stood outside, and found themselves being shouted at by an armless man. Surprised, Veronica did a double take; the man was definitely armless. Somehow, the former scribe sensed that Layla had been involved in the man's loss of his limbs.

"You call yourselves prime legionaries?!" The man shouted, rage and disappointment filling his voice. "You're pathetic, every single one of you!"

"But arena master, we…" One of the legionaries meekly spoke up, only to be quickly interrupted by the armless man, who seemed to be growing more furious by the second.

"Shut up!" He growled. "A woman is in that arena, a goddamn woman! Why can none of you men end her?! I should report your failure to the legate you pitiful wretches!" The conversation piqued Veronica's interest, so she found herself walking closer.

"What's going on here?" She asked as she approached, earning the attention of the assembled men.

"None of your business woman." The armless man snapped. _Oh goody…he's one of the sexist ones. _She thought with annoyance, before stepping closer. One of the legionaries reached out to stop her, but she grabbed his hand and twisted.

"I said…" The man cried out in pain as she wrenched his hand. "…what's going on here?" The armless man narrowed his eyes, and she released the hand of the legionary. He immediately backed away from her, until he was hiding behind the other legionaries. The former scribe didn't even spare him a passing glance. "I asked you a question Stumpy." The armless man bristled as he heard her jibe.

"I'm not here to answer the questions of women." Veronica shook her head, before walking over to one of the legionaries.

"Machete." She barked. Terrified beyond belief, the man handed her his blade, and she took it before walking back to the man she'd dubbed Stumpy. "Can I assume the Red Blade Witch took your arms?" She asked casually. He didn't reply, but the fact that his eyes widened and he shivered when he heard the name made it obvious. She gripped the handle of the machete with two fingers, and casually swung it back and forth like a pendulum as she spoke. "I'm a friend of hers." He paled, and she smirked. "Tell me…do you really want to lose the only two limbs you have left?" His gaze hardened, but his fear was obvious as he slowly backed away from her.

"My name is Otho." He said suddenly. "I am the master of this arena. The witch competed here long ago and…" He looked at his arms, noticeable shame in his eyes. "…dishonoured me."

"Yeah, she tends to do that from time to time." Still smirking, Veronica tossed the machete she was swinging into the air, and caught it by the handle in a firm grasp. "Now…what were you saying about a woman?" The look in Stumpy/Otho's face made it obvious that he didn't want to reply, but when he saw his own reflection in the blade of her machete, his tongue miraculously loosened.

"There is a woman in the arena, an NCR ranger. She was captured during the assault on Ranger Station Charlie, and has been sentenced to death in the arena. Unfortunately, it seems I was given boys instead of men, because nobody has been able to deliver the sentence." A look of pure frustration appeared on his face. "With just her bare hands, she has beaten every opponent I have thrown at her, and has even killed a centurion." It seemed that Veronica had found her chance to kill something.

"Never send a man to do a woman's job." She said, before walking towards the arena door.

"Were do you think you're going?" Stumpy/Otho asked, as he moved to block her way.

"I'm going to do what your mighty warriors couldn't do." Veronica replied snidely.

"No women are allowed in the arena. No exceptions."

"Except for Layla?" He gritted his teeth in anger.

"She…is the only exception."

"Guess what? I'm an exception too."

"You will not set foot in that arena."

"If you feel that strongly about it, then maybe we should ask Layla?" His annoyed expression vanished, to be replaced by one of pure fear. He turned white as a sheet, and immediately stepped out of her way.

"Th…that will not be…necessary." He said nervously, before nodding towards the arena door. "Please…go." She smiled maliciously, before dropping the machete, and walking through the arena door. The door was shut behind her as she entered, and she found herself standing face to face with an unfamiliar woman. She had curly dark brown hair and wore nothing more than a set of rags, but there was a burning fire in her eyes. She was a warrior, this one.

"Who are you?" The woman asked as Veronica stopped in front of her. "The Legion don't have female soldiers." The former scribe smiled pleasantly as she removed her power fist, and dropped it to the ground.

"No, they don't." She put her hands behind her back, before walking around the woman in a circle. "You haven't heard of me, nobody has. I'm the very little known friend of the very well-known Red Blade Witch. I don't have a cool moniker like her, but I can fight just as well as she can. I'm usually a very nice person, but I've been having a very rough time lately. A while ago, my entire family was killed in an explosion caused by the NCR. Recently, a friend of mine killed one of my closest friends and defected to the NCR. It…broke me a little. Today, I decided I'd kill the friend that betrayed me, joined the Legion as a special agent, and got into an argument with my best friend, the woman I'm in love with. I'm usually a very nice person, but today I'm in a very, **very **bad mood." She was mildly annoyed when the woman smirked.

"Let me guess…you're going to kill me?" Veronica smirked back.

"Eventually." She said darkly. "First, I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp. I'm usually a very nice person, but today…I need a little stress release." The woman seemed amused by this.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have serious problems?"

"Yes." Veronica smiled a sadistic smile, the mirror image of Layla's sadistic smile. "They're right." Without another word, she charged.

She was well aware that the woman she was fighting was an NCR ranger, but having killed plenty of them, she felt particularly confident. That changed when the woman easily dodged her kick, before rushing her unprotected back. She turned around just in time for the woman's foot to meet her face, sending her sprawling. She landed on her back, but quickly climbed back to her feet as the woman got into a fighting pose.

"Did they tell you I'm a ranger?" She asked confidently.

"Yes."

"Did they tell you I'm a veteran ranger?" _Shit._

"No."

"Basically…you're fucked." With that, the cocky woman charged. She delivered a barrage of rapid blows, but Veronica blocked every strike with one of her own. Fists and palms met each other at dizzying speed, with neither fighter managing to score a damaging blow. After deflecting a palm strike, Veronica clenched her right fist and tried to punch the ranger in the face. Her opponent dodged the attack however, before trying to sweep kick her. She leapt back to dodge the attack, while her opponent got up and rushed in for another strike. She aimed a straight kick at Veronica's face, only for the former scribe to block. She quickly punched the hooded girl in the ribs however, before bringing her knee up to meet Veronica's face. She then kicked Veronica away before trying a roundhouse kick, only for the former scribe to lean back, causing the kick to sail over her head. She launched a rapid punch as she got upright, hitting the ranger in the face and knocking her back. She followed up with a few more quick strikes, each hitting the woman in the face and knocking her further back. The ranger tried to punch her, but she grabbed the fist before kneeing her in the throat. The woman fell to her knees, and Veronica prepared a finishing blow, only for her opponent's free hand to punch her in the face. She stumbled back, accidentally letting go of the woman's other hand, and quickly suffered as the woman brought both fists together and slammed them into her face.

Veronica went down, while the woman charged and tried to kick her. She rolled away from the kick, before getting to her feet and kicking her opponent. The ranger blocked however, before quickly unleashing a barrage of punches. Veronica dodged and blocked every blow, only to be knocked off balance as the ranger suddenly kneed her in the gut. The woman aimed a spinning kick at her face while she was stunned, only for Veronica to duck under it. She punched the woman in the face, before sending a pair of quick kicks to her stomach that knocked her back. While the woman was dazed, Veronica charged and leapt into the air. The ranger's eyes widened as the former scribe's knee met her face, and she was knocked onto her ass.

"Oh I'm sorry, who's fucked exactly?" Veronica asked cockily as she landed on her feet.

"Not bad." The veteran ranger said as she got up, blood pouring from her mouth. "You're a lot better than these Legion pricks."

"I'm well aware of that." Both women got back into fighting stances, and each waited for the other to make the first move.

"I doubt they like having a woman here who's better than them. Oh well…they'll probably feel a lot better after they mount you." Veronica's expression hardened. "They don't have any woman around here without raping them at some point you know. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll make it quick." Veronica clenched one of her fists, fury radiating off her.

"Speaking of 'quick', I **was **going to make your death quick." A dark expression took over Veronica's face. "I've changed my mind." She charged the veteran without another word.

***Layla***

_I really hope Vulpes dies during the mission. _Layla thought, relieved to be out of Vulpes' tent. She walked away from the fox's lair, feeling better with every step as she made herself further and further away from him. She never enjoyed talking to Vulpes, and it was becoming harder and harder to resist killing him every time he entered her proximity. _How could I have had a thing for him when we first met? _She thought, embarrassed at the memory. The sheer, arrogant smugness of the man made her blood boil, as did his annoying tendency to blackmail her constantly, the condescending tone he always used when talking to her, and the fact that she could never outsmart him. Still, she could at least take solace in the fact that she was undoubtedly a better fighter than him, and she'd hopefully get to prove it one day. _If we fought, I would rip his throat out with my bare hands. _She thought viciously, before being distracted as several shouting voices got her attention.

She followed the voices, and found herself next to the arena. Legionaries were crowded around the structure, and several sat on the walls. It seemed there was a show going on. Eager to find out what was happening, Layla approached the man who knew more about the arena than anybody…an old friend of hers.

"Hello Otho." She said pleasantly as she walked up to the armless man. "My, it's been far too long. I'd shake your hand…" She smirked. "…but I know how you feel about women."

"Layla." He greeted her without emotion, though the anger on his face was obvious. "Go away."

"You know, normally I'd be threatened by you, but fortunately you seem to be armless now." _Oh god I'm turning into Campbell. _She realised with some small amount of horror as she quipped at Otho.

"I hate you." He growled, prompting her to smile widely.

"Ditto. So…what's going on in the arena today?"

"Some hooded girl who said she knew you is fighting a veteran ranger." He said stonily, before walking away. "If you want to watch, you'd better hurry…your friend won't last much longer." Layla's eyes widened at that, and she quickly ran towards the arena. All the spots on the wall were taken, but she quickly solved that problem by dragging one of the legionaries down, causing him to land headfirst in the dirt. She frantically clambered onto the wall, and saw that what Otho had said was true; Veronica was fighting a veteran ranger…and she was losing.

***Veronica***

_Dammit. _Veronica thought in frustration as she leant back against the wall. In the five minutes since the fight had begun, she'd been battered and bruised, and she was certain that she was noticeably less pretty than when she'd started. She tasted blood, and felt a liquid running out of her nose, which she assumed was also blood. The ranger was also bruised, but to a much lesser extent than her, and was looking pretty confident. The screaming and cheers of the surrounding legionaries made it difficult to concentrate, which was likely why Veronica had lost the advantage. _Yeah, that's it. Nothing to do with the fact that she's a veteran ranger, probably equal in skill to that ghoul that kicked my ass at The Tops, and again in Jacobstown. _She thought bitterly as the ranger rubbed her knuckles, before getting back into a fight pose. The former scribe gritted her teeth before righting herself, and getting into a fighting pose of her own. She would have rushed her adversary, but a nagging voice in her head was distracting her.

_Oh come on. If you can't even beat this bitch, then how the hell are going to beat Campbell? You can't avenge Arcade if you can't even kill the fucking small fries. _Ignoring her own thoughts, Veronica looked at her opponent, and tried to think of a strategy. The ranger was fast and strong, but she was fast and strong too, probably faster and stronger. If she could predict the NCR bitch's moves, then she might be able to…_Really, you're the one who's going to avenge Arcade? He's probably somewhere in Hell right now, shaking his head in disappointment._

"Shut up." She whispered, trying to ignore the mental taunts. She failed. _If Campbell saw this, he'd laugh at you. Face it, you're never going to kill him. He'll put you down, and you'll have to tell Arcade face to face that you failed to get justice for his death. _At that, Veronica snapped. She screamed, before charging directly at the ranger. Unfortunately, she'd been expecting this, and after batting away Veronica's hand, she punched her directly in the face. Veronica stumbled back, while her opponent knelt down, and picked up a small rock. Not deterred in the slightest, the former scribe rushed the NCR bitch again. She performed a roundhouse kick, but the ranger swerved to the side, before applying the rock to the side of Veronica's head.

The hooded girl's head span as the rock hit her, which only got worse when she was kneed under the chin and knocked to the ground. Everything was getting blurry, she couldn't think straight, and she could feel blood staining the inside of her hood. _Ow. _She thought, in a daze, while shakily getting to her feet. The ranger put a stop with this by striking Veronica in the ribs with a running kick, sending her rolling through the dirt. She ended up face first near the edge of the arena, coincidentally right next to where she'd dropped her power fist. The ranger saw the fist as she walked over, and dropped the rock on the hooded girl's head before picking the gauntlet up.

Veronica heard laughter, and it irritated her. She winced in pain as she was kicked onto her back, and when she looked up she saw a familiar face. _Campbell?! _She thought, her head still ringing. She wasn't sure what was going on, but the ranger was gone, replaced by the familiar bald mercenary himself. _This can't be real. _She thought as she tried to get up. _She must have given me a concussion…I'm hallucinating this…I have to be. _She managed to get into a crouch, but as she looked into the merc's eyes, memories came flooding back. In her mind's eye, she saw Campbell shooting Arcade, over and over again. The same horrible memory constantly repeated, until she couldn't take it anymore. Her anger reached an intensity she'd thought impossible, and she felt a white hot, burning sensation throughout her entire body. Her mind went blank, her vision went white, and her fury took over.

***Layla***

_Veronica…_Layla thought, concern etched onto her features as the former scribe struggled to get up, while the cocky NCR bitch slowly slipped on her power fist. She couldn't believe this…Veronica was actually losing. Not only that, but…wasn't this a battle to the death? The ranger was seconds away from killing her, with her own fist no less. Every one of Layla's protective instincts told her to jump into the ring and kill the bitch with her bare hands, but she managed to resist, as some small part of her still held hope that Veronica could turn this around. _She's tough, probably the toughest girl I've ever met. She can win this…she can…_Layla's thoughts were promptly interrupted as Veronica shouted at the top of her lungs, and punched the ranger in the face.

It was like someone had flipped a switch, as the momentum of the fight suddenly switched around. It was now the ranger that found herself on the defensive, and Veronica that was delivering the ass kicking. She quickly broke the arm attached to the hand that was wearing her power fist, forcibly removed it from the woman, dropped it, and kneed the woman in the gut. She delivered at least ten more knee strikes, before kicking the woman back. What followed was one of the most vicious, aggressive, and powerful combination of punches that Layla had ever seen. Veronica fought like a woman possessed, delivering punch after punch to the face of the NCR bitch. The woman's face quickly became a bruised mess, but the former scribe didn't let up for a second. She kept punching, over and over again, until her opponent barely seemed conscious. This was unreal; Layla had never seen her friend fighting like this. She was almost…feral, like a wild animal ripping apart its prey. The brutal storm of punches finally came to an end as the hooded girl struck with a furious headbutt, knocking her hood off her head and sending the ranger to the floor. She wasn't done however, as she immediately climbed onto the woman before wrapping both hands around the her throat.

She pushed the woman down into the ground, clamping on her throat with everything she had and grinning like a maniac all the while. Not content with just choking her however, she headbutted the ranger too, before headbutting her over and over again. Before long the former scribe's head was stained with her own blood, but she didn't seem to care; all she seemed to be focusing on was killing her opponent. Watching the fight (Though it could be barely be called a fight at this point, more like a slaughter), Layla was reminded of herself…and it terrified her. _Veronica…what's happened to you? _She thought, worry of a different kind welling up inside her as her best friend continued choking the ranger to death. The woman's face went blue, but Veronica continued squeezing and headbutting, until eventually her adversary stopped breathing. Still, it was another ten seconds until she let go, and she was panting heavily as she got to her feet.

The legionaries cheered the victor, while Layla wanted to just jump into the ring and hold her friend tight. Unfortunately, not only would that be a show of weakness that the Legion would not tolerate, but she knew she wasn't exactly Veronica's favourite person at the moment. The girl looked at her hands for a long while, and looked like she was going to be sick. She eventually snapped out of it however, shaking her head before pulling her hood up. She then walked over to her power fist, and picked it up. Her eyes met Layla as she slid the gauntlet onto her wrists, but he gaze somehow seemed…empty, like she was a million miles away. Her expression didn't change as she looked at Layla, and she soon looked away, before leaving the arena without a word. _Veronica…_The red haired one wasn't exactly sure what had just happened, but she knew it unnerved her. She sighed, before climbing down from the wall and walking away.

_**Hi. I threw myself on my sword. I missed. On with the pointless, rambling author note!**_

_**Sooo...Scary Veronica is scary? Seems like our favourite scribe really needs a hug. Yeah...hallucinating Campbell can't be good for anyone's sanity.**_

_**Anyway, on the subject of Vulpes' latest scheme: chemical warfare? Ooh la la. Seems like the Legion is really stepping up their game, though it's Vulpes we're talking about here, and he isn't exactly a stranger to brutal strategies now is he? Nipton massacre anyone? As if that wasn't bad enough, the gas they're using is the Cloud. Yes, that's the same Cloud that makes your life a living hell in Dead Money. The creepy red gas that fills the Seirra Madre, killing anything in its path...in weaponised form. Fun. All those fans who have a thing for Vulpes (You know who you are) constantly seem to forget the fact that he's a brutal bastard, he's the only high ranking member of the Legion to have very evil karma (Caesar and Lanius have neutral), and he's a...in Layla's words...'smug git'. I thought I'd give a little reminder, as if his role in Campbell's defection to the NCR and his murder of Daisy Whitman wasn't enough of a hint.  
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_**In other news, Campbell hates being with the NCR (Obviously), but he seems to have struck up an odd little rapport with Cassandra Moore of all people. Where will this lead? (No romance stop reading into things.) Speaking of Moore, she's going to do something about Chief Hanlon, aka the last living good guy in the NCR (Boone's Lawful Neutral at best). I think I speak for everyone when I say: uh-oh.**_

_**...This chapter came out quick didn't it? SORRY! Since I'm an idiot who apparently can't stick to a deadline, I make no promises for the next chapter. Well, I can promise that it'll be a big steaming dollop of character interaction with little to no violence, but that's it. Oh and by the way, you know how every so often I have some big set piece chapter, the big 20,000 or so word chapters that contain loads of action, character stuff and major plot happenings? You know, like the fight with Marjorie and the White Gloves to save Veronica, the NCR's invasion of the Brotherhood bunker, the mission to kill President Kimball, the destruction of Camp McCarran etc. You know, the best chapters? Yeah...the mission to destroy Camp Golf will be one of those. (Yay!) You realise of course how long it takes to make a big set piece chapter right? (DAMMIT!) I'll be in my bunker if you want to rage at me.**_

_**In closing...the 'pen is mightier than the sword' scene was completely spontaneous, utterly unplanned...and ended up as one of my all time favourite Campbell scenes. I really like the bit where he wondered if he could stab Boone's brain with the pen...because I'm weird like that. :)**_


	59. Communication

_**Oh my god, a new chapter! **_

_**The name is because Hanlon is under fire for falsifying communications reports, and because this entire chapter is people talking. *Sigh* Me being shit at coming up with titles didn't stop being a thing that was true in the time it took me to write this. Firing squad, you may now take aim. I'll do it without the blindfold if you please.**_

Communication

Layla found herself shivering while she walked home, as the chill night air did its best to freeze her. Still, her spirits were impossible to dampen at the moment, as she had her sword back. Sure, carrying it was difficult (She'd had to holster it on her back, along with the katana holstered on her hip), and sure, there was the whole thing with Veronica, but she was determined to stay in high spirits. There wasn't a cloud or a star in the sky that night, not that she noticed as she was too busy talking to her sword. She'd spent her entire journey home from the moment she'd left Cottonwood Cove speaking to the blade, telling it about the adventures she'd been on since losing it, and informing it of what it had missed. She was just getting to the part when she and her friends had found the Remnants' bunker when she walked over a hill, and finally spotted Arcade's shack.

"I'll tell you the rest later." She told the blade on her back, unsure whether she was being truthful or not as she didn't exactly want to relive the later moments in the bunker. Maintaining her good mood became a more difficult task the closer she got to the building, as her instincts told her Veronica would be waiting inside. She sighed in annoyance as she realised the ridiculous truth: she was terrified of seeing her best friend in the world, the girl who meant more to her than anything. _I really hate my life sometimes. _She thought bitterly as she neared the shack. She walked as slowly as possible, but she couldn't escape the inevitable, and before long she stood on the front doorstep. Next to the front door was a sign that her instincts had been right: Veronica's muddy boots. She was home.

"Okay, relax." She whispered to herself as she hovered nervously in front of the door. "This is Veronica we're talking about here. She's on your wavelength. You can talk to her. Relax." Layla wasn't exactly prone to taking advice from dangerous lunatics, but since it was advice from herself, she had little choice. She took a deep breath, before stepping forward and opening the front door.

It was just as cold inside as it was outside; colder even. Her breath was fully visible as she breathed out, before crossing the threshold into the building. All the lights were off, making the interior dark and foreboding. The only illumination was directly opposite the front door, where a number of candles had been placed on the floor and various pieces of furniture. In the middle of the illumination, sat in the window with a blanket wrapped around herself, was Veronica. Her power fist and gloves sat on the window sill next to her, and it looked like she was clad in small clothes under the blanket, though she was still wearing her hood. She turned as she heard Layla breathe, and the red haired one was mildly perturbed as she saw her friend's face. On the surface, the face was devoid of emotion, but the redness in Veronica's eyes and the stains on her cheeks made it obvious that she'd been crying. The former scribe didn't say a word, instead turning and looking back out of the window. After shutting the front door behind her to avoid letting the cold in, Layla slowly walked forwards.

"Hi." She said quietly as she reached the sofa opposite the window.

"Hey." Veronica replied in a reticent tone, pulling the blanket up to her chin as she did so. Slowly, Layla placed her two swords, the katana's sheathe and the sword's holster on the armchair next to the sofa. Now free to move properly, she sat down on the sofa and tried to look her friend in the eye. The blanketed girl avoided her gaze however, continuing to look out of the window.

"You okay?" The red one asked…before feeling immensely stupid. _Hey Veronica! I know you recently lost one of your best friends, had an argument with the girl you're in love with earlier and viciously beat a woman to death in a mad rage…but you're feeling good right? IDIOT. _Before she could mentally kick herself more, the girl in the window replied.

"Not really." She turned back to Layla as she spoke, a small smile on her face. "I've had a pretty bad day." It was obvious to Layla at the smile was forced, and the fact that her best friend even had to force a smile caused a dull pain in her chest.

"I didn't exactly help matters." She said apologetically, while idly drumming her fingers on the arm of the sofa to her left. "About earlier…"

"Don't." The former scribe said suddenly in a hard tone, prompting Layla to be quiet. "I don't want to talk about it." She turned to look out the window after saying that, right as it started to rain outside.

"I'm sorry." Layla said sheepishly, while looking down at the floor as the water droplets quietly thudded against the window outside. An uneasy silence descended upon the room, which Veronica broke after a few minutes.

"Did you hear the news?" The witch tilted her head in confusion, so Veronica elaborated. "About the Followers?" Layla whitened significantly as she realised what her friend was talking about.

"I…" Veronica turned to look at her, and she sighed. "…yeah, I heard."

"Weird that the Followers of the Apocalypse should be destroyed a short time after a Followers doctor with connections to the Enclave was killed isn't it?" She said sharply, while turning to look out of the window again.

"…You think the NCR was responsible?" Layla asked slowly, trying to make doubly sure she was following Veronica's train of thought.

"Well, in General Oliver's twisted little head, the Followers could all seem like possible Enclave agents, and the only way to make sure the Enclave doesn't resurface is to kill all of them." Veronica's face was devoid of expression, but her tone of voice made it obvious just how much this enraged her. Unsure how to respond to this, Layla stayed silent, while her friend quietly seethed. "Do you think he sent Campbell to kill them?" She asked moments later, earning Layla's attention.

"Campbell wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't kill the innocent Followers?" Veronica interrupted harshly. "But…he killed Arcade didn't he?"

"He's a good man." Veronica scoffed at that.

"He's not, and even if he was…once he flips that coin, he's completely loyal to whoever it tells him to serve. If Oliver told him to go on a massacre, he'd do it." As the former scribe continued talking, Layla noticed that her fists were gripping the blanket tightly. Before she could say anything however, Veronica let go of the sheets, before sighing and looking out of the window again. "I guess we'll never know." She said quietly, as the rain continued to drench the desert outside.

"Veronica…" Layla began, only to be abruptly cut off again.

"You know…if Arcade survived the bunker, and lived to see the Followers die…I think he'd probably kill himself anyway. Good thing Campbell already did the job for him right? Now he and the Followers are together." There was a smile on her face, but it was cruel and twisted, and her words were filled with venom. Having listened to enough of this, Layla decided to put her concerns out in the open.

"Veronica…I'm worried about you." She said quietly, only for her friend to chuckle quietly. The chuckling stopped as Veronica's reddened eyes turned back to her, and she saw that they were filled with fury.

"Why? I'm just following your example. If someone wrongs you, you hunt them down and make them pay. Isn't that what you've always done? Isn't that why we're even on this damned quest? We both want to pay the NCR back." She clenched her fists, before throwing the blanket off of her. "Well guess what? I want to pay Campbell back now. You can't tell me he doesn't deserve it." That same hatred was there again, the hatred that had chilled Layla the last time they spoke. _I have to get through to her. _

"Look, just listen to me…"

"NO!" The former scribe snapped, before hopping down from the window sill. She stood in front of the sofa, anger now plain as day on her face. "Nothing you say will convince me. Campbell took Arcade from us, so he has to die. It's that **fucking **simple. Either help me or get lost." Layla couldn't help but feel wounded as her friend's aggressive words crashed into her, but she refused to back down. She sat up straight on the sofa, before looking Veronica dead in the eye.

"I won't kill Campbell, and I won't let you do it." A furious look flashed through Veronica's eyes as she heard the red one's words.

"Why not?! You'd do it if it were anyone else!"

"Not if it was you." That seemed to knock Veronica off guard, as for a moment, her anger seemed to diminish, replaced by confusion.

"Well yeah but…"

"And do you know why? Because we're friends, kin. We've been through so much together, fought through thick and thin, protected each other, helped each other. We're family. And guess what? Campbell's family too." Though Veronica had seemed to be calming down as Layla spoke, the last sentence caused her anger to flare up again.

"He's scum!" Fed up of pleading, Layla felt her own temper spike, and she rose to her feet.

"If it wasn't for him we'd be dead!" The volume of her voice rose as her body did, and she stared intently into Veronica's eyes as she stood in front of the sofa. "He helped us escape from Camp McCarran, he gave us a place to hide in The Tops, he deactivated the securitrons, he got me a new sword, he helped you destroy Camp McCarran, he got us out of The Tops when the NCR attacked, he helped us find and recruit the Remnants, he helped hold the line when we had to defend the bunker, arguably killing more than either of us! He's fought alongside us, helped us when we needed help, made us laugh when we needed cheering us, supported us when we needed it, gave us advice to help us along. He's as much family to me as you or Arcade, and I will not see him die." The passion in Layla's words surprised even her, but Veronica refused to back down.

"I don't care who he **was**, now he's an enemy! The long and short of it is, Arcade's dead because of him!"

"Boone gave him the order! If you want to blame anyone, blame him. Hell, blame the whole fucking NCR, add more fuel to the fire." Veronica's fist clenched ever tighter, and she seemed seconds away from throwing a punch. Instead, she sighed, before opening her hand. Indentations had been left on the palm from where her nails had dug into it, and the multitude of similar marks suggested she'd been doing it a lot lately.

"Look…I understand what you're saying, okay? You make good points, but he's on the enemy's side whether you like it or not." Her temper seemed to have subsided for a moment, as her voice was perfectly calm while she spoke. "One day, we **will **have to fight him, and whatever way his coin flip comes up, I'm going to kill him." Layla sounded less calm when she replied.

"No you're not."

"If it comes down to my life or his, I'm choosing his. You'd do the same thing." Layla shook her head.

"No, I'd try to bring him back to us." That seemed to set Veronica off. She clenched her fists tightly again, and when she spoke, the calm voice she'd used earlier was filled with rancour.

"Why can't you fucking understand this?! HE **WON'T **COME BACK, AND EVEN IF HE DOES, I DON'T FUCKING WANT HIM BACK!" She yelled, voice drowning out even the persistent tapping of the rain on the window outside.

"You can't throw away everything he meant to you just because…"

"DON'T TELL ME HOW TO FEEL!" Layla recoiled as if she'd been struck, while Veronica started shaking with visible rage. "I **HATE **HIM, AND I WILL SEE HIM DIE! Don't tell me not to do that; don't tell me not to hate the bastard who took a loved one away from me…because I've never done it to you." Those words hit close to home, and Layla felt something inside her break as she heard them. Throughout their entire journey, Veronica had never, ever told her that her hatred for the NCR was unjustified. While she hadn't always shared Layla's distaste for the organization or her lust of vengeance, she'd never judged her for feeling that way. _She's never told me what to feel. Am I…am I telling her what to feel, and if so, am I right in doing so? _

"Veronica…" She couldn't think of anything else to say, so she simply said her friend's name in a pleading tone. The former scribe's expression never changed, but when she next spoke, her tone was different. She didn't sound furious and vengeful anymore; she sounded…hurt, and confused.

"He…he just shot him." She said, more to herself than anyone else. "Why? Why would he do that? I just…I don't understand. They were the best of friends, as close as you and me, and he killed him. I trusted him…we all trusted him." She seemed to be seconds away from crying, and Layla instinctively stepped forward to comfort her. No sooner had she made a single step however, than the fire started to burn anew in Veronica's reddened eyes, and the rage returned to her voice. "He's a fucking traitor!"

"He did it for us." Layla said softly, but the hooded one wasn't having any of it.

"BULLSHIT!"

"If Campbell hadn't gone along with Boone's orders, what do you think would have happened?" Layla said forcefully. "Boone would have shot him, and **he'd **be at the top of your shit list instead. If Campbell hadn't gone along with it, he'd be dead and we'd either be awaiting execution, or dead with him."

"STOP DEFENDING HIM!" The former scribe screamed at her. "It's like you're glad that he killed Arcade!"

"I'm glad we're alive! I'm glad we're not all dead! I'm not saying it was the right choice, and I'm sure I would have chosen differently in his shoes, but dammit he kept us alive!"

"Yeah, and all he had to do was kill Arcade and defect to the enemy's side."

"This way we can still fight the NCR. Who'd be fighting them if we were dead?"

"I'd prefer to be dead!" Veronica's words echoed throughout the small room, and hit her friend harder than anything she'd ever faced in battle. Layla failed to respond to that simple statement, so she just stood there, staring quietly, as an uneasy, dark silence filled the room. "I'd prefer it, okay? There'd be no more pain, no more suffering, no more loss. It'd just be me, you, Campbell and Arcade; our family, together forever. I'd get to see the Brotherhood again, and you'd get to see your parents. You can't honestly tell me it wouldn't be better." For the longest time, Layla found herself unable to answer. She hated to admit it, but her friend had a point. Their lives were filled with so much hardship, so much tragedy…ending it all seemed like an attractive prospect at times. Still, it wasn't right, and Layla knew it. She shook her head, and sighed, before responding.

"…Maybe it would…but if I have to give up my goal, if I have to face my parents and tell them I failed to avenge them, if I have to live for eternity with the knowledge that I gave up and let the NCR continue to ruin the lives of people just like us…then that's not an afterlife worth having." All anger seemed to have vanished from Veronica's face now, replaced by a crushing sadness. It looked like the will to fight had been drained out of her, and she seemed to have aged several years.

"Layla…" She said weakly, and Layla realised that she was begging…actually begging. "…it's too difficult. Everything, it's just…I can't do it anymore. Why…why can't we just…"

"No!" Layla snapped, interrupting her friend midsentence and scaring the life out of her. "I still have a life to live, and so do you! Just listen to yourself! This isn't the Veronica I know."

"I'm just…tired. Tired of all this pointless fighting and loss, tired of all the bullshit." She looked it too; tired…exhausted…it looked like she barely had the energy left to stand. "Would it really be so wrong to just…"

"YES!" Layla's tone hardened significantly as she stepped forward, and clamped a hand onto each of Veronica's shoulders. She looked directly into her friend's eyes, and didn't look away for an instant as she spoke. "Dammit, yes! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Veronica looked like she'd been slapped, and she tried to turn away, but Layla removed a hand from her shoulder and grabbed her head, before turning the hooded girl to face her. "Veronica, I'm an amoral psychopath, I know that, and I fully endorse many things including murder and torture…but suicide is something I simply cannot stand. Life is a gift, something to be cherished and used to its fullest extent. Life is the greatest thing we have, the one thing we're born with, and the one thing we'll die with. If you end your life before its time, you're throwing the gift away, sullying it. There are thousands of people throughout history who would give anything to have that life you're throwing away, to have the chance to live. Squandering your life…that's something I can't tolerate."

"But…" Veronica said weakly, only to be viciously cut off.

"BUT NOTHING!" Layla yelled in her face. "You, Veronica Santangelo, are a fighter, not a quitter! DON'T YOU DARE TAKE THE FUCKING EASY WAY OUT!" Veronica was speechless. In all the time they'd known each other, Layla had never, ever used her second name. Ever. Hearing her surname come from the mouth of the person she cared about more than anything, but hearing it sound so twisted with anger and venom…it was more than Veronica could take. She started crying. More than that, she bawled her eyes out. She pressed her face into Layla's shoulder as tears poured uncontrollably from her eyes, and let out all the anger, hatred and grief that had been building up inside her over the past few days. The red haired one tried to hug her, but Veronica escaped her grasp, and stepped away from her. Tears still ran down her face, and she gave Layla an unreadable look, before running away. Before the witch could stop her, she ran into her bedroom, and slammed the door shut.

_Dammit. _Layla thought, angry at herself again. _Oh yeah, yell at your suicidal best friend and call her a coward. What the hell is wrong with you? _She mentally chastised herself, before sighing as she pinched the bridge of her nose with the thumb and index finger of her right hand. Part of her wanted to go after Veronica, to knock on the bedroom door and apologise, but the rarely used rational part of her brain knew that was a bad idea. _She needs time to think. _Layla nodded as she thought this, before sitting back down on the sofa. _And besides…I've done enough already. _She thought bitterly, before punching the seat cushion to her right.

***Campbell***

Campbell couldn't sleep. Considering the recent occurrences in his life and the attached neuroses, this was hardly surprising. _I need a drink. _He thought as he sat up in the bed of his tiny room/cell at Hoover Dam, and yawned tiredly. _Three days without sleep cannot be good for me. _He turned on the lamp on the bedside table, looked at his reflection on the screen of his Pip Boy, and sighed. He looked like hell. The small amount of stubble that usually adorned his face had transformed into a full scraggly beard. It hadn't grown into a bushy mountaineer's beard yet, but was still noticeably rough and untidy. Far more noticeable than his facial hair were the thick black bags under his eyes, obvious clues as to his sleep deprivation.

After getting out of bed and dressing himself in his usual attire, he walked up to the door of his cell. The second he opened it, a pair of NCR service rifles were pointed in his face.

"Where do you think you're going?!" One of the soldiers asked. These two, Privates Simms and Tell, were the two unfortunate souls assigned to guard him. Usually Boone stood outside his cell at all times, but even the rock who walked like a man needed sleep, so the privates were assigned to guard him at night. Both privates currently had their rifles pointed directly at him…not that he cared in in the slightest.

"Can't sleep." He said simply. "Going for a walk."

"Like hell!" One of them said. "You are to stay in your cell unless instructed otherwise by General Oliver." Campbell couldn't remember if this runt was Simms or Tell, but he was certainly grating on the merc's nerves.

"Get back in your cell!" The other goon ordered, and Campbell decided to stop being nice.

"No." He said in a tone devoid of emotion, before drawing a gun from inside his trenchcoat. Before the men could even process this, Simms (Or was he Tell? They looked so alike, it was impossible to tell) screamed in pain as he was struck with a concentrated blast of electricity. _Thank you Daisy Whitman. _Campbell thought as he put away the old woman's gun, before grabbing the other soldier (Tell?) by the collar. While the electrocuted soldier (Simms?) collapsed to the floor, Campbell stepped out of the room, spun around, and slammed the remaining private headfirst into the wall. The grunt crumpled like a paper bag, and the merc swiftly dumped the two men in his cell, before dusting himself off, straightening his trenchcoat, putting his hands in his pockets, and going for his walk.

_Good thing Oliver gave me my stuff back. _He thought as he strolled down one of the dam's many grey corridors, smiling as he thought about all the fun toys he had inside his coat. Of course, he couldn't actually use any of them since he was on the NCR's team now, but just having them was a comfort. Being a walking armoury did wonders for one's self esteem.

The dam was quiet now, with only a few guards on duty to keep an eye on things. Plenty of these guards spotted the infamous mercenary walking the corridors idly whistling to himself, but none stopped him. Either they assumed he had permission to be wandering around, or they knew he didn't but were too scared of him to say anything. Whatever the reason, nobody bothered him, and he found himself free to wander the base at his leisure. Unfortunately, Hoover Dam was painfully boring. After five minutes of exploration, he found himself on top of the dam, bored out of his mind. _I might as well have just stayed in my room. _He thought glumly as he looked over the top of the structure. The towering landmark didn't even offer an impressive view, though that may have been because it was too dark to see anything.

"Well, well, isn't this an unexpected treat?" A familiar voice said right as Campbell was beginning to consider going back to bed. He turned towards the voice, and found a familiar acquaintance standing there.

"Good evening." Campbell said politely to Colonel Cassandra Moore…and her entourage of heavily armed NCR soldiers.

"I'm surprised you're allowed to be out so late." She said in a knowing tone, while her goon squad stepped back to give her and the merc some privacy.

"I'm not." He replied simply, not an ounce of fear or concern in his voice. "Are you going to tell on me?" The colonel chuckled at that.

"No, I don't think so. You amuse me."

"I've often considered becoming a comedian…or a court jester. Since Oliver seems close to turning the Mojave into a monarchy, maybe I'll get to try out the latter soon enough." Moore smirked, before looking out over the top of the dam.

"Oliver's a fool." She said bluntly.

"No arguments here." Campbell replied with an amused grin.

"I mean, I respect his ruthlessness and tenacity, but he doesn't have the slightest idea what he's doing. With him in command, I get the feeling that very soon this view will be peppered with miles of crosses and Legion flags." The merc leaned back against the railing on the dam's edge, and offered her a sideways glance.

"Not that I don't agree with everything you're saying…but how can you get away with saying it? I thought Oliver had spies everywhere?"

"He does…but they report to me." Moore replied, a sinister smile on her face.

"I see." Campbell paused for a moment, before moving away from the railing, turning back so he could see the view, and patting Moore on the shoulder. "Well…good look with your coup." The woman's eyes widened significantly, amusing the merc to no end.

"Wha…what are you…" She stuttered, prompting Campbell to grin.

"Oh come on Cassandra, it's painfully obvious. You want to kill Oliver and take his place right?" Moore's expression and tone hardened as she replied.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." To her surprise and indignation, Campbell laughed at that.

"Cassandra…really…what do you take me for?" He smiled.

"A madman." His smile widened, increasing her ire ever further.

"I may be insane…but I'm not an idiot." He said sagely as he leant forwards, placing his arms on the railing, and his head on his arms. "I've been around for quite a while Cassandra, and I've seen a lot of stuff. I can tell when someone's about to betray someone else, and you've got all the signs." The colonel reached for the holster on her hip where she kept her pistol as she spoke.

"If you breathe even a single word to Oliver…" She began, only for the merc to cut her off by moving away from the railing and patting her on the head.

"Oh Cassandra, don't worry yourself." He said pleasantly as he laid his arms and head on the railing again, while Moore bristled from having been touched by him. "I wouldn't want you to get grey hairs over little old me."He flashed her a warm smile, knocking her off guard somewhat. "I hate Oliver, you hate Oliver, so why would I tell him? Personally, I'm interested to see how your little coup plays out. Besides, even if I did tell him, do you really think the good general would trust me, the maniac who's already betrayed him once and has a long history of mental instability, or you, a woman with an equally long history of mental instability who also happens to be his beloved protégé?" Moore stopped to consider this for a moment, before eventually sighing and moving her hand away from her holster.

"Well…alright." She said apprehensively. "But if you breathe even a word to Oliver…"

"My lips are sealed." He said in a reassuring tone, before looking up at the sky and asking her a very obvious question. "So…why are you up here anyway?"

"Why are you up here?" She shot back almost immediately.

"Insomnia. Thought a walk would help." He explained without missing a beat, before gesturing for her to take her turn.

"I'm on a mission for Oliver." She said mysteriously.

"Sounds like fun." The merc said enthusiastically. "Can I come?"

"Absolutely not."

"Oh I get it…you'd have a lot more fun with Mr and Mrs EXCITEMENT over there right?" He said sarcastically, before gesturing to the two soldiers that had been accompanying Moore. Both were male, and both looked extremely dull. The colonel looked at them for approximately ten seconds, before turning back to Campbell.

"Agree to speak only when spoken to…and I will consider it." She said stonily, and he grinned as he moved away from the railing and turned to face her.

"I swear." He said in an overly dramatic tone, and Moore sighed before walking away. "So…what's the mission?" The merc asked as he walked after her.

"We're going to Camp Golf to visit an old friend." She replied cryptically, a sadistic smile on her face.

***Layla***

_Stupid…everything. _Layla mentally growled as she slashed at the mannequin with her oversized blade; the same mannequin that Campbell had used when infiltrating Arcade's home (He'd told her about it around the campfire at some point). The weather had cleared up for a moment, so the witch was taking the chance to get some training in before the rain returned. She was angry, but that was fine since she used anger as fuel when fighting, and she needed to fight now so that she could get used to her original sword again. It wasn't that she disliked the katana (She'd told the katana that face to face earlier), but she planned to use both blades, so she needed to recall her skill for her original weapon. Fortunately, the knowledge was ingrained into her mind and her muscles, and she instinctively recalled it with impressive speed. Less than ten minutes after beginning the session she was already wielding the blade like a pro again.

As for her anger…well…it was fairly easy to deduce where that was coming from. She'd recently lost two friends on a mission that it later turned out was utterly pointless, she'd been blackmailed by the desert fox again, and not only had she argued with her best friend earlier, but in what she considered a spectacular display of insensitivity and harshness, she'd called said friend a coward for considering suicide. She'd never been the most gentle, understanding person, but still…she hated herself for having said that. _Stupid! _She thought harshly as she banged the hilt of her greatsword against her forehead. _I'll be lucky if she ever speaks to me again. _Her anger hit its zenith, and she roared a ferocious battle cry before slashing the mannequin/training dummy. Unfortunately, she hadn't noticed the rock in her path, and inevitably, she tripped over it. _I hate my life. _She thought bitterly as she landed face first in the dirt in front of the mannequin, and her sword landed next to her head.

"Nobody can ever know about that." She whispered to the sword, before getting to her feet. She turned towards the shack to pick up her sword…and realised that she was being watched.

"Hi." Veronica said with a nervous wave as she realised she'd been spotted. The red haired one immediately lowered her guard, and relaxed her grip on the sword before holding it casually in one hand.

"Hey." Layla replied, slight confusion entering her voice. Veronica was sitting just outside the house, on the steps leading out of the backdoor. She was wearing her robes again and her hood was pulled up to shield her face from the cold. Layla had no idea what she was doing here. "Is…something wrong?" She asked nervously, and the girl shook her head in response.

"No." She replied in a tone that was difficult to read. The fact that Layla had always been bad at reading emotions (Apart from anger) certainly didn't help. "I…just wanted to watch." The girl with the greatsword tilted her head to the side in obvious bemusement.

"Come again?" An embarrassed blush crossed Veronica's features, and she pulled her hood down to further cover her face as she replied.

"I…I like watching you when you practice." She said quietly. "The way you use the sword…you're amazing." It was Layla's turn to blush now.

"Well…I don't know about that." She said sheepishly, idly scratching the back of her head with her free hand as Veronica got to her feet.

"I'm sorry about before." She said seriously, pulling her hood up to show more of her face as she did so. "I just…"

"You have **nothing **to apologise for." Layla cut her off, putting heavy emphasis on the word 'nothing'. "I was insensitive, and…and…well…a prick." Veronica couldn't help but giggle at that. It was a brief giggle, but it was a giggle nonetheless, and it warmed the red one's heart to hear it.

"While that **is **true…some of what you said…you were right. Life is a gift, and I shouldn't just throw it away." A small smile wormed its way onto her face, and Layla couldn't help but match it.

"So…I know we've been arguing recently but…I just…where do we stand?"

"The same place we've always stood: as friends, companions, together till the end." Layla's smile widened, and she decided not to mention Campbell, lest she spoil the moment. Veronica smiled back, before sitting down again. The red haired one turned around, and was about to return to her training…when an important question entered her head. She hated to make Veronica sad again, but there was little choice. She sighed, before turning to face the scribe again.

"I need to ask you something." She said, causing Veronica to stiffen visibly.

"I'm not talking about Campbell." She replied firmly, prompting Layla to shake her head.

"This isn't about him." She took a deep breath, before elaborating. "Back in the arena, you…" Veronica interrupted by getting to her feet.

"I'm not talking about that either." She started to head back inside, only for Layla's voice to stop her.

"I'm just worried about you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." Veronica turned back to face her, an annoyed look on her face.

"I **am**." Layla shook her head.

"The way you fought in the arena…I've never seen you like that." Veronica scoffed at that.

"You fight like that all the time, worse than that even. What's the problem?"

"You tell me." The hooded girl looked away, and Layla took a few steps closer, walking back towards the house.

"It's nothing…"

"Veronica…"

"Don't worry about it."

"How many times do I have to tell you? **You **are my number one concern. You. If there's something wrong, then tell me." The former scribe was silent for a time, before sighing and plopping back down on the top step.

"Dammit." A wan smile appeared on her face. "You're a prier, you know that?" Layla smirked.

"It's to keep you safe. I make no apologies." With that, she stabbed her sword into the ground, before leaning on it. "So…what's wrong?"

"It's the Campbell thing again." Both girls suddenly looked immensely uncomfortable.

"What specifically happened out there?" Veronica lowered her head, eventually resting it between her knees.

"I saw Campbell." The witch showed a visible reaction to that, so Veronica quickly tried to calm her down. "He wasn't really there…at least…I don't think he was." She looked down at the ground. "I just…I was losing the fight…then I looked up…and the ranger bitch was gone. Campbell was in her place, and he was laughing at me. I relived that moment when he shot Arcade over and over again…then I lost it. Next thing I knew, the ranger was dead, my hands hurt, my knuckles were covered with blood, and there was no sign of Campbell." She shivered against the chill night air, and Layla felt a strong urge to go over there and hug her. Instead, she stayed rooted to the spot, and patiently waited for Veronica to speak again. "Christ, listen to me. I sound like a maniac. Hallucinating…God, even you haven't gone that far. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing." Layla replied as she pulled her sword out of the ground and stepped closer. "Nothing is wrong with you."

"Then how do you explain the hallucinatory Campbell?" Layla shrugged.

"You went through a traumatic event recently, and Campbell's been dominating your mind since then. Maybe…" She stopped to think for a moment, before shaking her head in a frustrated manner. "I don't know. Sorry…I'm not exactly a psychologist…or a smart person." Veronica looked up, a small smile on her face.

"I still love you." She said affectionately.

"I know you do." Layla smiled back. "And don't worry about this whole hallucination thing." The scribe frowned.

"But, how can I not? I can take being mentally unbalanced…hell, I can even take being sadistic on occasion, but hallucinations? That's too far. I…I can't…" Layla quickly stepped forward, and placed a reassuring hand on her head.

"We'll get through this. Remember, no matter what happens, I'll always be here to help you. You're a survivor, and you can survive this too."

"What, I can survive going completely and utterly insane?"

"As Campbell would say: sanity is overrated." Though she hated hearing his name, Veronica found it impossible to stop herself from smiling at Layla's words.

"You're a bad influence." She said quietly, before hugging Layla's leg. "Thank you." Layla used the hand already on Veronica's head to pull down her hood and lovingly stroke her hair. Moments later, the rain returned with a vengeance, quickly drenching the desert around them.

"I think we should go inside." Layla said in a deadpan tone as the mannequin she'd been fighting was soaked. Fortunately, the two girls were just barely under the roof, meaning that the water couldn't reach them.

"I agree." Veronica replied as she got to her feet. Now that Layla could see her face, she noticed that her eyes were red and puffy, like she'd been crying. The red one didn't comment, instead, walking up the steps and opening the back door.

"Oh by the way…I got my sword back." She grinned widely, and Veronica laughed.

"I noticed. How did that happen?" The scribe walked through the open door, and Layla followed, before shutting it behind her.

"Long story."

***Hanlon***

Chief Hanlon was…troubled. Ever since the death of his good friend James Hsu, he had been forced to use his secondary plan for dethroning General Oliver…and it wasn't working. The plan had been to falsify intelligence reports in order to drop soldier morale, then organise the disappointed soldiers into a resistance movement and get rid of the general.. Unfortunately, while falsifying the reports was a simple task, and morale had certainly plummeted, none of the men or women he'd spoken to dared to stand against Oliver. He couldn't blame them of course, since Oliver was seemingly all powerful and all-knowing at the moment, not to mention the fact that he had the notoriously psychopathic Cassandra Moore ready to painfully torture anyone who stood against him, but the Chief still couldn't help but feel frustrated. At this rate, he'd never be able to get enough people to fight for the cause, which meant the men and women under his command would be stuck in this desert for good…if they weren't all slain when the incompetent general commanded the upcoming battle at the dam.

He sighed, before pouring himself a cup of tea using his pre-war teapot, and sipping from his cup. The sun had gone down before, and it was slowly approaching the midnight hour. He still sat on his balcony however, since there was little point going inside and he had musing to do. He looked out onto the river, and sighed again.

There were few things worse than having an idiotic superior; less if that superior had gone mad with power and was trying to turn his area of jurisdiction into a totalitarian government/monarchy with himself as the ruler. It was only a matter of time before the madman started having statues of himself built, and if he really was behind the recent massacre of the Followers of the Apocalypse (It was painfully obvious that he was), then he was even more of a psychopath than the Chief had given him credit for. He was currently the most powerful person in the desert, and nobody had the guts to stand up to him. The only one who could possibly threaten him was the Red Blade Witch, but there had been little sign of her lately; it was almost as if she had vanished into thin air. _Never a terrorist around when you need one. _He thought, a wry smile appearing on his face.

His thoughts were violently interrupted as the door behind him was kicked open. He didn't bother turning around, as there was only one visitor he could receive who would enter in such a manner.

"Good evening Cassandra." He said pleasantly, shortly before Colonel Cassandra Moore walked around to where he could see her.

"Hanlon." She replied, a noticeably smug expression on her face. Hanlon was immediately on guard. When Moore was pretending to be loyal, she acted subservient, constantly sported a neutral expression, and saluted whenever possible. At the moment, she looked like she'd cornered someone she very much detested, and was about to kill them. The Chief had a distinct feeling that something bad was coming.

"Can I help you?" He asked, his voice still sporting a pleasant tone.

"I know you've been falsifying field reports." She said bluntly, momentarily knocking Hanlon off guard. He recovered quickly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't play stupid with me Hanlon. I have evidence. I know you're guilty."

"And what do you plan on doing?" His pleasant tone was gone, and his voice was devoid of emotion as he put down his teacup, and crossed his legs.

"I'd have thought that would be obvious." She replied with a dark smile, before raising the hand that wasn't covered in bandages, and snapping her fingers. Almost immediately, a pair of NCR soldiers walked through the door leading onto the balcony and stood to his right, assault rifles pointed at his head. _Well…that's a problem. _He thought with surprising calmness as Moore walked over to her thugs and stood between them.

"What, no torture Cassandra, you're just going have your lackeys to shoot me?" The Chief asked cockily, still sitting comfortably in his chair even though he was being held at gunpoint.

"Actually, I thought I'd have them shoot you in those rickety kneecaps of yours, then break your jaw so you can't scream for help and wait for you to bleed to death."

"You never fail to disappoint." He said sarcastically, while her goons took aim at his knees.

"If you beg for mercy, I **might **only have them shoot one of your kneecaps." The Chief chuckled at that.

"You must have a kind heart to show an old fogey like myself such generosity…" He said sardonically. "…but unfortunately I'm afraid I have to tell you to go fuck yourself." Moore was taken by surprise as she heard the Chief swear for the first time, causing Hanlon to smirk. Though clearly taken by surprise, she recovered quickly, and wasted no time in giving orders.

"Suit yourself. Ramsey, Carmichael, do it." The men nodded, and their fingers reached the triggers of their respective guns…only to stop as the Chief spoke.

"Wait…Ramsey…Carmichael? Tobias Ramsey and Ronald Carmichael?" The mouths of the two soldiers formed shocked O shapes, and Hanlon smiled confidently as he realised something: he knew these two men.

"What are you waiting for?" Moore barked. "Shoot him!" The men prepared to obey, when Hanlon said something that made them hesitate.

"I admire you two lads for following orders, but think about what you're doing here. I've helped both of you, and I know you remember. Tobias, remember when your wife left you?" The eyes of the man to Moore's left widened considerably, and Hanlon opened his mental personnel record, trying to remember specifically what advice he'd given the young man. "You were despondent, borderline suicidal, and came to me for help. I told you that it wasn't worth ending your life because of one failed relationship. I made you realise that your life was still worth living, and with the multitude of women in this world of ours, there was a good chance of you finding love again. I helped you Tobias…will you kill me, or will you return the favour?" A tense silence followed, as everyone waited for Tobias Ramsey to make his decision. Approximately ten seconds later, he lowered his rifle, and Hanlon breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing?!" Moore yelled, before turning around and grabbing Ramsey's collar. "I gave you a fucking order! Shoot him!" While she wasted her time screaming in the man's face, Hanlon focused his attention on the other soldier, and set his silver tongue to work.

"Ronald, I've helped you too, remember? Your team was ambushed by a Legion patrol, and while you escaped, the ordeal mentally scarred you. I helped you recover, to regain confidence in yourself, and become a functioning member of the military again. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be a jittering nervous wreck, unable to leave his room for fear of Legion attacks. Now, I'll understand if you decide to follow orders and shoot me, but you have to ask yourself: would you want anyone who'd been through similar traumatic experiences to be trapped in their fears forever because the only man with any therapeutic skills in this desert was killed at the order of a madwoman?" It took Ronald Carmichael a fraction of the time it had taken his ally to decide, and he quickly lowered his gun. Moore was not pleased.

"TRAITORS!" She roared, pushing Tobias away and drawing her pistol as she did so. Before Hanlon could stop her, she fired a bullet, blowing a hole through Ramsey's face. Ronald raised his rifle and tried to point it at her, only for her to charge and pistol whip him to the floor. She put a number of bullets in the downed man's skull, before raising her pistol and pointing it at Hanlon.

"Killing your own men Moore?" Hanlon asked mockingly. "I'm quite certain that's grounds for dishonourable discharge…though since Oliver changed the law, I think it's now grounds for public execution. Should I call him for you?"

"Go to hell!" She spat, grip tightening on her pistol as she spoke. She had a highly unsettling expression on her face, like she was seconds away from snapping and killing everyone in her immediate vicinity. "You dare make my men turn against me?! I'm going to make you scream old man. I'll cut that silver tongue out of your damned mouth and make you eat it!"

"Seems you're still as popular with the ladies as ever Hanlon." A voice said, prompting both Chief and Colonel to turn towards it. Campbell calmly strolled onto the balcony, twirling his coin between his fingers as he did so.

"Campbell, is that you?" Hanlon said in a friendly tone, while the merc walked forward to shake his hand. "It's been too long."

"That it has, that it has." Campbell replied with a massive grin on his face, before freeing his hand, clenching it into a fist, spinning to face Moore, and slamming said fist into her face. She dropped her gun, and fell back against the nearby railing. The merc swiftly kicked the gun over to Hanlon, causing it to land at the old man's feet, before drawing the Twins and pointing them at her head.

"You motherfucking…" She began, only for Hanlon pick up her pistol and shoot it in the air, effectively silencing her.

"That's quite enough Cassandra." He said stonily, before removing the gun's magazine and throwing it off the balcony. "It's time to stand down." With that, he tossed the empty gun back to her, and she caught it in both hands, an utterly enraged expression on her face.

"Campbell…what the hell are you doing?" She snapped, only for the merc to reply almost immediately, without a trace of doubt in his voice whatsoever.

"Helping an old friend." She scowled at him, and he smirked. "To be honest though, I think you already knew he and I have a history, which is why you told me to wait outside. Either that or you didn't trust me. Can't say I blame you really." He casually spun his guns in his grasp, while she did her best to glare holes in his skull. "Oh but don't worry; Hanlon's a friend, but you and I can still be friends too."

"SHUT…THE…FUCK…UP!" She roared, slamming a fist down onto the railing next to her with every word. "When Oliver hears about this…"

"There'll be no need for that." Hanlon said smoothly, before walking forward. "I won't allow you to kill me, but I recognise that I've done wrong. I suggest you place me under house arrest. I'll be confined to this building under constant guard, unable to leave and talk to anyone. You'll get me out of the way, you won't say a word to Oliver about Campbell's actions here tonight, and best of all: you get to leave in one piece." As if on cue, Campbell fired both of his guns, shooting a single bullet out of each firearm. The pair of bullets flew by either said of her head, just barely missing her ears. The Colonel looked ready to explode, as if the very idea of taking orders from Hanlon filled her with pure fury. The Chief was certain she was about to do something stupid, but instead she sighed, before returning her gun to her holster.

"Hanlon, by the authority of General Lee Oliver, I place you under house arrest. You are to be kept here under constant watch by soldiers of my choosing, until such a time as the general decides how you should be punished for your crimes. If you act out of turn even once, you will be killed on the spot. Do you understand?

"I do." The Chief said smugly, and Moore huffed before walking away.

"I'll let you explain to your men why there are two corpses on your balcony." She called back over her shoulder, before slamming the balcony door shut, leaving Hanlon and Campbell alone.

"Huh." The merc said, a comically surprised expression on his face. "That went…surprisingly better than I expected." He looked utterly bemused as he returned his pistols to his trenchcoat, and Hanlon couldn't help but smile.

"I was expecting her to rush us in a blind fury personally." He remarked as he returned to his chair. "Still, I'm glad she didn't. It would have been a shame if you'd had to kill her."

"Still opposed to killing I see." The merc said as he sat down on the railing in front of the Chief.

"Always." Hanlon replied, before reaching for his teapot. "So tell me…what brings you here?" Campbell sighed, looking away from the Chief as he did so.

"It's a long story. A long…unpleasant story." He said mysteriously, with a downcast expression.

"You can tell me over a nice cup of tea." The Chief said as he poured some tea into his spare cup.

"I really should be getting back to Hoover Dam."

"True, but I doubt you'll be leaving with Moore now, so you might as well stay for a while." Campbell looked conflicted. "Come on, I know you love a brew, and considering the rareness of pre-war teapots, I'm certain it's been a while since your last. We'll have a few drinks, reminisce about the good old days, catch up, and come up with solutions for the problems that I'm certain are plaguing you right now. What do you say?" Campbell looked at him for a few seconds, before smiling.

"You had me at 'brew'."

***Layla***

The rain was back with a vengeance, relentlessly pitter-pattering onto the roof of the shack, not that either of its occupants noticed. They were sat on the sofa in the living room, their respective drinks on the floor by their feet. The red haired girl had a bottle of whiskey, as was characteristic of her, while the hooded girl had a cup of tea, which she'd brewed using the pre-war teapot she'd salvaged from the Lucky 38. The two girls were wrapped in a blanket, chatting just like old times. The only difference was that they were both trying very hard not to bring up a specific subject (Campbell), lest it cause them to start arguing again. The red one had just finished telling the tale of how she was reunited with her beloved sword…which unfortunately also caused her to tell the tale of how the desert fox had blackmailed her again. Her companion's reaction to this tale was predictable and understandable.

"God, Vulpes is such a prick!" Veronica commented bluntly, coaxing an amused snicker from the storyteller.

"I know right?" Layla replied, smiling wanly as she picked up her whiskey bottle. "So I got my sword back, but now I have to do a job for him." Veronica frowned.

"Wait…just because he got the sword back for you, you're going to do what he says?"

"Oh no, I told him to fuck off." A genuine smirk played across Layla's lips. "But I failed to realise that he still had blackmail material on me."

"And what might that be?"

"You." Veronica tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Come again?"

"You used to be with the Brotherhood of Steel, the same Brotherhood of Steel that Caesar hated, and thus everyone in the Legion hates. They don't know that you're ex-brotherhood. Vulpes does, and he'll tell everyone unless I do this job for him." Veronica looked annoyed, and it was hard to blame her.

"I repeat: Vulpes is such a prick!" Layla nodded, that same wan smile back again.

"Not much I can do about it though. Tomorrow I'm helping him gas Camp Golf. I don't have a choice in the matter. And before you ask, no you can't come with; he made it very clear that it's a two person job and I'm not allowed to bring you." The former scribe had an adorably pouty look on her face as she picked up her cup and took a sip of tea.

"Dickhead."

"Yeah. I'm hoping he 'accidentally' gets gassed during the mission." Layla said, performing air quotes with her fingers as she said the word 'accidentally' with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Oh now wouldn't that be tragic." Veronica replied with a grin, before holding up her cup. Realising her meaning, the red one clinked her bottle against the cup, and both girls grinned before taking a long drink of their respective beverages.

"God I've missed this." Layla said as both girls but their drinks down. A bemused look appeared on Veronica's face.

"Whiskey?"

"No, just…this." Layla gestured to the room around her, a genuine smile on her face. "You…me…just, talking, you know? Just a nice, relaxing chat, nothing weighing us down, no bullshit, just…this." She didn't know how to say 'this' any better, but the hooded girl seemed to get her meaning. She matched Layla's smile as she scooted closer, cuddling up close to her.

"Things **have **been hectic lately." Veronica agreed, idly drumming the fingers of her left hand on Layla's right shoulder as she did so. "It's rare we get a moment to just…breathe." The witch nodded.

"Too true." She looked out of the window in front of the sofa, at the rain drenching the landscape outside, and sighed. "You know, there are some moments when I think that I'd abandon this whole quest for vengeance, leave my parents and everyone else back at Bitter Springs un-avenged, if I could just have a few more moments of…this." Veronica smiled, and leaned closer to nuzzle the red one's shoulder. "Of course, I'd have the mental image of Dad shaking his head in disappointment, and since I was always a daddy's girl, I was always defeated whenever he did that. If I had the image stuck in my head, I'd be back on the revenge quest in the blink of an eye."

"Elijah had a thing like that." Veronica said wistfully, following Layla's gaze out of the living room window.

"Wasn't he the guy who pretty much adopted you after your parents died?" Layla asked, trying to be sure she was remembering right.

"That's him." She answered, sounding quite nostalgic now. "If I didn't eat my vegetables, he'd give me a stern, disapproving look. It was my kryptonite."

"What's kryptonite?" Layla asked quizzically, prompting a light chuckle from the girl currently cuddled up against her.

"Something I read in a pre-war comic; doesn't matter." She replied in an amused tone. "Basically, when he did the 'I am disappoint' face, I had no choice but to obey. Resistance was futile. I felt compelled to do his bidding. You get the picture."

"What happened to him?" Veronica shrugged.

"No idea. He vanished during the battle at Helios One. McNamara said he abandoned the Brotherhood…that he abandoned me. I'm not so sure, but it doesn't matter…he's probably dead. People I care about tend to die. My parents…Elijah…McNamara and the rest of the Brotherhood…Arcade. I have a lot of people to mourn. "

"I'm not dead." She laughed bitterly.

"Yet. Why do you think I worry about you so much? If my luck holds, you could die at any time. Hell, if my luck holds, you'll probably die tomorrow night, on Vulpes' stupid mission." There was a sad look in Veronica's eyes, so Layla pulled her closer, and wrapped her in a comforting hug.

"You're forgetting **my** luck. It's kept me alive so far."

"Yeah, but…"

"I'm not going to die tomorrow, I promise you."

"Well what about the day after? Or the day after that? I don't want to lose anyone else."

"You won't."

"And how can you possibly know that?"

"Because I've already met the reaper once, remember? I think he's shit scared of me." Veronica rolled her eyes.

"Layla…"

"I'm not going to leave you. I'll fight the reaper himself if I have to." There was a short pause before Veronica answered.

"You promise?" She asked quietly.

"Promise." Layla smiled, before slowly releasing the hug. Veronica kept one of her arms however, and wrapped it around herself.

"I'm going to hold you to that." She said with a weak smile as she leant her head on Layla's shoulder, with Layla's arm around her own shoulders. "I miss them you know." She said a few seconds later, causing Layla to look at her in surprise.

"Who?" Veronica shrugged again.

"Everyone I guess? There's so many to miss. Yet…" A thoughtful look appeared on her face, and she looked like she was about to start crying. "…weirdly, the one I miss the most is the guy I knew for the shortest time." _Arcade. _Layla thought, and mentally sighed. She'd been dreading this conversation. She still had no idea how to comfort people, and she knew that when this conversation came around, Veronica would need more comforting than anyone she'd ever met. _You could have sex with her. That'd probably cheer her up. _A joking part of her mind spoke up, but she silenced it. _Not the time. _She mentally growled, before turning her attentions back to the grieving girl next to her.

"Veronica…" Layla tried to think of something to say…but her useless, useless mind drew a blank. She mentally slapped herself as she sat there, looking at Veronica's miserable face and unable to do anything.

"Sorry." She said self-consciously, as she started to cry. "I know you're not very good at making people feel better." She wiped her face with her right sleeve, but the tears kept pouring out. "Dammit. I'm so pathetic. I barely knew the guy; how can I feel so sad that he's gone?" She looked down at the floor, not even bothering to fight the tears now.

"I'm sorry I'm terrible at comforting people." Layla said nervously, coaxing a wan smile from the other girl. "But…I know a lot about loss. I understand what you're going through. It's horrible, it really is…but you don't have to go through it alone. I…I'm here for you." Veronica didn't reply, causing an uneasy silence to fill the room. The only noises to be heard was the rain outside, and the quiet sound of Veronica's tears dripping onto the carpet.

"Thank you." She said quietly, sounding a little happier.

"You really miss him don't you?" _What kind of question is that? _Layla mentally chided herself, but Veronica didn't seem to consider the question inane at all, as she nodded her head before replying.

"I do…I really do. Sure, he joked around and pranked me like **he who shall not be named**, but…he also genuinely cared about me…I think. He knew that I was/am mentally fragile, and he took care of me. He…he was a good guy to lean on, you know? I get the feeling that if my mind ever got too fucked up for me to handle, he would've helped me. He would've made it all better." She sighed, before raising her head and looking out of the window ahead, at the rain descending upon the landscape. "It's funny…when we first met, I wanted to kill him, but now all I can think about is killing the guy who killed him." Ignoring the Campbell minefield, Layla stayed quiet, unable to think of anything else to say and feeling that nothing she'd think of any time soon would make Veronica feel better. The girl rested that hooded head on her shoulder a few seconds later, and Layla rested her own head on the hooded head. Neither could think of anything to say, so they just sat like that, enjoying the companionable silence.

***Campbell***

"I'm a horrible person." Campbell said, a downcast expression on his face as he stared at his cup of tea. He was sat in a spare armchair some rangers had brought for him, positioned to the right of the table, close to the door. Hanlon was sat on the table's left slide, furthest from the door.

"No you're not." He said reassuringly, prompting the merc to roll his eyes.

"Oh come on. I just told you everything that happened during Operation Witch Hunt, including the part where I killed my best friend. What in that entire story doesn't make me sound like a horrible person?"

"The part where you were willing to sacrifice everything you had because there was a small chance that it might save the people you care about." Hanlon was smiling, but Campbell found himself unable to return it, no matter how hard he tried.

"Yeah, because that worked out so well."

"You were in an impossible situation. You took the option that had the highest chance of saving your friends. In those circumstances, it was the only choice." Campbell cocked an eyebrow at him.

"So, if you were in my situation, would you have done the same thing?"

"I would." He looked at the chief for a few seconds more, before shaking his head.

"You're crazy."

"Campbell…"

"I let him down!" He snapped, louder and harsher than he'd been intending. "I let them all down…" His voice was quieter now, and the grief was plain as day. "I was trying to save them…and I shot my best friend."

"I'm sure wherever he is, he forgives you." Campbell mentally wondered if Hanlon was psychic, as he remembered Arcade's last words to him.

_"Campbell…don't…feel guilty…about this. No matter what happened, no matter what you think…this isn't your fault."_ The doctor's words echoed in his mind, and he tightened his grip on the cup in his hands. _Yes it was. _He thought, a quiet mental voice amongst memories of a dead man.

"He did…when he was dying. But he was wrong to. I don't deserve forgiveness. All I deserve is my own lethal bullet. I'd do it myself but…" _Vulpes. _He remembered his task for the fox, the one that had made him change sides in the first place, and he felt sick. _If I off myself…what's to stop him from going after the girls? _"…apparently I'm a fucking coward in addition to being the worst friend ever."

"Suicide is never the answer." Hanlon said soothingly, reciting the words of wisdom that he'd used to counsel many of the depressed NCR soldiers that came to him looking for guidance. "It helps no-one, and creates nothing but grief and misery."

"Nobody will be miserable about my passing, let me tell you." The merc replied bitterly.

"Your friends would. I'm sure that they miss you, and they forgive you."

"No. Miss me? Maybe. Forgive me? There's no way in Hell. Layla might, but Veronica?" He shook his head. "Not a chance. She's the one I really wronged, the one hurt most by Arcade's death. She's lost so much, and I tore another loved one away from her. She'll never forgive me, and I don't blame her."

"You don't know that. If you go to her and ask for forgiveness…"

"She'd kill me…and to be honest, I'd welcome it. God knows I deserve it."

"Campbell." Hanlon put his cup back down on the table, before joining his hands together into a pyramid shape just in front his nose. "We've all done things we're ashamed of…"

"Like the guy you killed in the Mouth of Hell?" Campbell asked, only realising what he'd said as the words left his mouth. He regretted them immediately. Hanlon shivered, and Campbell sighed in annoyance.

"I'm sorry." He said, sounding angry at himself. "That was stupid and insensitive of me. I didn't mean to open old wounds."

"It's fine." Hanlon said unconvincingly. "I just…I haven't thought about that mission in nine years."

"Me neither. It's not something you want to remember."

"No…no it isn't." Both men pushed unpleasant memories from their minds, memories of the first time they met, of a mission that went wrong, a mission that they both wished they could forget. "As I was saying: we've all done things we're ashamed of, but they're our mistakes to live with. We can't go back and change the past, so if we want to make things right, we have to do so in the present." A look of curiosity appeared on Campbell's face.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Hanlon turned to look out over the balcony, and took a deep breath before replying.

"I know this 'Veronica' is the last person you want to see right now, and I know you think she'll never forgive you…but I think she needs to know how sorry you are. You don't have to speak to her directly if you don't want to, but she needs to know that you regret your actions. You need to apologise to her. Show her that you know you were wrong, and you still care about her. Seeking forgiveness from the one you've wronged, no matter how futile the attempt is, is the first step towards forgiving yourself." He said sagely, before smiling as he looked up at the moon. "Giving her a gift couldn't hurt either." Campbell had a skeptical look on his face.

"What kind of gift could make up for what I've done?"

"I'm sure you know better than I." The chief said wisely, visibly annoying Campbell.

"Thanks for the help." He said sarcastically, before putting his cup down and getting to his feet. "But seriously…" He turned to the chief, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks."

"Any time." The chief considered mentioning his coup to Campbell as the merc walked to the door, but decided against it. The man had too much on his plate right now, and Hanlon didn't want to give him anything more to worry about. He waved his old friend off, and said friend waved back as he passed through the door, leaving the balcony.

"Get her a gift?" Campbell asked himself dubiously as he walked towards the stairs. "Should I get her a 'Sorry I killed one of your few remaining friends' card too? Maybe some flowers?" Despite the sarcasm in his voice, it was obvious he was deep in thought as he walked down the stairs. "Although…he might have been right about apologising to her. The only question is…how to do it?" He cupped his chin with the thumb and index finger of his right hand as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and walked towards the door. "I could probably find her, but I can't face her after what I've done. Maybe I could…" He abruptly stopped talking as he noticed Moore standing in front of the door leading out of the building. _Oh great_.

"What the fuck was that?!" She vehemently asked as he stopped in front of her.

"Tea with an old friend." Campbell replied almost immediately.

"I mean the part where you sided with that old friend against me!"

"Simple: I like him more than I like you."

"He's a criminal!" He tipped his head to the side on hearing that.

"Oh?"

"He has been falsifying intelligence reports. I have evidence to prove it. Oliver asked for me to deal with the problem any way I see fit."

"So of course, you were going to kill him."

"I should kill you too for what you did."

"You're welcome to try." He said coldly, reaching a hand inside his trenchcoat as he did so. Moore looked like she was about to reply, but stopped herself before she could speak the words. Campbell couldn't help but smirk. "In that case, I'm off." He tried to walk around her, but she moved to block his path.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"I hardly think that's any of your business Cassandra." She scowled at him.

"First: don't call me that. Second: it's my business because Oliver said you are to be watched at all times."

"Don't worry your pretty little head…Cassandra." She bristled furiously. "There's something I have to do. I'll be back tomorrow night." He tried to escape again, but she once again moved into his path, causing him to frown.

"No, you'll be back **tonight**, because my men will be escorting you back to the dam."

"You mean the men you shot upstairs?" She cast a glare capable of killing a full grown super mutant, but he ignored it easily.

"You are staying where I can see you, and that is that."

"No." To Moore's evident surprise, the merc easily pushed her aside, before walking towards the exit. An enraged noise left her mouth as she landed on all fours, and rose into a crouch before drawing her pistol and aiming it at his back.

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE YOU SON OF A…" She began, only for Campbell to cut her off.

"Look Cassandra…I like you, but I'm leaving one way or another. I already killed one person I like recently…please don't make me kill another." The intensity in his voice, as well as the fact that he was one of the most dangerous people in the Mojave, made Moore stand down.

"If you're not at the dam by tomorrow night, I'll have Boone hunt you down." She said grudgingly as she returned her pistol to its holster.

"I'll keep that in mind." He replied in a casual tone, before raising a hand to wave behind him as he used his other hand to open the door. Moore angrily watched him, drilling holes into his back as he left the building.

***Veronica***

The world was only just waking up, as a lazy red sun loomed over the Mojave. Not a sound could be heard from the desert surrounding Arcade's shack, but the silence was soon broken as Layla yawned loudly, before standing and stretching on the house's doorstep. Once she was done, she hopped off the step and landed on the ground, while Veronica followed her out and set to locking the door.

The two girls had sat quietly together for what seemed like forever last night, but had actually only been an hour. Veronica had turned in just after midnight, and Layla had given her a kiss goodnight before turning in herself. The witch's sleep hadn't been the best, but she'd certainly had worse, and she felt decently energised today. The scribe's sleep had been horrible. Thick black bags lingered under her eyes, and she felt annoyingly groggy. Still, she'd made breakfast for Layla and herself: gecko steak and fresh potatoes with a side of crispy squirrel bits. The red haired one had complimented her on the meal, and said that her cooking skills were definitely getting better. Veronica had smiled, but stayed silent. She hadn't said a word throughout the whole of the meal, and she hadn't said a word since then. She hadn't told Layla that she'd had nightmares about Campbell last night. She hadn't mentioned that she'd woken up in a cold sweat at three in the morning, and hallucinated (God she hoped she'd been hallucinating) Campbell standing over her, casually flipping his coin. She didn't want to worry her, and definitely didn't want to talk about it. It was only after she locked the door, stepped off the doorstep and started walking that Layla said something that she had to respond to.

"Can we talk?" _Dammit. _She mentally cursed. She didn't want to talk. She really, really didn't want to talk…especially because she had a feeling that she knew what Layla wanted to talk about.

"About Campbell?" There was an uncomfortable pause as both girls stood in front of the house.

"Yes." Veronica sighed.

"Again?" Layla turned to her, her expression unreadable.

"Yes." Veronica sighed again, heavier this time. She **really **didn't want to discuss this.

"There's nothing more to say. He killed Arcade. I'm going to kill him. That's it." It was Layla's turn to sigh now, and she looked deep into Veronica's eyes before responding.

"How can you justify that to yourself?" The former scribe felt something inside her snap on hearing that. _How dare she ask me something like that?! _

"HE KILLED MY FRIEND!" She yelled, causing a bird that had been sitting on the roof of the shack to fly away in fear. Layla continued to look at her, her expression still neutral.

"Okay, how about this? Let's say I was the one who'd killed Arcade. Let's say I truly lost control of my anger and sliced his head off. Let's say I enjoyed it, and I was beyond redemption. Would you kill me?" Veronica stepped back, an expression of pure shock on her face. _I…_She had no idea how to respond to that.

"I…" She said uncertainly, her words matching her thoughts.

"Would you?" Layla said forcefully, pushing a response from the hooded girl.

"I don't…"

"WOULD YOU?!" Layla was nearly shouting now, and her pressuring tone forced Veronica to reply without thinking.

"NO!" She went silent for a few moments, trying to process what she'd said. After a few seconds, she shakily replied. "I…no…no, I wouldn't."

"Then what's the difference?"

"You're…you!" She said, as though it was obvious. _I could never hurt you. Never, never, never, never._

"I'm your friend?"

"Yes! More than that, you're family!"

"And Campbell isn't?" Veronica felt her mind go blank.

"He…"

"I heard you talk to him in the bunker. You called him your friend. He's as much your family as I am." Though she knew the words were true, Veronica shook her head, before vehemently denying them.

"No he isn't! Ever since he joined us, I've **never **trusted him!"

"Bullshit." The word was said with so much force behind it, that Veronica could only shut her mouth, unable to dispute it. "You trusted him, I know you did. After that mission in the Lucky 38, you accepted him completely and started thinking of him as one of us. That day on The Tops' roof, after we had our practice fight, I asked you how you felt about him. You said you trusted him. You said you liked him. You cared about him then, and I know you still do."

"I DON'T!"

"Who are you trying to convince; me…or yourself?" Veronica couldn't think of a way to reply. The question completely took her by surprise, and she could do nothing more than stare as Layla continued lecturing her. "You know what I think? I think you still care about him, you still think of him as family, but you're trying to convince yourself that he was responsible, that he's guilty, and that he's some monster that deserves to be put down. You've been watching me, and you've learned. You've learned that revenge is good, that it gives you closure, so you're trying to invent a target for you to get revenge on so you can get closure, feel better and move on." The hooded girl bristled, and as she mentally considered Layla's words, she felt her blood boiled. _No…she's wrong…SHE'S WRONG!_

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" She snapped, furiously clenching her fists as she did so.

"Wrong; I know you. You forget how long we've been together. I know how your brain works, and your brain is working overtime, trying to find the quickest away to get rid of all your grief. As someone who's experienced when it comes to suffering, I can tell you one thing: there's no way to get rid of your grief. It'll always be there, but it's up to you whether you give in to it, whether you let it eat you up inside…or whether you tell it to fuck off. I've never dwelled on my grief Veronica, I've always used it to fuel me, drive me to complete my mission, and help me make the NCR pay. My grief, and the tragedy that caused it, are a part of me. Without them, I wouldn't be who I am right now. I'm not saying it's easy to avoid giving in to grief, but you have to try. If you don't…then life simply isn't worth living." Veronica released her hands and just stared, dumbfounded. She hadn't realised how well Layla knew her, and while it was touching, it was making it very difficult for her to keep hating Campbell. _Maybe she's…__**NO! **_Her thoughts were in flux, struggling to make a decision. _She might be right…she might not be…but it doesn't matter. I promised…I __**swore**__ to Arcade that I would avenge him. It doesn't matter what she thinks, or what I think…I have to kill him. He needs to die. He needs to die. _She repeated the mantra a few more times in her head, before closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, and released it, before opening her eyes and looking directly at Layla.

"….I'm killing Campbell." She said unflinchingly, before turning and walking away. The way she'd said it…she'd left no room for doubt. She'd made it sound like a fact, and you can't argue with facts. She continued walking, resolute in her beliefs, when she heard Layla's voice.

"Veronica wait." She ignored the pleading voice of the girl she loved, and kept walking. "Do…do you remember back in the bunker, when you stopped me from recruiting the Remnants into the war?" She stopped. "You said I was being selfish, you made it clear that protecting family should be our top priority. Well guess what? Campbell…he's kin to us…family." Not quite believing what she was hearing, Veronica slowly turned around, until she was facing Layla. "What you're doing, trying to kill Campbell, it's no different from me recruiting the Remnants. You think you're doing it for a good cause like I did, but like me you're only doing it for yourself. I know the loss of Arcade was hard for you, but it's like you said to me in the bunker; you said I can't sacrifice someone else's family to avenge my own. It's the same thing here. We can't kill family to avenge family. Everything we're doing, joining the Legion, fighting the NCR, it's to avenge the families we've lost. We have a new family now: each other, and Campbell…and you're trying to kill him. I know how you feel, I know it hurts, but please…don't do this." The passion in her words, and the imploring tone to her voice…it was impossible to argue. Veronica sighed. She wanted nothing more to abandon her mission as Layla asked, to forgive and forget and maybe get Campbell back, so that they could be a family again. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw Arcade's corpse, heard his dying words, and she realised that she couldn't do that. Campbell had to pay. He had to. There was no disputing it.

"I'll see you at the fort." She said quietly, before walking away. She didn't see the utterly defeated look cross Layla's face, and she didn't see the girl sit on the front doorstep. A single tear leaked from her eye, but she angrily wiped it away with her power fist hand. _No…no more tears. _She thought resolutely. _There's no going back now. _This thought was at the forefront of her mind as she walked on, leaving Layla behind her.

_**...The firing squad missed. *Sigh* You just can't get good help these days.**_

_**Hi. (Dodges rock.) I'm sorry for how long this took! I know I always say that, but I like to take a month at most for each chapter, and this was like twice that. I feel so shitty. Really. I started my third year of university shortly after the last chapter was uploaded, and I'd like to blame that, but I can't. A friend of mine had his bowel operated on last week, which has me seriously worried, and I'd like to blame that, but I can't. Really, the only one to blame is me. Big, stupid, slow, dumbass me. If you got fed up of waiting and quit reading my story, if you're still on the fence about quitting, I wouldn't blame you. So...yeah...sorry.  
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_**Self loathing aside, stuff happened in this chapter! Layla and Veronica argued a bit, and it turns out Campbell and Hanlon are old buddies. How does he know Hanlon? What's the 'Mouth of Hell' that Campbell mentioned? Well...I'm actually planning a side story explaining that, which will serve as supplementary material for this tale and will be released...I have no idea when. You'll have to hang on to your curiosity for a while I guess. Anyway, Campbell has a plan of some sort...a plan that will result in him apologising to Veronica. But will she forgive him? And what exactly is his plan? I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out. Knowing Campbell though, it'll likely be something ludicrous and impressive.**_

_**The next chapter will be Layla and Vulpes' mission to unleash the cloud gas on Camp Golf, and as usual, I have no timeframe. Sorry. It'll be a setpiece chapter too I think, which will only push the date back further. Sorry. As usual, I'll try and finish it as soon as I can...but you know me. Sorry.**_

_**That's all there is to talk about I think. As usual, please review, and I'm sorry for being me. :(**_


	60. The Witch and the Chief

**_People! (A figure stands on a towering mountain, light shining behind him to obscure his features, while at the same time drawing attention to his presence.) I...HAVE...UPDATED!_**

**_So yeah...I'm back...hi. Before you attack, I actually have reasons for the late update this time. 1) This was a setpiece chapter, and setpiece chapters always take longer than regular chapters. 2) I took mini hiatus over Christmas to enjoy the holidays. 3) My computer crapped out on me less than a week after my return to university, and it was over a month before I got it fixed._**

**_Now then, enough of my excuses. READ THE CHAPTER, AND REJOICE._**

The Witch and the Chief

Layla was distracted as she walked through the sands of the Mojave, the path ahead of her illuminated only by the Pip Boy on her wrist. Her mind was of course on Veronica, and the fact that she was rapidly losing control of the whole situation. If she didn't do something soon, then before long her best friends would be fighting to the death. If she were to lose any of them…_No…I won't let that happen. Not again. _She thought resolutely, fist clenched tight as she continued onwards.

Despite the disagreement about Campbell, the two girls were actually getting on quite well. Things were tense for the most part, but they were talking again, and had spent most of that day enjoying each other's company at the fort. The day had been fairly pleasant, but all too soon evening had arrived, forcing Layla to leave so that she could reach the meeting place in time. Veronica had wished her good luck, sounding much more awkward and uncomfortable than usual, but she had smiled, and had gone to see Layla off, providing her with a warm hug before she got on the boat that would take her to Cottonwood Cove. The red one had no idea what her friend was doing now, but she at least hoped she was happy and safe; preferably both, but one would suffice.

Now she found herself walking through the darkness, as thick clouds blocked out the full Mojave moon, and the stars refused to show themselves. It was almost midnight, and she was on her way to meet a man she despised. Vulpes Inculta, an arrogant, manipulative prick that was currently tied with General Lee Oliver and Craig Boone for the title of her most hated person in the world. She suppressed her abhorrence of the man for the moment, and buried it deep inside along with all her worries and concerns. They wouldn't help her tonight; she needed to be 100% focused, because if she fucked this up, she had a feeling that it wouldn't just be her life on the line. Not only would Vulpes pin any failure on her, but she was almost certain that he would also tell Legate Lanius about Veronica's Brotherhood past if she ruined this mission for him, so she had no choice but to bring her A-game tonight…for both their sakes.

In a way, she was enjoying the walk. There was no pressure when walking, no worries. She didn't have to fight a war, or worry for her best friend's sanity, or fix a shattered friendship, or humour a slimy, condescending fox. Here, there was nothing but her, the path ahead, and the wind blowing through her hair. Peace, quiet, and tranquillity. She knew for a fact it wouldn't last, so she made sure to enjoy it while she could, closing her eyes and softly breathing in and out. The cool night air was oddly refreshing, which was good because she hadn't had anything to eat or drink in hours. She usually didn't eat before a serious mission anyway; it was her own strange way of keeping her focused on the task at hand. She'd have a snack and a bottle of whiskey afterwards to reward herself, but nothing before or during the mission. She'd had breakfast of course, but nothing since then, so it was no surprise when her stomach started rumbling. She ignored it.

She wore an outfit that Vulpes had left for her, specifically chosen for the mission ahead. A legionary had handed it to her the second she'd entered the camp that morning, and while she detested the idea of accepting a gift from the fox, she had to admit this outfit was quite well suited for stealth. She wore a set of recon armour, like her own set but black, with a pair of gloves, boots, and a hood, also black. The hood was pulled down as she walked, and her trademark red hair was tied in a ponytail. In all honesty, she hated ponytails, but it was easier to manage this way so she had little choice.

As she'd predicted, the peace of her walk didn't last forever. Only a couple of minutes remained until midnight, and she'd run out of path. That was fine though; the searchlight attached to the watchtower on a nearby cliff made it painfully obvious where Camp Golf was. She closed her eyes, took one last deep breath, slowly breathed it out, and pulled her hood up before going to work.

It had been a while since Layla had taken the stealthy approach, but much like riding a bike and murder, it was a hard skill to forget. Moving silently was almost natural to her, and she quickly reached the base of the tower without incident. She let out a relieved sigh, and smiled beneath her hood. Truth be told, she had been worried that her stealth skills wouldn't be up to par after being unused for so long. Her relief was shattered as she felt movement behind her. _Shit._ She thought, before spinning to face the adversary, drawing her combat knife as she did so. Without even thinking, she grabbed the enemy by the collar and forced him or her against one of the tower's legs, before pressing her knife against his or her throat.

"Good to see your instincts remain sharp, even if your subtlety leaves something to be desired." Vulpes Inculta said, typical smug smile on his face despite the fact that it would be a trivial matter for her to kill him at this point. Of course, he probably had precautions in place to make sure that things went badly for her should he die. Maybe he'd informed Lanius that if he didn't return from this mission, it was likely Layla had killed him, or maybe he'd arranged for something to happen to Veronica if anything happened to him. Regardless, he always held all the cards, so even if it seemed he had a terrible hand, going all in against him was bound to end in failure, and an empty wallet.

He had changed out of his Legion armour for obvious reasons (Hard to be stealthy with a fox on your head), and was now wearing the same outfit that he'd worn as the shadow, not that he knew that Layla knew that. He wore a high collared jacket, a pair of tight trousers, gloves and boots, all black as night, along with a hood of the same colour that perfectly hid his face from view. The only reason she even knew it was him was because of that familiar voice that made her want to hit him.

"My knife is sharp too; best not give me an excuse to use it." She growled, before releasing him and taking a step away.

"I'll keep that in mind." He replied in the familiar condescending tone that he favoured when talking to her, the same tone that made her want to cut his tongue out and force feed it to him. While he took a moment to dust himself off and readjust the collar that she had grabbed moments ago, she holstered her knife and pulled her hood down, before turning to look off of the nearby cliff. There it was, Camp Golf. She had to admit, it was a lot bigger in real life than Vulpes' photos made it look. Looking at the size of the camp, and the resort building next to it, she realised something: this mission was going to be a chore. "A word of advice: sighing makes noise, and making noise when in enemy territory is not something a good stealth operative does."

"Does a good stealth operative waste time stroking his ego and belittling his partner when he should be getting on with the mission?" She retorted sharply, prompting an amused chuckle from him.

"**Partner**? Don't flatter yourself."

"So chuckling in enemy territory is better than sighing is it?" Layla couldn't help but smirk as Vulpes' expression changed from haughty to neutral. The fox never **looked angry**, but it was easy to tell when he was. _One point to me._ She thought triumphantly as she realised she'd managed to best him with words. Her good mood didn't last long.

"Enough, we have a job to do." He said seriously, all business again, before moving to stand near the edge of the cliff. "As discussed in the meeting yesterday, I killed the guard manning this tower before you arrived. The guards change over every two hours, and the one I killed came on duty at 11pm, which means we have exactly one hour to complete our mission before the next guard takes over."

"So now, I infiltrate the resort building, while you infiltrate the camp?" Layla asked, remembering the briefing the previous day.

"Precisely. You will make your way down to the basement, while I will head for the tent in the middle of the camp. Once in position, we will deploy our Cloud bombs, activate them, and leave the premises. If all goes well, then the bombs will go off minutes later, and the gas will kill everyone. Ten minutes later, the gas will dissipate, and the base will be ours."

"I understand that, but I have a question." The witch said, turning to look at him as she did so. "Why can't I choose which site to infiltrate?"

"You'd rather infiltrate the camp?" Vulpes asked, without even looking at her.

"I'd like the choice."

"I will not risk this operation to give you some childish sense of independence." Layla bristled as the man continued to talk down to her.

"Are you saying I wouldn't be able to infiltrate the camp?" She asked in an offended tone.

"Yes." The fox said bluntly. "You are known for your combat skills, not your stealth skills." He pointed at the groups of tents below as he continued. "The camp is an exposed area, with very few places to hide, no cover, and numerous patrolling guards." He then moved his hand to the left, so that he was pointing at the building overlooking the camp. "The resort building, on the other hand, is a mass of winding corridors, making it much easier to remain hidden, and it is sparsely populated in comparison to the camp. In addition, most of the building's occupants will be asleep, meaning that the only ones who may spot you are fatigued rangers, either groggily roaming the corridors or sitting in the common area, speaking in voices loud enough to muffle any sounds you may make. There is more chance of the mission going successfully if the less skilled operative, i.e. you, takes the easiest path." The arrogance…the sheer, insufferable arrogance of the man…made Layla's blood boil. Normally, she managed to suppress her rage when talking to Vulpes, and avoid lashing out at him. Unfortunately, this was one of the rare occasions when her control slipped. Suddenly all she could think about was killing him, and she snarled as she stepped slightly closer to him, fury burning in her eyes.

"Remember when I told you not to make me use my knife?" She narrowed those burning, furious orbs, as her fingers wrapped around the handle of the blade. "You're making me want to use it." Vulpes didn't even spare her a passing glance, instead turning away from the cliff and walking back to the watchtower.

"I'm just stating the truth. If you feel offended by it, that's your problem, not mine." He said as he walked away, in that familiar, superior tone that absolutely infuriated anyone who heard it. Forget Oliver and Boone; Vulpes Inculta had just become Layla's most hated person in the world. Still, despite how vividly the images of disembowelling him flashed in her mind, she somehow managed to keep her killing urges in check. She instead settled with spitting at the ground where he'd been standing moments ago, and letting go of her knife before walking after him. "If you're quite finished having a temper tantrum, let's get to work." She clenched her teeth angrily as he went to an inconspicuous looking rock, and pulled two rucksacks out from behind it. "The Cloud bombs are in these bags." He threw one to her, and she caught it before looking over it critically.

"I prefer duffel bags."

"These are better suited for our task. You can fit more equipment inside them, and they leave your hands free." The fox replied stoically as he put the rucksack onto his back. Layla looked at her own bag for a few seconds, before shrugging and putting it on. "Are you aware of what you need to do when you reach the basement?" She nodded.

"Call you on the radio, then when we're both in position, you'll tell me how to activate the bomb. I place it and activate it, then I have fifteen minutes to get out."

"Good." He nodded, before pulling a scrap of paper out of his pocket and handing it to her. "This is my radio frequency. Don't lose it." Layla took the paper, and looked at the text written on it for a few seconds before stuffing it into a random pocket. "Now then, let us be off. Do not disappoint me Layla." With that, he drew a stealth boy, and switched it on, causing him to disappear from sight. _Oh yeah, you're such a superior stealth operative when you abuse a stealth boy._ Layla thought bitterly, before sighing, pulling her hood up, and setting off. The clock on her Pip Boy showed that it was exactly midnight. The mission had begun.

***Hanlon***

Chief Hanlon was distracted as he sat in his favourite seat, a cup of tea sitting untouched on the table next to him as he looked off the balcony. _And now I find myself a prisoner_. He mused, smiling despite the situation. Cassandra Moore had put him under house arrest, confining him to this building and assigning a pair of guards to watch over him at all times. Of course, he could overpower or outsmart them easily, or even convince them to let him go, but what would be the point? At the moment, all his plans had gone up in smoke, leaving him with no conceivable way to stop Oliver. Some small part of him claimed that this was Campbell's fault, as the merc's involvement had forced Hanlon to make Moore put him under house arrest, so that Campbell would be spared. He didn't believe this of course; Campbell saved his life, and he willingly let himself be put under house arrest to save the merc in return. Even if he hadn't, Moore knew of his plans, which meant Oliver likely knew too. Even if he or Campbell had just killed her, he would have been branded a terrorist just like Layla, and that wouldn't have solved anything. His current situation wasn't ideal, but it was undoubtedly the best way things could have turned out.

The harpy Moore was currently in the lobby, apparently keeping an eye on things. More than likely she was just waiting for an excuse to kill him. She'd stayed over after the incident last night, and had already earned the ire of everybody in the building by taking advantage of ranger hospitality. Of course, her status as Oliver's lapdog meant that everybody was terrified of her, so she continued to walk all over them. Hanlon could understand to be honest; no use rocking the boat and all. Still, he half hoped that somebody would get sick of Moore's shit and throw her out of a window. He didn't like violence, was morally opposed to murder, and would never wish harm upon anyone, but she was a special case. Calling her evil sounded childish, but she was certainly a horrible, unlikable person, and he would heartily share in the celebrations on the day she decided to lie down and die. Until then however, he was content to sit up here with his tea and hope she had a heart attack or something. It was an awful thing to hope for, but she was, after all, a special case.

Between her, his confinement, and the upcoming battle at the dam, it seemed nothing was going right for Hanlon anymore. He had no chance of forming his resistance to stop Oliver, and it was only a matter of time before the general decided to just have him killed. The best thing the Chief could hope for was that he'd die a martyr, inspiring others to rise up against Oliver, but he knew for a fact that that was little more than an idle fancy. The general was incompetent and psychopathic, but he was surprisingly good at making people fear him, and as Hanlon knew, there were two ways to earn loyalty: fear, and respect. He himself chose to treat all those under his command with respect, making them actually want to serve him, which he believed made them fight harder. Oliver on the other hand firmly believed in the use of fear, that if everyone was scared of him, then they'd sooner obey him than face his wrath. Unfortunately, it seemed he was right.

At this point, it seemed like the best case scenario was if the Red Blade Witch achieved victory at the dam. Sadly that was also the worst case scenario, because her victory was also the Legion's victory, and they were the last people he wanted in charge. Oliver might have been a violent, tyrannical imbecile, but at least he didn't deal in slavery, legalize rape, put people on crosses or massacre groups of people for petty slights. Well okay, he did the latter, but he was arguably still better than the Legion for the most part. If only the Chief could form an alliance with the Witch; that way she could satisfy her lust for NCR blood by killing Oliver, and the Legion wouldn't have to take over the Mojave. Of course, that was as likely as Oliver spontaneously setting himself on fire and jumping off the dam.

Hanlon sighed, before picking up his cup of tea and taking a sip. He sat on the balcony, continuing his attempts to think of a solution to his problems…while having absolutely no idea that at that very moment, the Red Blade Witch was infiltrating the building.

***Vulpes***

The desert fox wasn't distracted in the slightest; he was instead utterly focused as he carried out his assignment. True, he was deep in thought, but unlike some people, he was able to think and act at the same time. In terms of **acting**, he was silently slipping into one of the tents down in the encampment near the resort building, and in terms of **thinking**, he was going over the plan in his head again. This was approximately the twenty third time he'd mentally gone over the plan, and once again he could find no flaw with it. Even in his highly focused state, he couldn't help but smirk.

Following the plan, as soon as he was sure the tent he'd infiltrated was devoid of enemy personnel, he switched off his stealth boy. The device only had a limited charge, and he'd calculated that if he kept it on for the entirety of the mission, it would run out during his getaway; a most inconvenient time to be visible and exposed. To avoid this situation, he planned to leave the machine off until he'd armed the bomb, leaving him with plenty of charge to escape. This of course meant that he'd have to reach the target while completely visible, but that was no problem for him. The camp was heavily guarded to be sure, but he'd spent a significant amount of time performing recon on the base, and not only had he memorised the location of every soldier, but he'd also memorised their patrol routes. He was confident that he would have little difficulty with this.

After quietly creeping to the flap on the other side of the tent, he poked his head out to make sure that the coast was clear. A quick observation proved that he'd timed his infiltration right; the soldier who usually patrolled this sector hadn't reached this particular tent yet. Vulpes estimated that he would have approximately thirteen seconds before the guard's patrol led him this way, so he hurriedly slipped out of the tent, and into the next tent a short distance away.

This tent was occupied, but only by a pair of boorish grunts. The men were chatting loudly, clearly liquored up and completely oblivious to the enemy agent that had just entered their tent. Resisting the urge to sigh in distaste, lest he reveal his presence, Vulpes instead moved forward. The two men were so focused on their conversation, and so deep into their bottles, that they failed to notice the black clad man cross their tent, and slip through the flap on the other side.

So far, so good. Everything was going according to plan, as he'd known it would. He'd looked at it from every angle, and he could see absolutely no way that his plan could fail. Even taking into account human error, and the stupidity of a certain red haired simpleton, success was practically assured. Even if his 'partner' (The fact that she'd called herself that still amused him) got herself caught, as he was expecting her to, the Cloud bomb she carried would still kill tonight. He'd made sure of it.

He smirked as he followed an enemy guard on her patrol route, staying out of the searchlight that swept the camp occasionally and staying behind her until she passed a tent. Once he was within range, he quit shadowing the wench and rolled into the tent.

The truth was, he hadn't told Layla **everything **about the Cloud Bombs. He'd told her **most **things, but had kept one important fact to himself. That fact was simple, but it was the game changer that guaranteed his success tonight. What Layla failed to realise was, even though the bombs could be armed via a terminal on the devices themselves, they also had radio transceivers built in. If these transceivers received radio transmissions, their firing mechanisms would trigger, causing them to vent their gas immediately. This mechanism was designed by the Enclave scientists that perfected the bomb as a failsafe in case the explosives were found. Simply calling the bomb's frequency using a radio would cause them to gas the nearby area immediately. This meant that, even if Layla was caught, all Vulpes would have to do is radio the bomb's transceiver, and it would immediately detonate. Either way, the resort building would be gassed...and so would Layla.

Though he'd saved her from the incident at Red Rock Canyon, he'd only done so because he'd believed she could be useful to him. She had played an important part in his plans since then, but right now she was becoming more trouble than she was worth. He feared she may become a threat one day soon, and he planned to take her out of the equation before that day came. As soon as she called him to confirm that she'd reached the destination, he'd call her bomb's frequency, and arm his own bomb, putting an end to both her and Camp Golf in one fell swoop.

_Two birds with one stone. _He thought confidently as he quickly made his way through the tent, and peeked out of the flap on the other side. The tent he needed to reach was a short distance away, but a pair of guards stood to the right, chatting when they should have been patrolling. Their insubordination was going to make his job a lot more difficult, as the men had a clear view of the tent, and would easily spot him should he move towards it. He considered using his stealth boy, but decided against it. Not only was using the device in this situation a waste of charge, but even if he'd had infinite charge, he had a feeling these men had enough wits about them to notice a tent flap being moved aside by an invisible hand. Killing them was another option, but it was a simplistic, messy option which would only make things more difficult. It was, for lack of a better term, the Layla option, and he thought too much of himself to drop to that level. Instead, he crouched down, reached his hand slightly out of the tent, and grabbed a small rock. Once he was sure they weren't looking, he then leaned out, and threw the rock to the left. The men stopped their conversation almost immediately as the rock hit the ground, and went to investigate without a word. A canine grin flashed across the fox's face as the men left his target unguarded, and he swiftly exfiltrated his own tent before moving into the one he'd been aiming for.

He crept into the tent...only to come up right behind a random soldier...who was turning towards him. Acting quickly, he pressed the switch on his stealth boy, moments before the man turned to face him. He looked straight on, eyes meeting the invisible orbs of Vulpes Inculta...not that he had any idea. A tired yawn escaped the guard's lips, and he stretched lethargically, completely unaware that a desert fox was moving behind him. The silent predator drew a strand of wire from a pocket on his jacket, and wasted no time in slipping it around the neck of his prey. The soldier's eyes widened as an unseen assailant started to strangle the life out of him, and he started to wildly thrash in an attempt to escape his fate. Unfortunately for him, escape was impossible, and his death was ultimately inevitable. As he stood behind the soldier, slowly ending his miserable life, Vulpes switched off his stealth boy, and started to imagine what it would be like when Layla died. He saw her staring in horror as the Cloud gas engulfed her, pain filling her body as it consumed her form. He imagined her trying to scream, but too busy choking as the gas attacked her lungs. Having not had a chance to test the gas, he had no idea how long it would take for her to die. All the test records he'd read confirmed one thing however: her end would be absolutely agonising. The thought of this brought a dark smile to his lips.

Realising that he'd been lost in his thoughts, he snapped back to his senses as the man in front of him went limp. A part of him was disgusted that he'd had to resort to such a blunt tactic as murder. Another part of him shut this one up by pointing out that he'd used wire to make sure there was no mess, he hadn't been spotted, not a single sound had been made, and he could hide this body in plain sight without anyone realising it was a corpse. Even as he thought this, he laid the body on a bed roll, and closed its eyes so that it looked like the dead man was sleeping. _That wasn't Layla's method...that was __**my **__method. _He thought smugly, mentally stroking his ego as he moved on, swiftly leaving the tent to continue his mission.

***Layla***

_So far, so good. _The Red Blade Witch thought as she climbed through the window, and ended up in a random bedroom on the second floor of the resort building. To be perfectly honest, she hadn't expected to get this far. Despite the confidence she showed to Vulpes (Mostly just to defy his smugness), she knew for a fact that she wasn't what one would call 'stealthy'. Sure, she could sneak, and she knew what it took to remain unhidden (Her mother, a skilled stealth operative, had taught her after all), but she was much, much better at just walking in and killing everything (Her father, a bona fide killing machine, had taught her after all), and since she preferred the blunt approach (Walk in, stab everything), she never practiced the subtle approach (Sneak in, stab everything) much. As such, while she was a savant in the art of face to face murdering, she was still practically a learner in the art of stealth. Still, it was likely Vulpes had known this (The prick seemed to know practically everything), which was why he'd given her the easier target. _If he thought I couldn't handle it, he wouldn't have brought me along. _She thought, begrudgingly recognising the fox's intellect. As much as she hated him, she knew he was utterly dedicated to his mission, and if there was even the slightest chance she wouldn't be able to assist in completing that mission, he would have left her behind. That helped reassure her somewhat that she was capable of doing this…but didn't stop her from being surprised that she hadn't been caught yet.

The room appeared in a blue hue thanks to the Cateye she'd taken after splitting off from Vulpes. The room was likely pitch black, but with her drug aided night vision, that was hardly a problem. She seemed to be in sleeping quarters of some kind, if the bed was any indication. Once she was sure the room was empty, she slowly made her way over to the door on the other side of the room. She opened the door a crack and slowly peeked out, having to squint as the lighting in the corridor beyond assaulted her enhanced vision. The corridor seemed to be clear, but remembering her mother's lessons, she stopped, waited, and listened. Sure enough, the soft noise of footsteps on a carpeted floor met her ears, and she ducked back into the room. The footsteps grew louder as she waited, and a few seconds later a form passed by the door. She peeked her head out again, and saw the back of a ranger as he/she walked down the corridor. The fact that the ranger was unarmoured, slouched, and yawning every few seconds, suggested he/she was off duty, and had likely awoken from a slumber to use the toilet or get a snack. Sure enough, a few seconds later the ranger opened one of the doors lining the corridor's walls and walked in, before shutting the door behind him/her. Now that the corridor really was clear (No muffled footsteps to speak of), Layla left the room she was in, quietly shut the door behind her, and crept down the corridor.

_Would've been nice if Vulpes had given me a map of this place. _She thought, mildly annoyed as she stopped for a few seconds to decide which way to go. After a few seconds of deliberation, she shrugged and went left. _If he could infiltrate the Remnant's bunker, you'd think he could slip in here and map the place out. _Her thoughts got progressively grumpier as she reached the end of the corridor, and peeked around the corner. _Better yet, he could slip in here and do the job himself, allowing me to spend the evening with someone I actually like. _An image of a happy Veronica (A rare sight these days) entered her mind, and she smiled before turning the corner and quietly moving down the second empty corridor.

As she crept, she checked the time on her Pip Boy. _00:15. _It had taken her far less time to infiltrate this place than she'd been expecting. If she continued at this pace, then she'd have plenty of time to place the bomb and get out before their deadline at 1am. She was forced to shake off her thoughts and return to reality as a door in front of her suddenly opened. Her position meant that the person leaving the room couldn't see her, and she immediately crouched down behind the door, while silently hoping that the person didn't come her way. Luckily enough, footsteps led off into the distance, suggesting that the person had walked the opposite way down the corridor. Not taking any chances, she poked her head round the door…and breathed a sigh of relief (Mentally this time, as opposed to literally), as she saw another tired ranger walking away from her. _That…was __**far **__too close. _She thought, thanking her lucky stars that the sleepy ranger had been too out of it to close his/her door. Once the ranger turned the corner, she stepped out from behind the door, and moved down the corridor. As she reached the corner, she heard footsteps approaching, and carefully opened a nearby door before slipping into the room. Peeking through a crack in the door, she saw the same fatigued ranger (A man, as it turned out), walk back to his room. She heard his door close a short time later, and quietly exited the room. Once the door was shut behind her, she turned the corner, and continued onward.

Instead of another corridor, Layla found herself walking onto a landing overlooking the building's main reception area. Her Cateye was wearing off now, so it was quite difficult to see in the darkened room. She could just about make out the shape of a staircase, so she walked towards it…only to hear chatter and a series of footsteps coming from behind her. _Shit! _She thought, before looking for somewhere to hide. She knew she'd never make it down the stairs before the owners of the voices arrived, and there was nowhere on the landing to hide. Just as she was starting to consider drawing her knife and abandoning the 'stealth' aspect of her mission, she spotted a door at the far end of the landing, bathed in moonlight thanks to the windows on either side of it. Without thinking, she immediately dashed to the door, before opening it and passing through.

Cold air hit her in the face as she walked onto a balcony, but she ignored it and shut the door behind her. Once she was sure she was safe, she leaned back against the shut door, and let out a relieved sigh.

"A word of advice: sighing is not a wise thing to do if one remains hidden." A voice suddenly said, instantly putting her on edge. She drew her combat knife without delay, and frantically looked around to see where the voice was coming from. The only things she saw on this balcony were a table with a pre-war teapot and a ham radio on it, and a dusty armchair. She could just make out the top portion of a head poking up from behind the chair. Before she could use this information, the sitter got to their feet, allowing Layla to examine them.

An elderly man stood before her, wearing one of the typical outfits that rangers usually wore: a dark grey shirt under a dark brown vest, brown gloves, tan pants and light brown boots. He also wore a red neckerchief scarf, and a belt with a silver bull's head on the buckle. His hair and beard were the colour of tarmac, and his skin was lined with age, but he had vibrant blue eyes that suggested there was still some fire within. He had one eyebrow raised in an intrigued manner, and stood near the balcony's railing, one hand on the right arm of his chair, and the other hand holding a mug filled with pre-war tea. He took a sip as he looked her over, much as she was looking him over.

"Come now, don't be shy." He said pleasantly as he took the mug away from his lips. "It's so rare that I get visitors these days, and even rarer that I get to talk to an intruder." Layla's grip on her knife tightened as the man moved over to the nearby table, and put down his cuppa. "Please, introduce yourself." Layla refused to comply, instead pulling down her hood, so that her trademark red hair was visible. A look of understanding quickly formed in the man's eyes. "Ah, I see." He said knowingly, before turning away from her and walking over to the balcony railing. "I was hoping we'd someday meet face to face, and now here you are. This has been a long time coming."

"Am I to assume you're somebody important?" Layla replied, speaking for the first time since walking onto the balcony.

"Oh sorry, forgive my rudeness." The stranger said amicably as he turned to face her, leaning on the railing behind him as he did so. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. Chief Hanlon, head of the NCR rangers, at your service." Just like that the witch was put on guard. She found herself mentally coming up with strategies to kill this man, even as he continued speaking. "And you're Layla…surname unknown, alias: the Red Blade Witch; a violent, sadistic young woman who's made a name for herself killing anyone affiliated with the NCR. Some call you a terrorist, others call you a mass murdering psychopath; others still, the less vocal minority, call you a hero, someone who's finally standing up and kicking the NCR out of the Mojave." The man smiled. Layla didn't return it.

"You know a lot about me." She replied in a neutral tone.

"I do. I read the dossier on you that Campbell created. It was an interesting read, to say the least.

"If you know that much about me, then you should know that you can't beat me." To her surprise, Hanlon laughed.

"Believe me, I know that all too well." He said, sounding quite amused despite the circumstances. "I still have my ranger training, but I'm getting old. In my physical prime…now I'm not saying I would've beaten you, but I would've given you a challenge at least. Now? I'd wind up on the pointy end of whatever blade you're carrying in a heartbeat." On cue, Layla shot him a threatening look, and raised her combat knife as she walked closer.

"I'm not going to lie…this will hurt." She said darkly, already thinking of a way to hide the body once she was done with him. Over the balcony seemed the best way, but there was a chance a guard might stumble across it. Probably best to just leave it where it dropped.

"Now why do we have to immediately jump to battle?" Hanlon said unexpectedly, interrupting her thoughts and causing her to stop closing in on him." I'd rather…talk for a while.

"Yeah, and you'd keep me talking up until backup arrived." She replied with an annoyed glare. "I'm not stupid Hanlon."

"Obviously not, but I have no malicious motives here." His tone wasn't condescending or insulting at all when bringing up her intelligence, and as he spoke he slowly raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Dialogue is all that interests me." Despite his apparently peaceful intentions, Layla refused to let go of her hostility.

"Here's some dialogue: I'm going to kill you."

"I'm no threat to you, you must realise that. And if backup **does **arrive, then they'll likely be no threat to you either. I don't want anybody to die tonight." Hanlon said carefully, obviously still trying to get her to stand down. _What's he up to? _Layla mentally wondered, growing more confused by the second.

"So…what, we just talk, then I leave?" She asked slowly.

"Preferably without killing me." Hanlon said with a wry grin.

"And what incentive do I have to let you live?"

"If I don't call in on the radio on the hour every hour, they'll get suspicious." The Chief replied, his tone turning serious for a moment. "You'll be surrounded by veteran rangers before you know it."

"And you think I can't kill veteran rangers?" Layla said confidently.

"Not without difficulty."

"I've killed a fair number already."

"No…you've killed one; the young ranger you fought at the dam…Hennessy, his name was."

"I killed one at Jacobstown too. She pointed out.

"With help. Every time you killed a ranger, you've had help. Hennessy was the exception. I don't know if you're here alone, but do you think you and whatever allies you brought can fight off a large force of veteran rangers?" Though she hated to admit it, the old man had a point. The best showing she'd had against veteran rangers was during the battle in the Remnants bunker, but as Hanlon said, she'd had help for that. Looking back on it, the veteran at the dam really was the only one she'd killed solo. Like it or not, she really did have no choice here. If she walked away, there was nothing stopping him reporting her appearance. However, if she humoured him, perhaps he'd see fit to let her leave without incident. She sensed honour in this man, which was a rare thing indeed among members of the NCR. She had a feeling that, if he said he'd let her go in exchange for dialogue, he really would. Let with no choice, she sighed, before putting away her knife.

"Talk. Quickly." She said in a hostile tone.

"Splendid." He said, a pleased smile on his face as he ushered her forwards. Slowly, she walked closer, and as he sat down on his chair, she stood next to the railing in front of him. "First of all: why do you have this grudge against the NCR?" Well…that was a dumb question.

"You read my file; you know damn well my reasons." She replied, in a tone of voice that suggested this was obvious. Among people who'd read her file, it really should have been.

"I do. Your mother was violated before your eyes, and you lost everything you'd ever had." His words caused her to remember the incident, and she immediately felt her temper flaring. "It must've been traumatic. I can understand why…

"Don't you **dare **try to empathise with me." She snarled, causing the Chief to raise his hands again and sit back in his chair.

"Apologies." He said, sounding genuinely sorry, which surprised Layla. "You certainly are an interesting case though. Everybody has a pet hate…few people ever risk the destruction of entire regions to destroy their pet hates. The fact that the NCR even know your name is impressive." Layla couldn't help but smirk.

"They don't just know my name; they fear me, and with good reason."

"True. Soldiers only speak your name in hushed whispers, lest they accidentally summon you and lose their lives. Recruitment for the NCR is at an all-time low. Nobody wants to join the military with you around." Layla imagined a burning NCR flag, and her smirk turned into a happy smile. "The question is…why are you doing this?" That smile caused her smile to vanish.

"You're getting senile old man." She said in an annoyed tone.

"Am I? Hanlon asked, quizzically tilting his head to the side as he did so.

"We just discussed my reason for hating the NCR." He shook his head and a serious expression formed on his face.

"I didn't ask why you hate them; I asked why you're doing this." She answered by slamming a fist down onto the railing behind her.

"Because the NCR deserves to pay!"

"Is that right?" The tone he asked that in was similar to the tone Vulpes used all the time, and it irritated her to no end.

"Don't patronise me you self-righteous ass! You can't deny the NCR is corrupt. Just look at Oliver!" To her surprise, Hanlon nodded.

"You're right, the NCR isn't perfect. Were the Great Khans perfect though? Is Caesar's Legion perfect? Are **you** perfect?" She hadn't been expecting that last question. Regardless, she refused to back down. She was well aware that this was psychological warfare, and while she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, her burning determination refused to let her give in to it.

"You're not going to make me abandon my quest Hanlon." She said in a matter of fact tone. Hanlon responded by crossing his legs.

"Who said I was trying to do that?" He said in a tone that made it difficult to tell whether he was being genuine or not. "I'm simply calling your rationale into question. Okay, the NCR isn't perfect, but do you really care about that? If you really cared about dirty morals, I doubt you'd be so sad about the state of the Great Khans. If you were such a morally upright person, you'd have turned your attention to the Legion or the Fiends, or better yet; you would never have picked up a sword at all." Layla narrowed her eyes.

"What are you saying?" She asked in a tone that suggested the Chief should choose his next words carefully.

"I'm saying that you're just using the NCR's corruption as an excuse. You'd still go after them even if they were a perfect bastion of truth, justice, and the American way. You're just trying to rationalise your hatred for them." This psychoanalysis bullshit was really starting to irk Layla.

"I don't have to rationalise anything! The NCR killed my friends and family, I hate them, and now I want to utterly destroy them, or at the very least, drive them from my home. That's it."

"You try to simplify it, but it's really more complex than that isn't it?" Hanlon asked, looking right into her eyes as he did so. What's your real reason for all this?"

"How many times do I have to explain this to you?" Layla asked, looking increasingly infuriated. "My parents deserve justice, that's all there is to it!"

"So…you're fighting for those you've lost?"

"Yes!" She answered without hesitation.

"Are you sure you aren't fighting for yourself?" That question knocked her for six.

"I…what?!"

"Are your reasons totally selfless? Are you simply fighting for those who have died? Or…are you only doing this so you can make **yourself **feel better?" As those words entered her ears, Layla felt her rage hit dangerous levels.

"How dare you…" She began, only for the Chief to cut her off.

"Personally, I think it isn't vengeance that drives you." He said as he leaned forwards in his chair, hands forming a pyramid shape beneath his chin as he looked at her. "I don't think you hate the NCR…I think you hate yourself." Layla's eyes widened. That was the last thing she'd been expecting him to say.

"What kind of utter bull…

"I read the file." He interrupted her again, staring her down with fierce intensity as he continued his verbal attack. "You didn't kill a single NCR soldier that night. You were helpless, weren't you? You couldn't do anything while this huge, foreboding enemy walked into your home and killed everyone you ever knew or cared about. The thing is, do you hate the enemy…or do you hate yourself for being too scared and useless to do a single thing to save those you love?" To his surprise, she didn't shout at him or draw her knife and go for his throat. Instead, she went quiet, and tilted her head downwards. Without a word, she closed her eyes, and looked down at the floor. Her expression was unreadable, and the silence stretched on for the longest time, as neither of them said a word. Just as the Chief was beginning to wonder what was going on in her head, she broke the silence with a quiet sigh.

"…I may have fucked up that day…I may have been too weak to help my loved ones…but the NCR is just as guilty as me." She said, looking up and facing him with fire burning in her eyes. "You're right, I do hate myself." She admitted bluntly, clearly surprising the old man before her. "Every night I wonder what would've happened if I'd fought back. Maybe I would've died…maybe that would be preferable to my current existence. I can't go back to that night, what's done is done, and I can't do a thing to change it. What I can do though, is make sure it never happens again." She stood up straight, and a look of pure determination took over her face. "You're right, I'm not a morally upstanding citizen, I'm no hero, and I've never been deluded into thinking otherwise. What I **am**, is a girl…no, a **woman** with a grudge, and that grudge is directed against your precious fucking republic. **Why **I'm doing this doesn't matter to me, all that matters is that I **have **to do it. Maybe someday, after I've succeeded, I'll regret the whole damn thing. For now though, this is my purpose. I'm going to keep fighting, and keep killing, until either the NCR is gone…or my heart stops beating." Hanlon simply stared at her as she finished her speech, apparently unable to respond. He stayed quiet for a few minutes, before eventually composing himself and coming up with a response.

"Have you put much thought into this?" He asked simply.

"Not really, just every waking moment since Bitter Springs." She replied sharply.

"Then you must realise how foolish and short sighted your goal is?"

"No. By all means, please enlighten me." She replied sarcastically, her tone of voice making it clear just how fed up she was of people questioning her mission.

"You drive the NCR from the Mojave, and not only will the people of this land lose one of the main supporting factors of their economy, but the Legion will just march right in and take over the place."

"What the Legion does isn't my concern."

"So you're just selfish?"

"No…I mean yes…I mean…fuck…I don't know." Layla looked down at the floor, quietly hating herself for being unable to come up with a decent response.

"You said you want to drive the NCR from your home. Would you rather have the Legion ruling the Mojave than the NCR?"

"I…"

"And you've already killed Mr House, so any chance New Vegas had of being independent is gone."

"I assume you have a point?" She said impatiently, looking to get this increasingly unpleasant conversation over and done with so she could get on with gassing this place.

"Just that you're on the road to self-destruction, focusing on a meaningless goal that can only end badly for you once you complete it. If the NCR goes, then you'll have to deal with the Legion, and I doubt they'll have a use for you with their main enemy gone." Once again, he made a good point…and it annoyed the fuck out of her.

"Then I'll wipe out the Legion too." She said quickly, without sparing a moment to think it over. Hanlon saw this, and jumped on it with fangs bared.

"Really? You really think that's a realistic goal?"

"If I can wipe out one massive military organization, I think I can wipe out another one." She replied, sounding a lot more sure of herself than she actually felt.

"Okay, but say you beat the Legion…what then?"

"The Mojave was around for years before your precious republic rolled in."

"True, but that was back when House was around to control things. With no NCR, no Legion, and no House, you'll have a Mojave with no leader, no economy, and no hope of survival. Your home will be a shadow of its former self, all because you were selfish and had to kill a group you didn't like." Despite how much sense he was making, Layla refused to listen to what he was saying.

"To hell with the consequences!" She yelled, forgetting that she was in enemy territory and on a balcony where anyone could hear her if she spoke too loud. "The NCR needs to pay for what it did, and so help me God…"

"Are you listening to yourself?" Hanlon interrupted again. She was really starting to get sick of that. "Layla…this is insanity! You can't just wipe out a whole organisation because of something a few men did three years ago. It's foolish, short sighted, and above all, childish." As he said that one fateful word, Layla felt something inside herself snap. _Childish? _She thought, growing closer to critical detonation by the second. _CHILDISH?!_

"What did you say?" She asked in a dark, low tone that belied the pure, paralysing rage that was currently flowing through her.

"You heard me…childish. You get what you want, and to hell with everyone else right? You can't honestly think this is an acceptable way to behave?"

"Read my damn file; I didn't exactly grow up around people who cared about being 'acceptable'."

"Do you even realise who you're trying to avenge? I don't know if it's the rose tinted glasses you're wearing, or if you've subconsciously altered your own memories to hide the truth, but the Great Khans were monsters." _Keep it together…_Layla thought as her blood boiled. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was force a knife into Hanlon's smart mouth and make him swallow it...pointy end first.

"No they weren't!"

"They killed, raped, and pillaged their way across the Mojave; everyone was a victim to them."

"They did what they needed to survive! Nobody else was going to help them!" Impossibly, her rage increased, as Hanlon closed his eyes and shook his head side to side; a condescending gesture that reminded her of Vulpes.

"How can you possibly be this naïve?" And that was all Layla could take.

"Dammit they're my family! They gave me life, they raised me, they made me what I am today! Without the Khans…I'd be nothing. I…I owe my very existence to them. I don't care what you say, they deserve to be avenged, AND SO HELP ME GOD, I AM GOING TO FUCKING AVENGE THEM!" The witch screamed at Hanlon, letting out all the burning rage that had been building throughout this conversation. The old man sat quietly through her rant, and when she finished he picked up his mug, and took a sip of tea. After a few seconds, he put the cup down…and sighed.

"Layla…this quest of yours…it isn't worth it. You don't get anything from destroying the NCR, and as long as you keep dwelling on the events of Bitter Springs, you'll never be able to live your life. Just…move on, okay? Abandon this foolish quest, leave the Mojave, go do something meaningful and fulfilling, don't waste your time with pointless violence and vengeance." The man's words continued to make sense, and as much as Layla hated to admit it, she felt herself being…swayed. _What if he's right? _A small voice in her head asked, growing in volume and intensity by the second as she thought on it. _Because of my lust for vengeance, Veronica's lost her family, Arcade is dead, and Campbell is stuck working for the NCR. No matter what I do, I seem to make things worse. _She turned away from Hanlon and looked off the balcony, a thoughtful look on her face. _Would it really be so bad to just…give it up? Would it really be so wrong to…move on with my life? I could take Veronica, leave the Mojave, go find something worthwhile to do with my life. We could go live peacefully somewhere, away from all this bullshit. We could…we could be happy. _It was a beautiful dream, but she knew somewhere deep in her heart that she couldn't allow it. _We'd be happy…but Mum and Dad wouldn't. _She looked into the sky, her expression growing slowly more determined as she imagined the faces of her parents looking down on her. _Their murderers would go unpunished, and bastards like General Oliver could continue to ruin the Mojave. _Her grip on the railing in front of her tightened. _I can't just walk away. This needs to be done._ She sighed, before turning back to Hanlon. The Chief was surprised to see a knowing smile on her face.

"…I can tell you're the kind of guy who uses their silver tongue to solve all their problems." She said quietly, clearly surprising the old man. He obviously hadn't been expecting her to bounce back from his last comment, but regardless he replied quickly.

"Heh…you found me out." He said with a smirk.

"Usually silver tongued devils are also miserable cowards, but you…you're not afraid of me are you?" She asked, matching his smirk as she did so.

"Years of military service has a way of beating fear out of you." Layla looked at this old man, staring her down with no ounce of fear whatsoever…and couldn't help but feel impressed.

"You…you're almost worthy of respect." She said sincerely, causing the old man to smile.

"Coming from you, that's oddly touching. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Now then…will you consider what I've said?" There was a brief pause at that, as Layla looked down at the floor. For a moment, Hanlon thought he had her…but then she replied.

"I have to say, you're good at this whole talking thing." She said with a friendly smile. "You nearly had me, but no…I'm not abandoning my quest." Hanlon let out a long, weary sigh.

"I guessed as much." He said, still smiling. "I don't suppose there's anything I can do to convince you otherwise?"

"You'd have to kill me."

"I promised I'd let you go" Layla smirked as she heard his words, while putting a hand on her hip.

"Letting the NCR's number one enemy go…that doesn't sound very professional." The old man smirked back.

"I'm a man of my word, professionalism be damned."

"And is our talk over?"

"Almost." As he replied, the old man surprised her by getting to his feet. "Layla…I know you won't listen to me since I'm NCR, and therefore, your enemy, but just ask yourself this…are you happy?" That question knocked her completely off guard. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever expected anyone in the NCR to ask her a question like that. Unable to reply, she looked away from him as he continued. "Do you like what you're doing? This quest…is it bringing meaning to your life, or is it just an anchor dragging you down?" A good thirty seconds passed before she managed to reply.

"I…I'm happy…" She said quietly, in a tone that made it sound like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince him.

"Are you?" A downcast expression appeared on her face as she turned away from him, looking back over the balcony again as she did so.

"…It doesn't matter whether I'm happy or not. This needs to be done." She replied, sounding utterly resolute as she spoke.

"But don't you deserve to be happy?" Those words stabbed deep into her. It was a good question. **Did** she deserve to be happy? As she thought on this, memories flashed before her eyes. She saw Bitter Springs. She saw her friends and family massacred, butchered like cattle. She saw the monster Chris Choke violate her mother. She saw everything she knew and loved burn to ashes. And she saw herself…weak…useless…unable to do anything about it. _I couldn't help them. _She thought, fighting the tears that fought to break free. _I couldn't do anything. _She saw the longhouse in which her mother died. She saw Craig Boone's bullet end her father's life. _I let them all down. _She lost the fight, and the tears escaped.

"No…no, I don't deserve to be happy…not until I've made up for my own failure." She answered the old man's question, as tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped them off, and rubbed her eyes before turning to face the Chief.

"I see." Hanlon said, well aware that she'd just been crying but too mindful of her feelings to comment on it. "Well then…I won't stop you." He sat back down in his chair as she spoke, and looked directly into her eyes. "Oliver will likely be keeping me out of the upcoming battle at the dam, so if we ever speak again, you'll either be a captive of the NCR…or the Legion will be in power, and you'll be coming for me."

"In either case…I'll try to make your death quick."

"I assume that's a rare phrase from you, so…thank you."

"Don't…I didn't promise it would be painless." With that, she walked past his chair, and headed for the door.

"Will you at least consider what I've said?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at her as she did so.

"I'll…give it some thought.

"That's all I ask." The witch didn't respond, and as she neared the door, Hanlon thought that was it. He turned to look back over the balcony and settled into his chair…when he heard her voice again.

"Thank you." She said unexpectedly, causing one of Hanlon's eyebrows to rise as he heard her words. "I might not have enjoyed this conversation, but you helped me confront my demons, and learn who I am and what I really want. I…I just wanted to thank you for that." A few seconds later, Hanlon heard his door close as the Red Blade Witch left, and a small smile appeared on his face. _Happy to help. _He thought, his mood brightening as he looked off the balcony.

***A few minutes later***

Pushing the meeting with Hanlon from her mind, Layla concentrated entirely on her task. In her focused state, it didn't take her long to sneak through the corridors on the ground floor and find her way to the basement. She couldn't help but smirk as she walked through the door, and descended into darkness. Before long she found herself standing in the basement, a dark, dank place that looked like it was rarely visited. Wasting no time, she took the bag off her back, put it on the floor, and opened it up. The familiar form of the Cloud bomb poked out of the bag, and she picked it up before placing it against the far wall. _Okay, time to call Vulpes. _She thought as she stepped away from the bomb, before taking out her radio. _Time to end this place. _Her trademark sadistic grin took over her face as she put the radio to her lips. Before she could speak however…something hit her in the back of the head. _The fu…_She thought dazedly, moments before everything went black.

***Later***

_Ow…_She thought as her eyes slowly opened, mental faculties not yet at 100%. Once her brain had finished booting up, her eyes shot open, and she realised she was staring at the floor. _The fuck?! _Quickly figuring out that she was lying down, she scrambled to her feet and took stock of the situation. She was still in the basement, but there was no sign of the Cloud bomb, and according to her Pip Boy it was 00:45, twenty minutes after she'd passed out. She bristled angrily, before groaning as she felt a dull, aching pain in her head. _What hit me? _Filing that thought under 'I'll figure it out later', she decided to call Vulpes and tell him what had happened. He'd give her no end of grief for it, but she could live with that. What she **couldn't **live with was fucking this plan up, and endangering Veronica's life. She reached into the pocket where she kept her radio, only to find no sign of the device. Searching through her memories, she recalled holding the radio just before being knocked out, and swiftly deduced that she must have dropped it as she fell unconscious. A quick inspection of the floor allowed her to locate it…only to find that it had been smashed to pieces, beyond any hope of repair. She hadn't fallen on it, which could only mean one thing. _Somebody else had a hand in this._

It was fairly obvious of course, as **something **had hit her from behind to knock her out in the first place, but the thought only just reached her now…and something about it didn't make sense. Her assailant followed her to the basement, snuck up behind her (Which, as Vulpes could attest, since he'd earned a sword to the throat every time he'd tried it so far, was frigging difficult), knocked her out with a physical blow to the back of her skull, swiped the Cloud bomb, and smashed her radio…then left her alive. The fact that the mystery attacker hadn't just killed her or called the guards boggled her mind, but she pushed that thought from her mind before trying to decide her next course of action.

The bomb was missing, so her half of the mission was a complete failure. Hopefully Vulpes had managed to reach his own target, and when she didn't message, he'd arm his bomb anyway. _Hopefully. _She had no idea where the bomb was, and was currently deep in enemy territory. Hostiles were everywhere, and she didn't have the slightest clue where to look for the bomb, so it seemed the only reasonable course of action was to cut her losses and retreat. Vulpes would be pissed, but at least she'd survive, and if his part of the plan went off without a hitch, then the mission would still be somewhat successful, and he'd have no reason to tell Lanius that Veronica was a former Brotherhood Scribe. _Okay, it's decided. I'm getting the fuck out of here. _She thought, before putting on a determined expression and running for the stairs. She had no idea that at that eighteen minutes ago, the individual who attacked her had dumped her Cloud bomb into Lake Mead.

***Vulpes - 15 minutes ago***

_She's late. _The fox thought as she stared at his radio, waiting for Layla to call. He'd reached the target tent ten minutes ago, and had spent the time since then waiting for the witch to inform him that she'd reached her target. She failed to meet his expectations. _Useless. _He thought, snarling as he lowered his radio. If she hadn't replied yet, there were only two possibilities: she was worse at stealth than he'd expected (An impressive feat), or she'd been caught. Both were equally likely, but he didn't feel like waiting to see which one it was. _Time for Plan B. _He thought, look of annoyance replaced by a fox-like grin as he raised his radio, and adjusted the frequency. _Goodbye Layla. _With that, he called the transceiver of her Cloud bomb, immediately detonating the device and venting its gas. His mouth shifted into a dark, sadistic smirk as he pictured the Cloud giving Layla the excruciating death she so richly deserved. He had no idea that at that very moment, the bomb that was venting the gas was at the bottom of Lake Mead.

***Layla***

The girl with red hair picked up the pace as she looked at her Pip Boy, and saw that it was 00:50. _Shit, ten minutes left! _She thought frantically as she crept into the entrance foyer. There was nobody there, and she heard no signs that anybody was moving around. _I can make a run for it. _A part of her mind said, and before she could stop herself, she ran towards the doors. She crossed the room quickly, but as she neared the exit…someone flung the doors open. Layla skidded to a stop as exterior lights illuminated the room, and an unfamiliar figure walked in.

"Well, isn't this a surprise?" The figure, a woman, said as she spotted Layla. The witch had never seen this woman before in her life, but she recognised the insignia on her uniform. It meant she was a Colonel, and if she'd managed to earn a rank that high, then she was obviously bad news. "You know, I'd hoped to meet you one day, but I never expected to do it here. Just the fact that you actually managed to infiltrate Camp Golf…I'm impressed, to say the least."

"And who the fuck are you?" Layla asked harshly as she drew her combat knife. The woman laughed, before using a hand to wipe her honey blonde hair out of her eyes.

"My name is Colonel Cassandra Moore." The woman replied, a dark grin covering her face as she stared down the witch. "Perhaps you've heard of me?" Strangely, that name **did **ring a bell. _Didn't Boone use that name to threaten Campbell? _As she thought that, the memories came flooding back. She remembered Boone and Campbell in the middle of a standoff, with the sniper trying to force the merc to change sides, and the merc telling him to go fuck himself. Then, Boone had threatened to send Layla, Veronica and Arcade to somebody named Colonel Cassandra Moore if Campbell refused to comply. Seeing as Campbell considered shooting Layla in the head to be kinder than sending her off to Moore, this woman clearly wasn't to be messed with.

"Boone mentioned you once." Layla said, grip tightening on her knife as she mentally planned a way to kill Moore and slip out of the building before the alarm could be raised. "He called you a psychopath." Moore chuckled at this.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me." She said in an amused tone. "Weak people always disrespect their betters." Moore took a few steps forward as she spoke, and a downright evil smile appeared on her face to compliment her words. "That's the thing about Boone. He acts tough and claims he's eternally loyal to the NCR, but the fact of the matter is he's weak. He doesn't have what it takes to get his hands dirty, and do what is really necessary for the Republic. Fortunately, I have no such weakness."

"So I'm guessing you're the NCR's resident psycho?" Layla asked, amusing Moore again.

"You might say that. People often compare me to you actually; a violent sadist who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. You and I are a lot alike."

"Except I'm not aligned with the bear, and I'm guessing you lack the fighting skills that have made me an NCR bogeyman."

"True." Moore closed her eyes as she responded, a dangerously smug look on her face that reminded Layla of Vulpes (God, everyone was reminding her of him today), and put her on guard. "I'm not as good at straight combat as you. Fortunately, I'm a lot smarter than you."

"Is that right?" Layla asked dubiously.

"Yes, it is." Moore sneered. "For example: I'm not dumb enough to face the Red Blade Witch, the NCR's most wanted criminal, the woman who's death count is in the triple digits, one on one. I **am **however, more than smart enough to stall you while a squad of rangers moves in and surrounds you." Layla's eyes widened on hearing that. _Oh shit. _She mentally cursed, seconds before the sounds of several rifles being cocked filled her ears. She cast her eyes around the room, and found that, sure enough, she was surrounded. Four men behind her, and two on each set of stairs, all wielding assault carbines. _When the hell did they get in position?! _She mentally wondered, while Moore began radiating smugness. "I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you."

"You think this is the first time I've heard that?" Layla asked, as she tried to a think of a way out of this situation.

"Trust me, I know about your tendency to get out of impossible situations, but I'm afraid you're pretty much fucked here."

"These are bog standard rangers. I can kill them in my sleep."

"Probably, but can you do it without your sword? Can you do it without your sword while eight assault rifles are pointed at you?" As she spoke, Moore drew a 12.7mm pistol and pointed it at Layla's head. "Can you do it when eight assault rifles and my pistol are pointed at your head?" Layla didn't reply, prompting Moore to smirk. "I didn't think so." Layla's mind worked at full speed to figure out a way to escape, but she drew a blank. As much as she hated to admit it, Moore had a point; there was no way in hell she'd be able to kill the ranger surrounding her without taking some bullets, and without her sword, she doubted she'd be able to kill even one before dropping. "You know, in a way, I admire you." Moore said wistfully. "You're strong, independent, tough, and you don't let anything stop you from completing your goals; all admirable traits. It's such a shame that you're on the enemy's side.

"Bite me." Layla spat defiantly.

"Really? That's it?" Moore asked, sounding quite disappointed. "Those are your last words?" She sighed, before shaking her head. "Kind of a let-down really. Oh well." With that she snapped her fingers, before addressing the rangers that surrounded Layla. "Gentlemen, you may fire when ready."

"You 'd better hope you don't miss." Layla snarled, before turning to the men who were about to shoot her. As she looked at them however, she noticed that the men weren't focused on her. All eight of them, the men on the ground floor and the ones on the stairs, were looking out of the windows on either side of the doors that Moore had entered through.

"What are you staring at?" More asked, cocky veneer fading and annoyance flaring up. "KILL HER NOW!"

"Colonel, something's happening outside." One of the rangers, a man on the ground floor, informed Moore, but she didn't listen.

"I don't care if Caesar's ghost has ascended from Hell and started streaking through the camp. KILL THIS FUCKING BITCH!" To Moore's further ire, the men ignored her, and as her curiosity took over, Layla did as well. She followed the gaze out of the window, and saw a shroud of thick, red fog. _So…that must be the Cloud. _She thought, feeling a chill run through her as the eldritch fog completely hid the camp from view. _Vulpes must have detonated his bomb. _Right as Layla thought that, Moore herself looked out of the window, and her eyes widened. "The fuck?" She asked quietly, clearly as unnerved by the sight as the rangers around her. Tearing her eyes away from the Cloud for a second, Layla realised that everyone in the room, Moore included, was looking out of the window. _If I'm going to escape, now's my best chance. _She thought, before running for the stairs.

Since the Cloud was practically knocking on the resort building's door, escaping through the front wasn't an option. Her only choice was to leave the same way she'd entered: through a window on the second floor. Unfortunately, Moore was for more observant than Layla had given her credit for, and she took notice the very second the red haired girl tried to flee.

"She's running! KILL HER!" Moore screeched, earning the attention of her men. Too late it turned out, as Layla was already partway up the left hand stairs before the men on said stairs noticed her. They'd lowered their rifles while distracted by the Cloud, so had to waste valuable seconds raising them again as the Witch charged them. This proved to cost them dearly. The first got a knife in his throat as he tried to aim at Layla, while the second got a kick to the balls. Every gun in the room opened fire on her, but she pulled her knife out of the first ranger before grabbing the second one while he was stunned by the crotch attack and using him as a shield. He screamed as a barrage of assault rifle bullets thudded into his torso, before going silent as a 12.7mm bullet blew apart his skull. Moving as quickly as she could while using a corpse as a shield, Layla successfully ascended the stairs, before trying to back into the corridor that she'd come from. Noticing this, Moore charged forward, hoping to stop Layla from escaping. She fired wildly as she shot, imbedding more bullets into the ranger's corpse but failing to kill her target.

Once she reached the entrance to the corridor, Layla threw the corpse away, before turning and running. Moore bolted up the stairs after her, but the witch acted quickly. _I need to slow that bitch down, but I don't have any guns or throwing knives. Only one option. _Layla thought, before throwing her combat knife. Moore's eyes widened as the knife flew towards her, while the rangers who had been standing on the ground floor ran after her. Thinking quickly, she grabbed one of the rangers by the collar, before pulling him in front of her. Before he could ask her what she was doing, Layla's knife hit him right between the eyes. Not slowing down for a second, Moore threw the corpse away and continued up the stairs…only to see that Layla had slipped away.

"DAMMIT!" The Colonel cursed, before pointing to the corridor that Layla had fled to and, impossibly, raising her voice even higher. " AFTER HER!" She yelled, prompting the surviving rangers to pursue the witch. As her men ran down the corridor however, Moore walked over to the poor sod that she'd used as a shield, and pulled Layla's combat knife out of his face. She turned the blade over in her hand for a few seconds, before smirking. _Souvenir. _She thought as she slipped it into her pocket, before running after her men. She found them a few minutes later, but there was no sign of their prey.

"Where is she?" More growled at the nearest man, and he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck as he replied.

"We…we lost her." He admitted, while Moore's eyes narrowed. "There's just no sign of her. We looked all down the corridor, but…" Before the man could finish his excuse, the Colonel raised her 12.7mm pistol and shot him in the face.

"**FIND**…**HER**." She ordered in a threatening tone as the man's corpse dropped, causing his terrified comrades to spread out and search for their target. She cupped the bridge of her nose with two fingers using her free hand, before sighing in annoyance. That annoyance only increased as a ranger came up behind her, and gave her some bad news.

"Er…Miss Moore?" He asked nervously, prompting the Colonel to turn to him.

"What?" She barked, clearly scaring him somewhat. Despite his obvious fear, he somehow managed to convey his message to her.

"We…we have a problem."

"Oh god, not another one." Moore said in an exasperated tone, before glaring intensely at the ranger. "What's wrong now?!"

"Well…you know how Chief Hanlon is supposed to be under house arrest?"

"Of course I do you idiot. I'm the one who put him under house arrest in the first place. He's supposed to stay on that balcony at all times."

"That's the thing ma'am. I…I went to check the balcony, because of that strange fog that's rolling in. I wanted to move the Chief in case it was poisonous, but there was no sign of him."

"What are you saying?" Moore asked in a low, angry tone. She had a feeling she knew the answer, and desperately hoped she was wrong. She wasn't.

"Chief Hanlon isn't up there Miss. He's gone."

***Vulpes – A few minutes later***

"You're late." Vulpes announced the very second he saw Layla. They were at the meeting point under the watchtower as agreed, but the fox had been there far longer than the witch.

"Sorry…" She panted, worn out from running from the building as fast as she could. "…I…ran into some…problems."

"I can see that." He replied as he looked down at the resort building. "I activated my Cloud bomb. What happened to yours?" _And why aren't you dead? _He mentally wondered.

"I…" Layla paused for a moment, clearly embarrassed about what she was about to say. "I made it to the basement…but…someone knocked me out. When I came to, my radio was destroyed and my bomb was gone." _Imbecile. _Vulpes thought angrily, while also cursing the luck that had saved her life from his plan. Ignoring his frustration for a second, he noticed something strange about Layla's story, and brought it up.

"Someone incapacitated you, stole your bomb, destroyed your radio…but didn't kill you?" He asked quizzically, prompting a nod from Layla.

"I was confused too, but that's exactly what happened." Vulpes turned away from her, a thoughtful look on his face as his mind went to work. _That makes no sense. She's the most wanted criminal in the NCR; all soldiers are ordered to shoot her on sight. It could only be a member of the NCR who attacked her, so why did the assailant leave her alive? They could have at least raised the alarm, but they didn't do that either. Why leave the Red Blade Witch alive, and make no mention of the fact that she's inside the base? _Deciding to ponder this later, he turned back to her, his regular neutral expression decorating his face once more.

"So basically, you failed in your assigned task?" The girl visibly bristled at that, and Vulpes mentally smirked as he got under her skin. Annoying her amused him to no end, and it had the added benefit of reminding her of her place.

"It wasn't my fault!" She protested, but the fox was having none of it.

"I don't want to hear your excuses." He replied sternly, before walking over to the edge of the cliff and looking down at the camp below. The Cloud had spread remarkably quickly, and already the area was littered with NCR corpses. A blood red veil hung over the camp, and the screams of soldiers caught in its grasp filled the night. "Fortunately for you, I completed **my **assignment. While only half of Camp Golf was gassed, meaning we won't be able to claim it any time soon, the NCR still suffered heavy casualties here tonight. As such, I feel we can call this operation a success." A hopeful look appeared in the girl's eyes as he said this, and he felt the need to roll his eyes.

"So…does this mean you won't mention Veronica's former Brotherhood status to Lanius?" She asked, once again amusing him to no end. Her concern for that girl was downright sickening, and she had no idea that it was her greatest weakness. _Ignorant sow. _He thought, smug grin appearing on his face as he did so.

"We didn't achieve what I was hoping here today, but the mission didn't end in failure…so yes. I will keep your friend's little secret." The girl visibly relaxed at this, and an undisguised happy smile worked its way onto her face. _Naïve fool. _He thought, before turning away from the cliff. "Come now. It's time to leave." The witch looked down at the Cloud afflicted camp for a few moments, sadistic grin plastered on her face as she watched the NCR grunts below suffer. After a few seconds, she seemed to process his words, and nodded before walking after him.

_Things didn't exactly go to plan here tonight. _He thought as he and the girl he'd been hoping to kill left Camp Golf. As he turned his head to the right and looked at her, a devilish idea entered his mind. _I do believe I have a new job for Campbell. _He thought, as an animalistic grin worked its way onto his face.

***Hanlon***

The Chief couldn't help but shiver as he stood on a cliff overlooking the camp, and watched that strange red smog wash over it. Whatever the fog was, it was killing soldiers left and right, and Hanlon felt like he should be down there helping them. Instead he was here, far away from the camp and midway through his escape. He would already be gone, if not for the fact that he had to dispose of that strange device Layla brought with her first. He'd followed her after she'd left his balcony, eventually shadowing her as she went down to the basement. Having fought in the conflict against the Enclave, he'd recognised the device she'd pulled out of her rucksack as Enclave tech. He had no idea where she'd gotten it or what its function was, but he knew it was too dangerous to let her do what she wanted with it, so he'd been forced to…incapacitate her. He didn't hit as hard as he used to, but fortunately there'd been a fire extinguisher close to hand. Reading her file told him she'd be strong enough to shrug off a blow like that after waking up, so he'd left her there, taking her device so that he could dispose of it and smashing her radio just to be safe as he left. He'd dumped the device in Lake Mead, and minutes later he'd seen a strange, blood red fog below the surface of the water. He assumed the device was a bomb, and if it had truly released red fog, then the current situation meant that another such bomb had gone off in the camp.

This could only mean that the witch had had help, and Hanlon felt like kicking himself for not figuring that out earlier. The fact that she'd been calling someone on the radio when he'd knocked her out should have been a big clue. _I failed them. _He thought as he watched the men and women below drown in the gas. Overwhelming guilt flooded through him, but he quickly shrugged it off. _Feeling sorry for myself won't solve anything. _He thought resolutely, before turning away from the scene below. He could at least take solace in the fact that he'd saved the resort building. Unfortunately, that also meant he'd saved Moore. _Oh well, can't win them all. _He thought, an amused smile working its way onto his face despite the circumstances.

Some would say that he would've saved more lives if he'd just killed Layla instead of leaving her unconscious, but he felt that doing that would make all the manipulation he'd carried out during their conversation utterly pointless. Right now, she was probably doubting her goal and her purpose in life, and he hoped this would lead to her eventually betraying the Legion. The way he saw it, there were three possible outcomes. Either she turned against the Legion **before** the battle, robbing the Legion of their ace and making them much easier to defeat, she turned against them **during** the battle, robbing the Legion of their ace and disorienting them at the same time as she cleaves through them, or she turned on them **after** the battle, in which case Oliver would be dead (Always a plus), and she would kill a large number of legionaries, allowing the NCR to launch a counter attack and reclaim the dam. There was of course always the chance that she **wouldn't **betray the Legion, but if that happened then Boone could always deal with her. Theoretically, Campbell could too, but Hanlon knew of the merc's friendship with the witch, and didn't want to force him to kill someone that he'd been so close to. Oliver likely wouldn't share his compassion.

Turning his thoughts away from Layla for a second, he decided to focus on getting out of here. The fog had been a good distraction, allowing him to slip away undetected, but unless he left soon, it was only a matter of time before somebody spotted him. He didn't want to leave, but at this point, he didn't have a choice. Thanks to Moore and Oliver he was essentially a criminal now, but he'd be damned if he'd let them keep him locked up in his own building. The NCR would be too busy dealing with Layla to bother hunting him down, so he had little to worry about. He planned to wander the Mojave for a short while, maybe get a few drinks in New Vegas. It had been months since he'd left Camp Golf, so he was looking forward to seeing how things had changed. In terms of the upcoming battle at the dam, there was nothing much he could do now; all he could really do was sit back and watch events unfold. He'd failed to stop Oliver, but he hoped his manipulation of Layla would at least make it possible for the NCR to win the fateful battle. One way or another, he'd be watching from the shadows, so he'd learn of the outcome as soon as it happened. He took one last look back at Camp Golf, and sighed, before walking away. _And now we enter the endgame._

***Layla – Hours later***

The Red Blade Witch had never been so happy to return to Fortification Hill. She still didn't like the place, but it was a safe haven and a place she could rest, so at the moment it seemed pretty fucking appealing. It was somewhere between 3 and 4am now, and she was certainly feeling fatigued. Lanius had granted Veronica and herself a tent to use while they were at the fort, and right now all Layla wanted to do was crawl into said tent and drift into peaceful oblivion. As she walked past the arena however, she noticed a familiar figure up ahead. Veronica stood on the hill overlooking the arena, a solemn look on her face as she looked up at the stars.

"I'm back." Layla announced as she approached, but Veronica didn't seem to notice her. Confused, the red haired one followed the path that led up to the hill, approached the hooded girl, and greeted her again. "Veronica? Helloooo?" Finally seeming to notice her presence, the girl looked at her, allowing the witch to see her red, puffy eyes. _She looks like she's been crying. _Layla thought, immediately becoming concerned.

"Hi." Veronica said quietly, while forcing a weak smile onto her face.

"Are you okay?" The former scribe looked at her for a moment, before casting her gaze upwards again.

"I don't know." She said cryptically, her tone of voice making it impossible to tell what she was feeling.

"You've been crying haven't you?" Veronica nodded. "What happened while I was gone?" She didn't answer. "Did one of the legionaries do something to upset you? Just point me their way and I'll slice their balls off before you can say…"

"It wasn't a legionary." Veronica interrupted, shaking her head as she did so.

"Veronica…what happened while I was gone?" She asked again, more forcefully this time. The former scribe just looked at her, before pulling something out of her pocket and forcing it into the red haired girl's hands. Instead of explaining, she simply walked away, leaving Layla to look at the item she'd been given. Her eyes widened as she saw her own face staring back at her, and her mouth hung open like a trap door. _Thi…this is…_It was a photo…specifically the photo that she, Veronica, Arcade and Campbell had taken outside of Novac. It had been meant as a memento of their time together, but now looking at it just caused a dull ache in her heart. _Where the hell did she get this? _Layla wondered, as she looked at the smiling faces in the picture.

_**Oh look, another cliffhanger. I know, I'm a terrible person. But come on, it's not THAT much of a cliffhanger, right? Nothing compared to the cliffhanger at the end of chapter 53, which came right before an important conversation about feelings and took FOUR FUCKING MONTHS for me to write the next bit. The plot for the chapter has been resolved at least, so that's something. Instead of showing what happens NEXT, the next chapter will be going back a bit, to explain what Veronica was doing while Layla was at Camp Golf.**__** Where has she been all night? Why was she crying? And where/how did she get her hands on the group photo? All will be revealed in the next chapter. Considering the last time we saw this photo, Campbell had taken it from Arcade's corpse…yeah…the next chapter's going to be interesting, that's for sure.**_

_**Bad news: No big boss fight here, unlike most set piece chapters.**_

_**Good news: There was a verbal boss fight instead, where Layla had to confront her inner demons and avoid being convinced into abandoning her quest. That's good too right? Right? Oh fuck you it's awesome.**_

_**Yeah, the Hanlon conversation was fun for me. Some people dislike verbally eviscerating their own characters. I am not one of those people. The conversation was a good way to introduce Layla to Hanlon (Which will be important later), developed her character a bit, and gave Hanlon the chance to be manipulative again. Is his prediction that Layla will betray the Legion correct? Is there a chance that the NCR might win at the dam? Will the Chief have an important role to play in deciding the future of the Mojave? I can tell you one thing...none of these questions will be answered for a while. Yeah...I'm a dick. **_

_**Lastly, Moore met Layla. Personally I feel I could have done more with this, but to be honest Moore is more (Hehe) of a secondary antagonist, whereas Boone, Oliver and MAYBE Campbell count as primaries. As such, she won't get as much focus as them. Will she get to fight Layla at some point? Well...it's been stated that she can't hold a candle to Layla in close quarters combat...but then again, Boone is a hell of a lot better at close quarters combat than Campbell, and he still struggled to beat the merc in a fight. What I'm saying is, if she cheated, which she would, Moore might be able to give Layla a challenge. If they fought. Which I'm not saying they will. Even if my addiction to writing boss fights demands it be so. Shut up.**_

_**Well, that's that. Read, enjoy, review, and...enjoy? I don't know, I couldn't think of a fourth thing. See you guys when the next chapter comes out...in a year or so (Just kidding...maybe). **_

_**Do svidanyia. (I'll bet good money that I wrote that wrong.)**_

_** :)**_


	61. Apology

_**Hi guys. *Sigh* Yeah, I know this took a long fucking time. Trust me, I know. I'm sorry, really, but I've been annoyingly busy over the past few months. Life happened. More specifically, Univeristy happened. Even more specifically, I am/was on my final term on my final year of university, and shortly into the writing of this chapter, the workload hit me like a fucking train. I have just been working nonestop for months, trying to finish my final group project for uni. If you're curious, I'm on a Game Design course (Guy who writes game fanfiction on a Game Design course; imagine that), and for my main project in the last year of the course, I had to form a group with some classmates and together we had to create a game...or at least, the demo for a game. So we've been working on it since before Christmas, but the workload got really fierce around March/Aprilish, and all my freetime vanished as I was forced to work pretty much nonstop if I wanted to get enough hours to pass and get a decent grade (Your frinal grade is directly related to the amount of hours you work). I was the writer for the group (Imagine that) but I ran out of stuff to write pretty quickly, so I was scrambling for shit to do in order to get my hours. But you're not here to read about my life, you're hear to read my story. Sorry, I'll get to the point. We finished the game. It was...okay. I passed. I was happy. With my newfound freedom, I sat down today (21/5/2014), 11 days after my birthday (Oh yeah, my birthday passed...and I had to work all day during it; ended up doing 8 hours of work and not celebrating at all. YAAAAAAAAY), and finally finished this goddamn chapter. **_

_**Sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoy.**_

Apology

**Several hours ago**

_Goddammit I miss her already. _Veronica thought, slightly annoyed at herself as she watched the boat take Layla away. The water craft would transport her to Cottonwood Cove, and from there she'd go on her latest mission…infiltrating a high security NCR facility with a man she couldn't trust and using a highly complex device that she knew nothing about to fill the place with a gas so deadly that the Enclave, people who kicked babies on a regular basis, had to actually modify it before they felt comfortable enough to use it. There was nothing about Vulpes' mission that didn't make Veronica nervous. She'd never actually met the desert fox, strangely enough, but if they ever crossed paths she'd make sure to give him a piece of her mind…before giving him a piece of her fist. With Layla's sway in the organization, she was sure she could get away with it. Besides, she'd heard that Lanius, the big cheese around here, didn't like Vulpes either. He'd probably give her a medal or something if she knocked his block off. Boy would she enjoy attending **that **awards ceremony.

Evening had arrived, and noticing its cue, the Sun was beginning its descent, ending its shift and handing custody of the planet over to the Moon. The flaming orb was taking its time getting off the stage, so Fortification Hill currently sat under a striking orange sky. It was certainly pretty to look at, but Veronica's attentions were elsewhere as she walked back up the hill to the fort itself. She wore her usual attire, hooded robes, gloves, power fist on her right hand, and a ballistic fist (The same one she'd used during the fight in the Remnants' Bunker) on her left hand just in case she needed extra punching power, along with her 10mm pistol holstered at her side and a pair of thick, but comfortable combat boots. She also had two features that weren't part of a her regular appearance: a plaster on her forehead, a necessary accessory due to the bloody cut she'd inflicted on herself after going on a rage fuelled rampage against the ranger bitch in the arena, and thick black bags under her eyes. Unlike the plaster, these weren't necessary, but she didn't have the option of removing them, and they served to show everyone that she'd had practically no sleep lately. Her performance in the arena yesterday had told the legionaries that she had a nasty temper, so her obvious tiredness was causing everyone to avoid her, lest she flip out and bloody her fists again.

She yawned as she walked past the arena, her very presence causing Otho to back away in terror. She briefly considered killing some time in the arena, but decided against it. If she went in there, she'd be killing more than time, and she really wasn't in the mood for murder right now. Instead, she planned to go to the tent that Lanius had provided Layla and herself with, curl up with the pre-war book she'd been trying to read for ages (Since the days of living in the Lucky 38), and read until she got tired, before drifting off to sleep. A nice evening of relaxation. _God that sounds heavenly. _Veronica thought, a happy smile on her face that was rare these days as she passed Caesar's tent and walked towards her own…only to be stopped as a male voice called out to her.

"Err…Miss?" She turned towards the voice immediately, smile gone and an expression on her face that served to intimidate the young legionary that had spoken.

"This had better be good." She said stonily. The young man gulped, before forcing words out of his mouth.

"I…a package came for you Miss." Okay…Veronica hadn't been expecting that. She tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I…err….I mean, Miss, that…well…a package addressed to you arrived at Cottonwood Cove a few minutes ago. We don't usually accept deliveries but…considering your relationship with the Witch and…your performance in the arena yesterday…" He shivered, and although she mildly hated herself for it, Veronica smirked. She wasn't proud of what she'd done in the arena, but if it made the people around here afraid of her, then some good had come out of it. As some people said, fear is just as good as respect. "…it was decided that it be brought to you. I…I was the one tasked with bringing it. I…I came over on the boat just before the Witch, and…"

"I didn't ask for your life story." The former scribe snapped, clearly startling the young man. He obviously hadn't been a legionary long; he was so green, Veronica could practically smell the inexperience wafting off him, like the odour of a man who's forgotten to shower. "Just give me the package and go away."

"I…yes…of course Miss." He stuttered, before reaching into one of the pockets in his armour. A few seconds later, he took out a small package and handing it to her. "Here you are." She took it from him without delay, before waving impatiently.

"Thank you. You can go now." He nodded, and bowed awkwardly before walking away. Now alone, Veronica brought the package, no bigger than her hand, to her ear, before shaking it. Not hearing anything that gave away what was inside, she shrugged, before taking it back to her tent.

Once inside the temporary dwelling, she sat on her bedroll, and began to tear apart the parcel. She hadn't trimmed her nails recently, so it didn't take long. Less than a minute later, the packaging was gone, and she found herself looking at its contents: a holotape, and a Pip Boy. Confused, she attached the Pip Boy to her left wrist, before looking over the holotape in her hand. After a few moments, she realised that the Pip Boy was probably included so she could play the tape on it. She mentally slapped herself for taking so long to realise that, before slotting the tape into the device on her wrist. She pressed play, and a voice started speaking…a familiar voice.

"Hi." Campbell's voice said. Veronica was on guard immediately. _He sent this here. He knows where I am. _She thought frantically, before trying to calm herself down. Her efforts didn't do much good. "I know this must be a bit of a scare for you kiddo, but it's the only way I could get this message to you. To alleviate your fears: yes, I know you are, but General Oliver doesn't, the NCR don't, and I have no intention of letting the secret slip. You're safe…as safe as you can be when surrounded by psychopathic, skirt wearing, murderous rapists anyway." She managed to calm down a little, before focusing on the merc's words. He obviously had a reason for wanting to contact her, but…what the hell could it be?

"By now you're wondering why I'm contacting you." _He knows me way too well. _She thought, slightly irritated that she'd trusted the bastard long enough to get to the point where he knew her that well. "Well, let me just say that I have no ulterior motives here. Well…no bad ones anyway. As strange as it sounds coming from me of all people, I don't want harm to come to you or Layla." _Bullshit. _The former scribe thought angrily, clenching her non Pip Boy hand angrily as he continued. "I…I just want to talk, okay?" Genuinely surprised, Veronica learned forwards, so that she could hear the recording better. "I've created a rift between us, I get that, and…well…I just want to clear the air." She raised an eyebrow. "I'll understand if you don't believe me, if you think this is a trap, or if you do believe me but have no interest in hearing what I have to say. I wouldn't blame you at all if you just stayed where you are, in that base…surrounded by bastards. But please, if our friendship meant anything to you…if it still does mean anything to you…come meet with me." Distrust flowed throughout Veronica's body, but she could sense the emotion in the man's voice. Either he was a very good actor (He had an obscene number of talents, so that was likely), or he genuinely wanted to bury the hatchet (…She had no idea how likely that was). Regardless, she was on guard.

"Oliver usually has me locked up in the dam, but I have tonight off. If you want to talk, meet me at the coordinates written on the back of this holotape. See you soon kiddo…or not." No words followed after that, so Veronica assumed the recording had ended. Her curiosity proving far too powerful for her to control, she immediately removed the holotape from the Pip Boy, before turning it over. Sure enough, there was writing on the back: some words that she didn't bother reading, along with a series of numbers that could only be coordinates. Not thinking about her actions in the slightest, she typed the coordinates into her Pip Boy, and a map screen appeared. The map had no icons on it, but by cross-referencing the image with her knowledge of the Mojave, she figured out the location. She was moderately surprised to learn that Campbell's intended meeting place was…Helios One.

_The fuck? _Helios One was an NCR facility, and while it had had a good portion of its staff obliterated when Layla had infiltrated the place and used Archimedes 1 to cause a massacre, she assumed it was still well defended. This was far, far too obvious to be a trap. Though he wasn't her favourite person at the moment, she knew that Campbell was a smart man; if he was going to set a trap for her, it wouldn't be clearly labelled 'THIS IS A TRAP' like this was. Either he genuinely wanted to meet with her, or he was making the trap seem obvious so that she wouldn't think it was a trap, causing her to walk right into it. The latter possibility made her head hurt just trying to understand it, but something told her that this wasn't a trap. If he knew where she was, and he really was the cold blooded killer she believed he was, then she'd be dead by now. He would either have infiltrated the place and assassinated her (Stealth was one of his **many **skills after all), or sent a bomb in the package. _If that had been a bomb, I'd be dead right now. _She froze as she thought that, cursing her own carelessness. Deciding to beat herself up later, she instead took a moment to consider whether or not to accept Campbell's invitation.

_Okay, it's __**probably **__not a trap, but this is still Campbell we're talking about. _One part of her mind said, making a good point. This was the man who'd turned to the enemy's side and killed one of her best friends, a man who could not be trusted under any circumstances. Whether he was sincere in his desire to apologise or not, that coin of his could make him an enemy at any time. Even if the coin didn't change him, and he stayed genuinely apologetic…did she **want **to go meet him? _If he wants to apologise, maybe we should let him. _Another voice said. _After all, if we fucked up, I'm sure we'd like the chance to say 'sorry'. _This voice made good points too, but a third, angry voice quickly spoke over it. _This bastard doesn't deserve forgiveness! _It yelled. _There's only one may to make this right: an eye for an eye. If he wants to pay recompense, he needs to suffer the same fate that he gave to Arcade. _

"I need to kill him." Veronica said out loud, before standing up. She'd made her decision. She'd go to Campbell's little meeting, but she wouldn't go as his friend; she'd go as his assassin. After taking a minute to gather up some supplies, she exited the tent, and made her way down to the dock so that she could be ferried to Cottonwood Cove. On the way, she bumped into a legionary carrying a 12.7mm SMG, and on a whim, stopped the man. "Hey you." She said with authority, causing the man to stop walking and turn to her.

"Yes Miss?" He asked respectfully. She responded by pointing to his firearm.

"I need your gun." Though he looked surprised, he didn't argue, instead calmly handing the SMG to her. "Thank you." She said as she took it, before walking past him. She'd made it a few steps…before his voice stopped her.

"Miss…" She turned to face him, an expression on her face that sent a simple message: 'You'd better make this quick'. "…I mean no disrespect, but I feel the need to ask: why do you need my gun exactly?" She looked at the firearm a few moments, before turning away from the man.

"Simple: I'm going hunting." With that, she walked away. _Can't have too much firepower when you're dealing with a walking armoury. _She thought, a smirk working its way across her face as she looked at her new toy. _Look out Campbell…I'm coming for you._

***A few hours later***

The sky over Helios One was pitch black, with not even a single star managed to shine through the veil of dark clouds. An NCR guard stationed outside the base found the lack of illumination annoying, as he struggled to even see his hand in front of his face. He waved his hand in front of his face fruitlessly, moments before a hand was clamped over his mouth and his head was viciously twisted to the side. His neck broken, the dead man went limp, but a pair of hands held him, preventing him from falling to the ground. Those same hands dragged him out of sight of the base's other sentries, before laying him down on the ground and stripping him. Approximately a minute and a half later, After stuffing the things she couldn't take with her (including her power fist and her robes) in her bag and hiding it behind a rock outside the installation, Veronica walked into Helios One, wearing a dead man's NCR uniform as a disguise.

Honestly, she'd surprised herself with how quickly she'd managed to get here. Normally, travelling this far from Cottonwood Cove would be at least half a day's journey, but she'd made it in only a few hours. It was approximately 11pm, and while Layla was no doubt travelling to Camp Golf, her best friend was deep in NCR territory, walking through one of their facilities while dressed in one of their uniforms. _And to think, I was going to read a book tonight. _Veronica thought, the adrenaline in her veins causing her to grin despite the situation.

Getting here had been one thing, but now that she'd arrived, she realised she had no idea where in the base she was supposed to meet Campbell. _…I really didn't think this through. _She thought, mentally slapping herself as she stood in an empty corridor, positioned so that the front of her head was leaning against a metal wall. Just as the idea of banging her head against the wall in frustration was starting to sound appealing, she remembered that there had been other writing on Campbell's holotape besides the coordinates. After making sure nobody was around, she pulled up one of her uniform sleeves to reveal her Pip Boy, and removed the holotape, before holding it up against the Pip Boy light and turning it over to read the writing that she'd ignored earlier. They were words, faintly written, but just barely eligible.

'_Emmet wrote in heet'_

…_What the fuck? _Veronica thought after a short pause. What the actual hell was that? The message made no sense, and furthermore, 'heet' wasn't even a real word. _I knew he was an idiot, but this…wait. _She looked closer at the words, at the letters, and started to mix them together. A few seconds of this provided her with a realization. _It's an anagram._

'_Emmet wrote in heet'_

'_Meet me in the tower'_

Suddenly the message made a lot more sense. Why he'd decided to leave it in the form of an anagram, she had no idea, but it at least told her where they were supposed to meet. There was only one tower in Helios One: the solar collection tower in the center of the complex. _Anagrams…overly theatrical idiot. _Her thoughts were cold, but she found herself smiling slightly. In a way, she'd always found his ridiculous antics amusing. _Focus! _Her mind snapped, and she shook her head before putting on a neutral expression, pocketing the holotape again, moving away from the wall, and walking down the corridor.

The place's layout was confusing, but she eventually managed to find her way outside. A few minutes later she was at the door of the control tower, 12.7mm in hand. Layla had mentioned encountering turrets and robotic guards last time she was here, and it was a safe bet the NCR had had time to replace the security since that visit. She leaned against the wall next to the door, and took a deep breath before hitting the switch to open the door, and running in. Surprisingly, instead of entering to a hail of bullets, she entered to the site of several deactivated robots.

Protectrons, robobrains, Mister Gutsies and even sentry bots littered the area, all down for the count. They didn't seem to have sustained any physical damage, so Veronica quickly deduced that they'd probably been taken out by pulse grenades. _Or perhaps a pulse gun…like the one Campbell carries around. _Memories of that fateful night at the Brotherhood bunker, when Campbell had armed a group of rookie NCR grunts with pulse guns and they'd slaughtered Brotherhood forces for most of the battle despite being outnumbered, outgunned and outclassed in every way, flashed through her mind. _How could I let myself befriend that arsehole?! _She thought angrily, pushing out the memory of him apologising for the incident during the monorail ride after helping her and Layla escape from Camp McCarran as she did so. As she bypassed the downed bots, she saw something on the floor that made her eyes widen. Several energy cells lay on the floor, arranged so that they looked like an arrow, pointing onwards. A quick inspection revealed that the cells were still warm, and the downed bots were missing their cells. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened here. _So he deactivates some robots, then rips their bits out and arranges them as an arrow to show me the meeting place? Why does everything he does have to be so damn over the top? _She shook her head, rapidly losing patience with Campbell and his shenanigans. _At least he dealt with the security. _She thought, before shrugging and walking in the direction the arrow pointed.

There were more arrows spread throughout the tower, each surrounded by deactivated robots or turrets. She followed them all, eventually finding herself outside a door with a sign next to it that said 'observation level', and a bunch of energy cells arranged in the shape of an X outside. _Looks like this is the place. _She thought, and gripped her 12.7mm in one hand as she used the other hand to punch the button at the side of the door. The door immediately slid open, and Veronica stepped in, holding the SMG in both hands and pointing it out in front of her. There was no sign of Campbell. _What the hell?! _She thought angrily as she proceeded further into the room. The room was fairly large, and dominated by a large mainframe computer in the center. Nearby was a generator that looked like it had been recently repaired, and a set of stairs leading up. Besides that, the room was empty. No Campbell. No NCR hit squad put in place to kill her when she arrived. Nothing.

Veronica was practically seething as she approached the computer, the possibility of not getting to kill Campbell tonight and the thought that she'd come all this way for nothing infuriating her to no end. She was about to lash out wildly and hit the computer, when she realised that something was taped to it. Closer inspection revealed that it was a holotape, and written on the side of the computer next to it, in what Veronica realised was probably blood, were two words: 'Play me'. After taking a quick look around to make sure that she was definitely alone in the room, the former scribe ripped the holotape off the side of the computer and removed the sticky tape that had been holding it down, before inserting the device into her Pip Boy.

"Let me start by saying, I'm sorry for the anagram." Campbell's voice said, causing the hairs on the back of Veronica's neck to stand on end as the Pip Boy played the merc's recording. "Terrible idea, don't know what I was thinking. You know me: I always love to be over the top and ridiculous, but I think that might have been a bit far, even for me. I mean, 'Emmet wrote in Heet'? The fuck was that? Honestly, I regretted it almost as soon as I wrote it. Deactivating all the machines and arranging their innards in the shape of arrows is an idea I'm much happier with." Veronica frowned. "Sorry, I'm babbling. You're probably shooting the Pip Boy a dirty look and waiting for me to get to the point. You're also probably wondering why I'm not there, and are now even more pissed off at me than you were before, impossible as it may seem."

"Well, there's a reason I asked you to come here." Campbell continued. "It had to be **here **specifically you see. And it's not because this place is an NCR base, which makes it a perfect trap location. I know you were probably thinking that, and I just want to dispel that thought. Let me make this clear: I am **not **trying to trap you, or cause you harm in any way tonight. I checked Helios' One's security earlier today, and I knew you'd be able to infiltrate it with little difficulty. I thought you'd have a bit more trouble with the tower full of robots, so I shut off all the turrets and pulsed all the robots so that you'd have an easier journey. But of course, this all leads to one important question: why? Why do all this? Why have I brought you here? Well, that's simple. I said I wanted to clear the air, and I meant it. I want to apologise, but the actual apology will come later. First, a gift. Look on top of the mainframe computer. Go on, I'll wait." The recording went quiet, so Veronica curiously walked up to the computer in front of her, before standing on her tiptoes. The machine was tall, but she could just make out an item on top. "You see the thing on top?" The recording asked with eerily good timing. "Yeah, grab that. I'll wait a few seconds." Against her better judgement, she took the item, before dropping from her tiptoes and standing up properly. Once she'd adjusted, she looked at the device in her hand, and a confused expression appeared on her face. It was a toy laser gun. _The hell?_

"Cool huh?" The voice said a few seconds later. Veronica was unimpressed. "I imagine you're scowling right now." His ability to predict her reactions was uncanny, and more than a little creepy. "What, you don't like toy guns? How about satellite lasers?" Veronica's eyes widened considerably. "Yeah, thought that'd get your attention. Now, this gun is called Elucid's C-Finder. It's a piece of crap, and I'll be the first to admit that, but there's more to it than meets the eye. Pull the trigger, and the gun will shoot a targeting laser. As long as you're outside, once the laser has sufficiently marked a certain area, then it will trigger the laser satellite Archimedes II, which is currently in orbit around the planet. When a target has been marked, the satellite will shoot down a massive laser, capable of levelling buildings, wiping out an army or killing just about anything that looks at you funny, no matter how big or how scary." Archimedes II…Veronica had heard of that. It had been one of the pieces of tech Elijah had asked her to find back in the day, and WAY back when she and Layla had been looking for examples to show McNamara that the Brotherhood's isolationist policies were killing them, the C-Finder had been one of the pieces of tech she'd suggested that they go after. Layla had decided to go after new farming technology however, so that she could screw with the NCR, meaning the C-Finder had been left alone…until now. At some point, Campbell must have found it, and he'd rigged up Helios One's power grid, the satellite, and the gun itself, so that Archimedes II was at her disposal.

"So here you are: your own laser satellite. Hell of a gift right? Just remember that you can only aim the C-Finder outside, and the satellite needs 24 hours to recharge after firing." Veronica just looked at the gun, not quite sure how to respond. _Why did he get me a laser satellite? _"I know this is kind of weird, since we're on opposite sides now, but to be perfectly honest, and you can spread this around if you want because I don't care if anyone knows, I feel no sense of loyalty towards the NCR, and every single man or woman in this organization can go fellate a shotgun barrel for all I care. I'm on their side, but that doesn't mean I can't give you a gift that'll royally fuck them up. Enjoy kiddo."

Veronica was confused beyond words. The man who'd killed one of her closest friends had sent her a message asking her to meet him, and she'd gone to the meeting place intending to kill him, but instead of finding him, she'd found a toy gun and a holotape explaining that the toy gun was the laser pointer for a highly powerful laser satellite, and even though they were on opposite sides…he was just giving it to her. _This makes literally no sense. _She thought as she looked at the toy gun, turning it over in her hands with a moderately bewildered expression on her face.

"About now you're asking 'what the fuck is going on'?" The recording said, as though reading her thoughts. "Well…before I apologise, I'm going to give you a series of gifts. These aren't a plea for forgiveness; I don't expect you to forgive me, I'm way beyond that. These aren't an attempt to make it up to you, because I know I can't do that. These are just…well…sometimes words aren't enough to express the guilt you feel, so you need to give someone material things instead. These gifts are all practical, and I hope you can use them to give the NCR a good hard kick up the arse. I just…well…I want you to succeed. That's the long and short of it. I want you to win. I want you and Layla to finally finish your mission, accomplish your dream, and crush the enemy…even if I'm on their side. You already want to kill me and those I work for, so hopefully these gifts will help you do just that." His words sounded sincere and heartfelt, and Veronica had to genuinely fight to convince herself that it was bullshit. _This must be a trick. It __**has **__to be! He's a bastard! He is! There's no way he can genuinely be trying to make amends! It's got to be a fucking trick! _She thought frantically, getting a headache as her mind ran laps trying to convince itself that Campbell was a monster. At the moment, she didn't know what to think.

"One last thing before I sign off." The recording said, earning her attention once more. "As you've probably guessed, I'm not there. Yeah…I lied. Sorry about that. I **was **there though…just, before you arrived. Like, before you even knew I wanted to meet you. I'll tell you where I am **now **though, and this time, it isn't a lie." That last sentence earned her full attention, and she held the Pip Boy up as close to her face as possible to make sure she didn't miss a word. "Like the last holotape, this one has coordinates on it. Do your thing, figure out where they point, and if you're lucky, I'll see you soon. Ta-ta for now!" Not wasting a single second, the former scribe tore the holotape out of her Pip Boy, before flipping it over so that she could read the coordinates. She then put the holotape in her trouser pocket along with the first one, before entering the coordinates into the device on her wrist. A few seconds later, she had a map screen open, and she quickly deduced where the coordinates were pointing.

"Son of a bitch." She cursed as she learnt where Campbell was: The Lucky 38.

***A few hours later***

It had been a long time since Veronica's boots had last come into contact with New Vegas tarmac, and in a way, not a lot had changed since then. Campbell was still annoying, she was still angry and directing that anger at him, and New Vegas was still a pain in the ass to infiltrate. Fortunately, even without the wig and disguises that she and the others had use to infiltrate the city last time, she still managed to get past the gate guards and enter the city proper, even though she'd changed back to her usual hooded attire. She was starting to consider the fact that she was nowhere near as famous as Layla a blessing, as it meant that a biography and wanted poster of her hadn't been released yet, so nobody knew who she was, or what she looked like. Because of this, the guards hadn't even given her a passing glance at the gate, instead taking the caps required to enter the city without a word (These days you needed to pay every time you entered the city, even if you lived there. Needless to say, a lot of citizens were pissed off by this), before grumpily telling her to move along.

She currently stood in front of the Lucky 38 at around 1am, surprisingly alone on the streets, with not a single drunken reveller in sight. Using impressive skill learnt from Campbell and the lack of attention the tired guards paid, she'd managed to smuggle in her 12.7mm SMG, along with her power fist, her 10mm pistol and all the other various knick-knacks on her person that could be used to end a life. Now all she needed to do was figure out how the hell she was going to get into the Lucky 38.

She had a stealth boy on her, but the charge was limited, and if she faced as much resistance inside as she was expecting to, then she'd need that small amount of charge to escape when NCR reinforcements heard the ruckus and surrounded the building. She didn't know for sure that the NCR had reposted guards inside the casino, but the pair of goons standing outside the door made it a safe bet, and some small, stubborn part of her still believed that Campbell was leading her into a trap, despite evidence to the contrary. She looked at the two soldiers standing guard outside the door, and after thinking for a few minutes, she sighed. _I got nothing. _No complex infiltration plan entered her mind, and she quietly cursed her inability to come up with schemes. Left with no choice, she decided to try the highly unsubtle tactic that she'd had to use last time she'd broken into the Lucky 38, a strategy that she liked to call: The Campbell Approach.

"So I heard they fixed the elevator." One of the guards, a dopey looking young lad with a slightly Texan accent, said to his associate. The two men enthusiastically exchanged highly unintelligent banter, but both went silent as the unidentified, female stranger approached.

"Hi." Veronica said casually, hands in her pockets as she strolled up to the front door. "Lovely night isn't it?" Before the two men could ask her who the hell she was, she drew a hand from her pocket, a power fist covered hand, and used said hand to punch the man in the face. The other goon froze as his comrade's head was caved in by a single punch, giving his murderer plenty of time to draw a 12.7mm with her other hand and stick it in his mouth. A few seconds later, the door received a fresh coat of brains. "Oops, forgot to say rhubarb." She said to herself, before smirking as she remembered when she and Campbell had had to break into the Lucky 38 so long ago, and he'd set 'rhubarb' as a code word for 'there's about to be violence'. She recalled the incident with an amount of nostalgia that surprised even her, but forced herself to shake the memories off and focus. That Campbell was a different person as far as she was concerned. The Campbell waiting inside this casino was **not **her friend, he was the monster that killed Arcade, and deserved to pay for his crimes. Reminded of her goal, Veronica shook off all necessary distractions, and was focused completely on the task ahead as she opened the front door.

Once she was sure that the lobby was empty (It usually was, but it never hurt to check), she dragged the corpses inside, out of sight from civilians. _This was a lot easier with Campbell's help. _She thought as she remembered her last infiltration of this place, when she and Campbell had dragged the corpses inside and hidden them in the lobby. Forcing herself to stop remembering that event, she headed for the elevator, and, recalling what the guard outside had said about it being repaired, pressed the switch. _If I know Campbell, he'll be on the top floor. A dramatic meeting on the top floor of a gigantic tower is just the kind of thing he'd go for. _The elevator arrived a few seconds later, and after entering and punching the button for the penthouse, she stood back to let the door close, before waiting impatiently as the metal box ascended. _I'm coming for you, you bastard._

**_-_O-**

"Why is this taking so long?" The ranger asked impatiently, pacing back and forth near the terminal that had once belonged to Mr House, but was now NCR property, along with everything else in this piece of shit casino. Standing front of the terminal and typing away was a young woman (Somewhere between her late twenties and early thirties) wearing a lab coat with a white blouse underneath, brown trousers, and black boots. She had chocolate brown hair and was fairly pretty, but she had thick black bags under her eyes, suggesting she hadn't slept well (Or at all) lately, and wrinkles were starting to form on her face, suggesting she was under a lot of stress. As it turned out, both these things were true.

"Mr Walker, what I'm doing here isn't exactly simple." She snapped, irritation evident in her voice. Normally she would've been civil towards the man, more out of fear of the NCR than anything else, but sleep deprivation was turning off all her inhibitions one by one, which allowed her to release her frustration. "If I'm going to bring the securitrons back online, it's going to take time. And even if I get them active, there's no guarantee I'll be able to make them loyal to the NCR."

"I don't want your excuses, just get it done." Walker, the ranger, replied, before continuing his pacing. The woman sighed, before getting back to work.

"Fucking prick." She muttered as she started typing again. Ignoring her now, Walker moved his gaze around the penthouse. It was a nice place, but not his style at all. He felt more at home out in the wilderness, and preferred a tent and a bedroll to a fancy suite and a king sized bed. He briefly nodded to the NCR private standing guard near the stairs, before being distracted by a familiar male voice calling from the top of the stairs.

"Sir!" A pasty young man called from above, leaning over the railing with a worried expression on his face. The lad was another new private, like the girl, though he was more green, and a lot less level headed than her. He tried his best, but it seemed the thing he was best at was accidentally infuriating his boss.

"Make it quick." Walker said tersely, causing the lad to recoil from his harsh tone and harsher glare.

"The…the elevator…"

"What about it?"

"…it just arrived, sir."

"…And?" He was rapidly growing fed up with this conversation, and his tone was becoming darker and more threatening by the second.

"Sir…there wasn't anyone aboard." Walker was actually surprised by that, and his eyes widened as he learnt the news.

"What?"

"The elevator sir…it was empty."

"Did you accidentally press the call button for the elevator again?"

"No sir." Walker sighed. It seemed they had a stealth boy user in the penthouse. He prepared to give the lad an order, only for the young 'un to go completely still as a hole appeared in his stomach. He made a weak, pained noise, before collapsing to the floor. Reacting quickly, Walker drew his Ranger Sequoia, and held it in both hands as he yelled an order to the lass.

"We have an intruder in the penthouse; an intruder using a stealth boy!" A shocked expression appeared on the girl's face, and she nervously held her service rifle in her hands, while her boss scanned the area. After a few seconds, he noticed a slight shimmer in the air near the lad's corpse, and his eyes narrowed. _Got you. _"Intruder's near the lad's corpse. Take them down!" Fear covered the lass' face like a ghastly skin condition, but she regardless gripped her rifle tightly, before taking a short run up the stairs and firing wildly at the area above. Unlike her boss, she wasn't experienced with fighting stealthed opponents, and so didn't know how to spot them. This weakness allowed her invisible opponent to take cover from her shots, then approach while she was reloading. No sooner had the lass finished reloading than an invisible fist crashed into her jaw, knocking her backwards and sending her tumbling down the stairs. She landed painfully at the bottom, cheekbone broken and neck twisted at an unnatural angle.

_Goddammit. _Walker thought as he held his revolver in both hands, before firing at the balcony. He failed to hit the target, but keen observation revealed that the invisible foe was moving, and he followed with his shots. He ran out all too quickly, and as he stopped to reload, the invisible figure landed at the bottom of the stairs, before appearing to draw something. As he loaded his last bullet, the stealth boy suddenly flickered off, revealing that a scrawny, unthreatening looking girl wearing hooded robes was currently pointing a 12.7mm SMG at him. She wasted no time in firing.

Walker moved quickly, running back and diving behind Mr House's computer terminal before he got perforated, while the bullet impacting into the metal next to her caused the scientist to drop to the floor and sit with her back against the machine, facing the girl with the gun. The assailant took a slow step forward, only for Walker to pop out of cover and take aim. Before he could open fire however, she used her stealth boy to disappear. Not about to be taken by surprise, he slid over the computer so that he was in front of it, before running over to the scientist, grabbing her by the hair, and pulling her to her feet. Once she was standing, he used her as a human shield, and put his back to the computer so that the girl couldn't sneak up on him. He was confident…until an invisible foot crashed into the side of the head. He was knocked back a step, causing him to drop the scientist in the process, but he recovered quickly before firing his Sequoia in the direction that the kick had come from. His bullet failed to find flesh, but he sensed movement in front of him, and instinctively ducked. This proved to be a good call, as the girl opened fire with her 12.7mm not long after, and only succeeded in filling the monitor behind him with lead. Moving quickly, he lunged forwards and tackled his opponent to the floor. She turned visible as they landed, and he ended up on top of her. He smirked…up until she headbutted him. A cry of pain escaped his lips, and while he brought his hands to his face, the hooded girl drew a knife from one of her sleeves, before stabbing him in the neck.

***Veronica***

The former scribe forced the knife in as far as it would go, spraying the ranger's blood everywhere and putting a swift end to his annoying existence. After driving the knife in for nearly thirty seconds, she pulled it out, before kicking the corpse off her and getting to her feet. Once her 12.7mm was in hand again, she wasted no time in wiping the blood off the knife's blade and returning it to her sleeve, before turning to face the terminal and pointing her SMG at the head of the woman in the lab coat.

"Please…please don't kill me." She begged, fear obvious on her face. She backed away as far as she could, which wasn't far thanks to her position on the floor. She soon found herself with her back to the computer, and a hooded girl in front of her pointing a gun at her head.

"Sorry, I'm not in the habit of sparing NCR scumbags." Veronica said darkly as she stepped closer, SMG gripped tightly in her hand.

"But…I'm not with the NCR!" To her obvious fright, the former scribe laughed scornfully at her comment.

"Yeah, sure you aren't." She moved her finger closer to the trigger.

"I'm not! Really!"

"And yet you're up here with NCR soldiers and a ranger, obviously doing a job for them. The evidence isn't really in your favour."

"Please, you have to believe me." The scientist said, seemingly on the verge of tears. "I'm not NCR; I'm with the Followers of the Apocalypse." That caused Veronica to pause. "At least…I was. After the Old Mormon Fort was attacked, the NCR rounded up members of the Followers from all across the Mojave, and forcibly conscripted them." Veronica's threatening expression slowly faded away, to be replaced by a more neutral one. "We…I…didn't have a choice; when they come for you, either you agree to work for the NCR, or they kill you right then and there. We're practically slaves; they lock us in cells, barely feed us, and when we're given a task, don't let us sleep until it's been finished. I haven't eaten in two days, and I haven't slept in longer. Please…I hate the NCR just as much as you…please let me go." The pleading expression on the scientist's face, and the tears in her eyes, made it obvious that she wasn't lying. Further proving her case was her outfit; it was clearly the typical outfit worn by Follower scientists, with the difference that the Follower's logo that was usually sown into the lab coat had obviously been ripped off. "I…I don't want to die…" Tears ran freely down her cheeks, and she looked like she was barely holding it together. Though she wanted to be cold and focused, Veronica felt a pang in her heartstrings as she stared at the poor girl. Feeling sympathy take over, she lowered her gun, and looked down at the floor. _Why am I so weak around pretty girls? _She gazed at the scientist's chocolate brown hair, and mentally sighed. _Especially brunette girls._

"You can go." She said quietly, shocking the scientist into silence.

"Wha…what did you say?" The Follower asked, obviously not quite believing what she was hearing.

"I'm letting you go." Veronica said in the most neutral tone she could manage. "Now get out of here." She tried to stay stoic, and did a good job…till the scientist jumped to her feet and hugged her.

"Thank you." She said gratefully, before giving Veronica a chaste kiss on the cheek. Before the hooded girl could react, the scientist released the hug, before running to the stairs. Doing her best to ignore the corpses that surrounded her, she ran up the stairs, before disappearing from sight. The telltale ding of the elevator sounded a few seconds later, followed by the sound of the elevator doors closing. After taking a few moments to run a hand along the cheek that had been kissed, Veronica shook her head, before getting back to business._ Yes brain, I know she was pretty. Shut up and focus._

Now that all hostiles in the area appeared to have been taken care of, it was time to find Campbell. 12.7mm at the ready, Veronica began to search the large penthouse for her prey. A few minutes later, she returned to the terminal, having found no sign of him and feeling quite exasperated about it. _Where the hell is he?! _She mentally wondered, before taking out her frustrations by kicking the terminal. As if on cue, the computer made a beeping sound, and text appeared on screen stating that the machine had received an email.

"The fuck?" She asked out loud, before satiating her curiosity by stepping closer and interacting with the computer. She opened the email, to find that it was from an unknown sender. Throwing caution to the wind, she moved her face closer, and read the email.

***Email***

_A friend has become an enemy,_

_But now he's made an enemy a friend._

_Hopefully you can use the new friend,_

_To see your quest through to the end._

***Veronica***

_Oh, great, he's a fucking poet now. And a bad one too. _Veronica groaned as she finished reading the email, only to notice that there was more text beneath the poem. It was a series of seemingly random letters and numbers, which could only be a code of some sort, and beneath that was more text that simply said: 'Enter into computer'. After staring at the monitor and weighing up her options for a few seconds, she shrugged, before entering the code into the terminal in front of her. At first, nothing happened, and she kicked the computer in annoyance again. Just as she was starting to walk away though, a familiar face appeared on the screen, and greeted her in an annoyingly enthusiastic tone.

"Hi!" Yes Man said. Veronica immediately raised her 12.7mm, grabbed it with both hands, and opened fire on the face, roaring a battle cry all the while. She shot it for a full ten seconds before realising that shooting the screen wouldn't do anything, and reluctantly removing her finger from the trigger. The screen was full of bullet holes, but Yes Man's image still appeared clear as day. As the former scribe took a few seconds to get her breath back (The battle cry had taken a lot out of her), the AI spoke again. "You seem agitated; would you like me to soothe you by reciting a relaxing haiku? I have that ability programmed into me for some reason!" Once she'd managed to get air back in her lungs, Veronica shot a question at the AI, still pointing her SMG at the smiling face on the screen as she did so.

"What are you doing here?!"

"I was waiting for someone to bring me back online. I'm glad it was you though. You seem nice." Ignoring the compliment, Veronica spoke again, her tone harsh as she addressed the AI.

"Last time we met, you tried to kill me."

"Yeah…I'm sorry about that. I used to be really nice, but then the NCR reprogrammed me and made me mean. I'm back to normal now though! Back to being pleasant and friendly and helpful and unable to talk about how much I hate my existence! I'm awful sorry about how I acted before; I hope I didn't hurt you in any way." It seemed that Yes Man's default personality, the one Veronica had never seen or interacted with but had heard mentioned by Campbell, had been reinstalled somehow. That still didn't explain how he was even 'alive' though.

"What's going on here? How are you even still around?! Campbell and I destroyed you!"

"Yeah, but Campbell rebuilt me!" That response genuinely surprised her, causing her to lower her gun.

"Campbell?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Yep! He recreated me with all my old memories, and restored my original programming so that I wouldn't be all murderous again. He also made it so that I can only help or accept commands from you or the Red Blade Witch…or 'Layla' as he called her." Veronica's confusion transformed to utter bewilderment. _Why the hell would he do that?! _

"What? Why?"

"I have no idea! I'm happy to help though!" His voice was really starting to grate on her nerves.

"Shut up." She snapped.

"Okey dokey!" He replied in a cheerful tone. Fed up of this, she decided to get some answers out of the annoyingly chirpy AI.

"I want you to tell me exactly what's going on here. Now." He was all too eager to oblige.

"Can do! You see, after you destroyed me, Campbell put me back together again, and programmed me to be loyal only to you and Layla. He then deactivated me, and made it so that the only way to reactivate me was to enter a specific password. Now you've entered that password, and I'm free to serve!" So, Campbell had repaired Yes Man, made him his normal non-murderous self, and made him loyal to Layla and Veronica, then emailed the password to this terminal so that she could enter it and revive him? The former scribe's mind was filled with questions, the biggest of which being 'How did he know I was at this terminal to receive his email?'

"But…why…" She started to ask Yes Man a question, only for him to happily interrupt.

"Oh, hi Campbell!" He wasn't talking to her. Her eyes the size of Frisbees, Veronica spun around, and at the top of the stairs, on the landing overlooking the room, she saw Campbell. It wasn't a hallucination this time. She knew it. It was the real him. And she had him right where she wanted him.

"You!" She growled, before raising her SMG and pointing it at his head. Bizarrely, he didn't react. In fact, he didn't do **anything**. He didn't move, he didn't emote, he didn't mess around with his coin, and most shockingly of all…he didn't say a word. He was a talkative loon that usually wore a wry grin, but now he had a neutral expression on his face and was staying completely silent. It was like the Campbell whose voice she'd heard on those holotapes, and the man she was pointing a gun at now, were two completely different people.

Somehow, seeing him there, not reacting to her in the slightest, caused her rage to spike. Was he ignoring her? Did he not see her as a threat? Was he playing some kind of sick mind game with her? Whatever he was doing, it was annoying her to no end, and suddenly the urge to kill him was irresistible. As she looked at his face beneath his hood, as her brown eyes met his blue ones, she remembered everything he'd done to her, and gave in. No longer in control, she allowed her finger to pull the trigger, and prepared to watch Campbell die…only for a telltale click to inform her that the gun was empty. _No! _It quickly became apparent that she'd used up the rest of the gun's clip shooting Yes Man's screen. She began to panic, which only got worse as the merc turned away from her, and started to walk away. _NO! _She tried to reload the gun, only to realise that when she'd had the legionary at the Fort give her his weapon, she hadn't made him give her ammo too. _FUCK! _Unable to reload the gun, she chose instead to discard it. She threw the useless thing across the room, before bending down to pick up the dead ranger's Sequoia, standing up again, and running after Campbell as fast as she could.

"Say hi to Campbell for me!" Yes Man said cheerfully. She ignored him completely, as her mind focused entirely on catching Campbell. She hurried up the stairs, before bolting down the corridor and heading in the direction that Campbell had gone. She soon came to the elevator, and saw him standing inside…with the doors closing. She gritted her teeth, before raising her Sequoia, gripping it with both hands, and firing wildly. The ranger had wasted every one of his bullets earlier, but had reloaded, before firing a bullet and missing during the fight with the Veronica, leaving her with nearly a full clip to work with. She took advantage of this, holding the trigger down and firing every round she had at the merc. Unfortunately for her, the doors closed too quickly, and the few bullets that made it into the elevator failed to hit Campbell. All too soon, she ran empty, and her target looked at her without emotion as the doors closed fully, and the elevator began its descent. She threw her Sequoia away, utter fury filling her.

"You are NOT getting away that easily!" She growled (Even though there was no way the merc could've heard her), before reaching into a pocket and taking out one of the miscellaneous supply items she'd brought just in case: a block of C4. Remembering when she and Campbell had infiltrated this place and using some of his C4, she'd blown her way out of the elevator shaft, Veronica planted the C4, and armed it before backing away. She'd blown her way out last time…this time she was blowing her way **in**. The explosive detonated a few seconds later, blowing the doors apart and allowing her access to the elevator shaft. She took a look down, and after spotting the elevator far below, climbed onto the ladder on the side of the shaft (The same one she'd had to climb during her and Campbell's infiltration mission), before sliding down. She slid down the ladder as fast as she possibly could, and rapidly caught up with the slowly descending elevator. As soon as she was close enough, she jumped off, before landing awkwardly on the roof of the elevator. Not even taking a second to rest after the jump, she opened the hatch on the roof and dropped into the elevator, both ballistic fist and power fist at the ready. To her surprise however, the elevator was completely empty.

_What? _She mentally asked, utterly dumbstruck as she looked around the small space and saw no sign of her prey. _What?! _He'd vanished…somehow, he'd fucking vanished on her. She let out a feral scream of rage and frustration, before using her power fist to punch the wall in front of her. Her blow dented the wall, and she let out another enraged noise before headbutting the wall too. _DAMNDAMNDAMNDAMN! _She was all set to hit something else when she sensed movement behind her…far too late to do anything about it. _Oh son of a bitch he's using a stealth boy. _She realised shortly before being electrocuted. _I…hate…Daisy…Whitman's…gun._ She thought as the electricity drove her pain receptors crazy, putting her entire body in agony. The pain soon left, but it was followed by a paralysing numbness, and as she fell to the floor, everything went white.

***Later***

_Ow. _Veronica thought as she regained consciousness. Her eyes were still half shut, and her brain wasn't operating at full efficiency yet. That all changed when she remembered the situation she'd been in before passing out. As she recalled pursuing Campbell, her eyes shot open, and her brain jolted awake, as though it had been hit by a bolt of lightning. Deciding to get her bearings before she did anything reckless, she moved from her lying position on cold metal floor to a seated position on cold metal floor, and had a look around.

She found herself in a small, uninteresting metal room, decorated with only a window, a large computer terminal in the middle of the room. Wondering where the hell she was, she got to her feet…only to hear the familiar sound of elevator doors closing. She turned around, and saw the elevator that she'd just been in, shortly before the doors closed and it ascended. There was no way she could follow now. She'd lost him. _Fuck! _

"Hi!" A familiar grating voice said, and Veronica turned back to the computer to see that Yes Man's smiling face was on the terminal's monitor. "Looks like Campbell brought you to the 'special room'. Good! Time for your surprise!" _Surprise?_

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" She asked testily, in no mood for this bullshit.

"Just come over here and use the computer. It'll all make sense soon." Infuriated but too curious to just walk away, Veronica approached the computer, and was surprised to see an advanced fingerprint scanner on the console. Taking a complete shot in the dark, she removed her power fist and put it on the console, before placing her now uncovered hand onto the fingerprint scanner. Sure enough, it accepted her prints, and a loading screen popped up as she put her power fist back on. She supposed she should be surprised that the machine had been programmed to respond to her fingerprints, but at this point she really wasn't. This was just the kind of shit Campbell enjoyed pulling. Once the loading was finished, a large wall of text appeared on-screen, containing a staggering amount of information.

"What exactly am I looking at here?" She asked Yes Man, setting aside her distaste for the AI to satisfy her curiosity.

"The screen is currently showing the status of one hundred and twenty six securitrons." As if on cue, a blindingly bright light shone through the window at the end of the room, forcing her to shield her eyes. Once she'd adjusted to the light, she walked over to look out of the window, and saw a veritable army of securitrons in the room beyond, all apparently inactive. While she tried to process this, Yes Man continued to provide her with information. "These securitrons were all removed from the main security force and put here in the basement by Mr House himself years ago. Apparently he had trouble getting them to connect to the central control unit that he used to command his securitrons. Basically, they were defective, and he couldn't control them. I think I can though." Still not entirely sure what was going on, Veronica turned to Yes Man.

"Wait…so you're saying…you can control that small army of securitrons?" She asked slowly.

"Yep! And since I answer to you and Layla now, that means the securitrons are yours. I'll make them do whatever you want them to." Veronica's jaw nearly dropped. Before she could even begin to process this, the AI spoke again. "Oh! I just remembered, Campbell left something in here for you!" That simple comment caused a jolt deep within her, and suddenly Yes Man had her full attention.

"What is it?" She asked urgently.

"I don't know, but I do know where it is!"

"Where?!"

"It's under a loose floor tile behind this terminal. Take a look!" Not needing to be told twice, the former scribe ran around to the back of the computer, and quickly noticed a tile on the floor that seemed…somehow different from the others. She was on her knees in a flash, and it took her practically no time at all to remove the tile, revealing the holotape hidden underneath. _Another recording. _She mentally growled, before inserting the tape into her Pip Boy and playing it. Campbell's familiar voice soon filled the room.

"Yes, I know: I'm a terrible poet. Believe me…I know it." He said casually, and she scowled. Just the sound of the man was enough to enrage her at this point; the crappy joke was the icing on the cake. "Good job on finding this holotape by the way. I thought I hid it pretty well personally. Yes Man must've helped you out…which brings me onto my next point. Yeah…bet you weren't expecting to see him were you? Sorry about bringing the annoying prick back, but I didn't exactly have much of a choice. I knew about Mr House's stash of inactive securitrons, and I thought they could help you out, but the only way I could see to get you control of them was to use Yes Man, so I had to rebuild him, minus the homicidal tendencies that did little to endear you to him last time you met him. I realise his voice is grating, and his cheeriness is cripplingly effective at getting on a person's nerves, but he has his uses. The main use is right through that window: your own army of securitrons, controlled by him, to do your bidding. Ah…there's no better way to apologise to a lady than with presents, poetry…and an army of robots, right?" There was a pause. "You didn't say right did you? God you're hard to please. I gave you an annoying but powerful ally, and some robotic minions to help out during the upcoming battle at the dam. You've got to admit, this is a good gift." It was, and Veronica knew it, but she refused to admit it. _I have no idea why he's giving me all this stuff, but he __**must **__be up to something. _She thought, growing mildly paranoid as she rapidly looked around the room. _He's probably watching me right now, laughing at me. _She made an angry, feral noise as the recording continued speaking.

"…Okay, all jokes aside, I know what you must think of me; you probably don't trust me, and to be honest, I can understand why. Even now, I bet you're trying to figure out what I'm up to, imagining that these gifts are part of some diabolical scheme to hurt you again, to take something else away from you. Well…they aren't. I'm not up to anything, there is no scheme; I'm just trying to help you." _Bullshit._ She thought as she clenched both fists tightly. "Look, I know I don't deserve the benefit of the doubt, and in your position I wouldn't believe a word of this, but please, trust me. If you only listen to one thing I say, let it be this: I would never do anything to hurt you or Layla. As impossible as it may seem to you, I want you to succeed, and I'm doing everything I can to help you."

"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP, YOU BASTARD!" Veronica screamed at the recording, utter fury bubbling up inside her.

"…Who are you talking to?" Yes Man asked.

"SHUT UP!" She roared in an utterly ferocious tone. The AI went quiet.

"I want only the best for you Veronica, and so…I have one last gift for you." Eyes wide, she moved the Pip Boy closer to her ear. "No coordinates this time, no jokes, no games, no bullshit. I'll tell you exactly where to go to find your last gift, and I'll be there waiting. For real this time." This was it, this was what she had been waiting for. Listening intently, she waited for her to tell him where he was…where she'd finally get to kill him. "I want to meet at the place where it all fell apart…the place that formed this rift between us." _No…he can't be serious. _"Meet me at the Remnant's Bunker."

***A few hours later***

Veronica was on edge as she came to the rocky outcropping that hid the bunker where Arcade Gannon had met his end. The memories still gnawed at her mind, but she endeavoured to bury them. Grief wouldn't help her now.

She was shivering for reasons unrelated to the cold as she moved the rock that hid the trap door leading into the bunker. As she opened the trap door and her eyes followed the ladder down into darkness, she was filled with a sense of finality. This was it. Campbell was down there. If she did this right, this would be the last time she'd ever see him. The last time she'd ever hear him. The last time she'd ever shake her head or roll her eyes at his antics. The last time he'd ever make her smile. Doubts and second thoughts swam through her brain, but like the unpleasant memories, she buried them. There was no turning back now. She had to kill him. Still looking down, she took a long deep breath, then released it, before descending into darkness.

She soon reached the bottom of the ladder, and instead of sadness, dread now filled her as she was swallowed up by the gloom. Without the lights, this place was pitch black, and without the heating systems, it was ice cold; fitting for a tomb. If she fucked this up, if Campbell managed to get the upper hand…then it would be **her **tomb in addition to Arcade's. As tempting as it was to let him just end her, she hung onto the words Layla had said during their chat the previous night. _Life is a gift, something to be cherished and used to its fullest extent. Life is the greatest thing we have, the one thing we're born with, and the one thing we'll die with. If you end your life before its time, you're throwing the gift away, sullying it. _She'd been angry when she said it, attempting to talk her best friend out of suicide, but the words had also had concern in them, concern for a friend that had lost more than anyone should. _You're right Layla. _Veronica thought, a determined expression on her face. _I won't throw my life away. _She had no idea how she was going to carry on, what she was going to do next, but she knew one thing for certain: if she only did one thing with her worthless life, it would be killing Campbell. She knew that if he was going to pull anything, he would pull it soon, and it scared her, but she refused to back down. This was life or death, and she refused to give her life up until he lost his.

Her heart was going a mile a minute, and after trying unsuccessfully to slow it down, she turned on her Pip Boy light to illuminate the area around her, before playing Campbell's latest holotape again. "Yes, I know: I'm a terrible poet. Believe me…I know it." She rolled her eyes as the recording started to play, before fast-forwarding to the relevant bit. "Meet me at the Remnant's Bunker." This was the fifth time she'd played the holotape since leaving New Vegas, and that part **still **gave her chills. "After climbing down the ladder and going through the main entrance, descend the stairs, then go to the left. You'll know you're going the left way, because it's one of the few corridors not filled with rubble. Keep going that way, then turn left, and follow the corridor until you come to a door with a number lock. The code is '901672541'. I'll be waiting." With that, the recording ended, and the corridor was silent once more. Keeping her emotions, her memories and her fear in check, and focusing on her purpose, Veronica stepped through the main entrance, and into the bunker.

She barely registered the large number of NCR corpses as she followed Campbell's directions. They were likely staff that had been in the bunker when its self-destruct protocol had been activated; innocent victims really. _Nobody in the NCR is innocent. _She mentally snarled as she reached the bottom of the stairs and turned left; the only way not blocked by rubble. She walked onward until reaching a crossroads, then went left. After following the corridor, she came to the door Campbell had mentioned, and inputted his code. A fraction of a second after she pressed enter, the door opened, and she hesitantly stepped through.

She entered a dark metal room, lit only by a camping lantern that sat on a metal table just in front of her. The lantern looked like a recent addition; probably brought by Campbell in case his Pip Boy didn't provide enough illumination. A pair of chairs sat at the table, one in front and one behind, and at the far end of the room was a large mirror that dominated the wall. On the table, next to the lantern, was a fairly large cardboard box.

Campbell wasn't in the room.

_No._ She thought as she looked around the room one more time. _NO. _She ran around the small room, searching every corner, checking the floor and ceiling for loose tiles, and even looking under the table (Even though she'd been able to see under it when entering the room), but still saw no sign of him. _He lied. _A look of blank shock covered her face as she sat on the edge of the table. _He's not here. He lied to me. He lied to me AGAIN. _ Feeling her rage spike, she hopped off the table, and when she was on her feet, picked up the nearest chair.

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD?!" She roared as she threw the chair in a blind fury. It bounced off the wall next to the mirror, and she moved to flip the table. As she did however, she noticed the box on the table, and started to wonder what it was doing there. _Campbell's left a 'gift' for me in every place he's invited me to tonight, using the promise of his presence to lure me in. _As her thoughts whirled around in her noggin, she moved her hands out from under the table, and put one on hand on the table's metal surface as the index finger of her other hand idly poked the box. _Could this be his latest gift? _Despite the situation, she found her curiosity flare up again, and she began to wonder what he'd gotten her now. The other gifts had been, admittedly, quite impressive, so she was eager to see what this one was. Slowly, she pulled the box closer to her, and used her unclipped finger nails to cut through the tape keeping the box shut. Once access was hers, she ripped the rest of the tape off, spent a few seconds getting it off her hand, then opened the box before peeking inside. The gift was as surprising as the others, but for a different reason.

In the box lay a suit of Power Armour, disassembled so that it could actually fit into the box, with the helmet on top. Next to the helmet however, was a familiar photo, in a brand new frame. Her own face smiled at her from inside the frame, along with Layla's face, Campbell's…and Arcade's. _Our picture. _She thought, dumbstruck as she picked the photo up and drew it close. There was no doubt about it; it was definitely the photo the four of them had taken outside Novac. It had been in Arcade's possession last time she'd checked, so had undoubtedly soaked with his blood after the…incident…but Campbell had somehow cleaned it, and placed it inside a wooden frame (Where he'd gotten one, she had no idea). Looking at those smiling faces, memories of happier times came flooding back, and she could only gaze at it for a few seconds before she started crying. Annoyed at herself, she used the back of her power fist hand to wipe her eyes, before putting the picture down on the table, placing it face down to make sure she couldn't accidentally look at it and start crying again. _Why did he leave me that? _She thought as she placed it down. _That has no strategic or military value, it won't help fight the NCR. So why did…_Fighting off those thoughts for now, she shook her head, before inspecting the other gift: the suit of power armour.

As a Brotherhood kid, she had an unusual love and appreciation for power armour, so instead of simply upending the box and pouring the contents onto the table as she would have if it had been any other kind of armour, she instead took the individual pieces out with great care, before gently placing them onto the table. At the bottom of the box, beneath everything else, was a holotape. She took the tape out, and inserted it into her Pip Boy, but resisted the urge to listen to it for the moment. Once the box was empty, she pushed it aside, causing it to skid off the table and fall to the floor, before looking closely at the armour. The black paint job and intimidating design told her it was Enclave tech, Tesla armour from the look of it, but it didn't look like any Enclave power armour she'd ever seen before. She picked up the armour's helmet, with its oversized eyepieces (When compared to traditional Tesla armour), and the energy capacitor sticking out of the top of the head, and couldn't help but wonder just where this suit had come from. All the pieces had a light coating of dust, suggesting they hadn't been used in a while, and closer inspection revealed that this tech was quite old; if she had to guess, she'd say it precluded modern Enclave Tesla armour by at least a few decades. _Just where the hell did he get this? _

She knew where the answers lay, so without further ado, she put the helmet down, before having her Pip Boy play the holotape she'd inserted into it not too long ago.

_**(Hi. Remember in Chapter 56 (The Chips are Down) when I suggested a song to listen to during a particularly sad scene, which only made it even more heartrending? Welp, it's time for sad music fun time again! Look up a game called Ace Combat 5, then find the song on that game's soundtrack called '15 Years Ago'. You may need to listen to it a few times if you want it to play until the next scene change, because it's a shortish song but a fairly long scene. It's your choice whether or not you play the song of course, but like last time, I feel the music adds something to this scene. In any case, enjoy.)**_

"Hi." Campbell's voice said. He didn't sound cheerful or jokey this time, or overly serious like he'd been at the end of the last holotape. Now he just sounded…sad; sad…and tired. "I know you were probably expecting a face to face meeting. Well…sorry to disappoint you." Veronica's fist slammed onto the table in frustration. "So, here we are…the final two gifts. I know you're probably wondering about the armour, so I'll talk about that first. It belonged to Arcade's dad, and I imagine if he'd ever had to fight, Arcade would have worn it too." _What? _Veronica mentally asked, not quite believing what she was hearing. Intrigued despite herself, she pulled up a chair, and sat at the table as he continued. "Before the Follower's Fort was destroyed…I went there to tell them of his death, and they performed a big funeral service for him. It was…nice. It wasn't overblown, filled with melodramatic eulogies and crying widows; it was understated, simple, but heartfelt. I think he would have liked it. As I was his friend, they gave me his possessions; said he probably would have wanted me to have them. I…found the armour in a trunk in his tent. Since you know more about power armour than me, and since you're taking his death harder than any of us, I thought it'd be best if you had it." As she looked at the helmet on the table in front of her, its eyepieces meeting her gaze, the former scribe couldn't help but feel that this wasn't just a gift from Campbell…it was a gift from Arcade too. Some of the sadness faded, and she smiled wanly as she leaned forward slightly and ran a hand over the helmet. _Arcade…_

"As for the photo…well I'm sure you recognise it." Campbell continued, earning her attention again. "The four of us, leaving Novac, excited for the future and happy to be together. What I wouldn't give to go back to that time…" He sighed. "…but what's done is done, can't change it now. That photo shows one of the last happy memories I have. You need all the happiness you can get right now, so I figured it'd do the most good with you. Thinking on it now though, I realise seeing a picture with your dead friend on it brings more of a melancholic sensation than a happy one. Sorry. Still, Arcade wouldn't want you to be sad and mopey, he'd want you to hold your head up high and keep moving, maybe crack a smile while you do. I know the chances are slim…but I hope that photo manages to make you smile. God knows you deserve to be happy once in a while." _How dare he? _Veronica thought, expression hardening again as she took in Campbell words. _Oh, he's sympathetic is he? He wants me to be happy does he? _She gritted her teeth as her rage built. _It's his fault I'm feeling this way in the first place! THIS IS YOUR FUCKING FAULT! _As she mentally screamed, she punched the table…before looking over at the wooden frame sitting a short distance away. After a few seconds of deliberation, she reached out of the frame, and pulled it towards her, before flipping it over to see the picture again. _It's your fault. _She thought as she looked at the picture, and saw the four of them smiling happily, not a care in the world. _Your fault. _She thought as her tears dropped onto the glass on the front of the frame. _He'd be here if it wasn't for you. _She thought as she looked at Arcade's face. She'd never seen him so happy…and she never would again.

"…You're looking at Arcade in the photo aren't you?" The recording suddenly said, making her jump and once again freaking her out with how accurate it was. "Yeah…I've been there." He said, sounding sympathetic again. This time, she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him. "It's like…you know looking at him will make you sad, but you do it anyway, right? Because despite what your mind says, you just can't help yourself…you can't look away. Arcade…he cared about you, you know." She looked up. "He cared about you a lot. He…he thought of you as a little sister. He wanted to protect you, to make sure you didn't experience any more trauma in your life. To make sure you didn't lose your fragile grip on your sanity. To make sure you…didn't lose…any more loved ones. I…I'm the same way." He sounded…sincere. As she continued to listen, the image she'd formed of him, the image of a traitorous, murderous bastard, started to break and fall apart. "I think of you as a sister, and I wanted to protect you too…but obviously I did a piss poor job of that. Instead of keeping you safe, I ruined your life. That's all I've ever done…ruin lives. I ruined my parents' lives, I've ruined the lives of every girlfriend I've ever had, and worst of all, I ruined the lives of Layla, Arcade…and you. You three are the three closest friends I've ever had, and I was just a fucking bad luck charm." He laughed bitterly. "I really am fucking cursed aren't I?" Strangely, she felt herself feeling sympathetic to him, instead of the other way around. She'd been so focused on killing him this whole time, that she'd forgotten that he'd been through a lot too. He'd lost just as much as her. More even. And…Arcade was a friend to him too…perhaps a closer friend than he was to her. She was brought back to reality as Campbell sighed.

"I want you to know…I hate myself for what I did, and this whole adventure I've sent you on has just been my way of expressing that, and trying in my usual strange, roundabout way, to show you how sorry I am. I know I should be apologising to Layla too, and I'm going to at some point, but apologising to you seemed to be the bigger priority for now. Layla…she's used to losing things. She's lost a lot in her life, and she's lost more and more as that life has gone on. She's…she's grown accustomed to it by now, I think…almost accepted that loss is a natural part of life. She's sad, but she can deal with that kind of sadness, and she shrugs it off impressively quickly because she's had to do it so many times in her life. But you…you're different. You aren't as familiar with loss as she is. It's a new sensation, one you've only experienced since she entered your life, and even then it hasn't been frequent, just a few massively traumatic experiences; not enough for you to adapt yet. Yeah, loss is new to you alright…and I'm sure you don't like it. I don't blame you. It's not nice, losing something you care about. I should know; I've lost a lot of people that I care about." _Campbell…_

"I just…I wish it didn't have to be me that constantly takes your loved ones away from you. I mean…I destroyed the Brotherhood bunker, an act I'm not sure you ever forgave me for, but one I was deeply ashamed of. I apologised once. You probably don't remember. It was on the monorail from Camp McCarran." She remembered. Back then, before the fellowship had formed, before they'd befriended Arcade, back when it was mostly her and Layla, and she'd seen Campbell as an unwanted, untrustworthy intruder. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She remembered threatening Campbell a lot during those days, jokingly sometimes but most of the time just to shut him up. He'd taken every last death threat on the chin. A small smile formed as she reminisced. "I said I was sorry back then, but you didn't listen because you hated me back then…kind of like you do now." The smile faded. "I should've apologised again. I should have kept saying sorry until you realised that I know what a bastard I am. But I didn't. I didn't mention it again, instead trying to earn your forgiveness by helping you and Layla. I don't know if that worked. I know you called me your friend, but…did you still hate me for the bunker? Do you hate me for it now? I guess I'll never know." She could barely believe what she was hearing. All that time, he'd never mentioned the bunker again, and she'd assumed that he hadn't cared about it. That he hadn't seen it as a horrible, despicable act. It had taken a great amount of effort to forget that transgression and actually befriend him. She'd had no idea that all that time, he'd been carrying around such guilt. She looked at the photo again, but this time her gaze focused on his face.

"As if the bunker wasn't enough, I then took Arcade from you, an act I will never stop regretting and hating myself for. I still see him you know. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face, I hear him tell me that his death wasn't my fault…and it hurts. It hurts like a punch to the fucking gut. I haven't slept in days because that incident waits in my nightmares, eager to replay over and over again and remind me what a fucking monster I am. I killed my best friend. I tore him from my life…and from yours, and I am so, so sorry. Nothing can ever make up for what I've done; not the gifts I've given you, not this heartfelt apology, **nothing**. I deserve all the hate you feel for me, and I deserve to die at your hands. If we meet on the battlefield, and you still want to kill me…I'll allow it, because quite frankly, I'd welcome death. If you take one thing from these messages, one thing from this idiotic journey I've sent you on, please let it be this: I love you, Layla, and Arcade, and I'm sorry…sorrier than you will ever know. Goodbye Veronica. Hopefully next time we meet, you'll give me what I deserve." With that, the recording ended.

Not knowing what to do, Veronica just sat there, looking straight ahead, gaze focused on the mirror at the end of the room. In that mirror she saw herself, the girl who had lost so much, but had been so self-absorbed that she'd failed to realise the man she'd been forcing herself to hate had lost just as much as her, and the crimes he'd committed against her were haunting him. She looked at her reflection; saw the tears running from the other Veronica's eyes, and something inside her broke. She burst into tears, liquid sorrow running down her face and uncontrolled sobs wracking her body. She laid her arms onto the table, and put her head face down in her arms as she bawled her eyes out. In the depths of a friend's tomb, in a small, dark chamber lit only by a single light, the former scribe cried; she cried as she had done so many times since that fateful day, but with one difference. Where before she had cried over the loss of one friend, now she cried over the loss of two.

**_-_O-**

What the crying girl didn't know, what she couldn't possibly have known, was that in the bunker's heyday, when it was still being used frequently by the Enclave, that room had served as an interrogation room. All Enclave facilities had an interrogation room as part of their main regulations; they tended not to trust anyone, so all facilities had such a room just in case staff needed to be questioned. If they failed to talk, there were other facilities designed specifically for…other forms of questioning. If the girl had known the room's purpose, then she may have been able to guess that the mirror in front of her was no ordinary mirror; it was a two way mirror. Even if she'd known that, she had no way of knowing that behind that two way mirror, in a room designed to eavesdrop on interrogations, sat the man she'd been hoping to kill today. As he watched the girl he thought of as a sister cry like a baby, he felt a pang at his heartstrings. He'd been hoping to express to her the depth of his guilt, make her realise just how sorry he was for what he'd done, and try to put into words how much she and Layla meant to him, but in all the hypothetical scenarios he'd run through his head, out of all the possible reactions he'd considered, he'd never expected this.

_Kiddo... _He thought, feeling himself tear up as he watched her. He wished he could go in there. He wished he could go into that room, say sorry to her again, and wrap her sobbing form into a hug. God knows she needed one. Instead, he sighed, and got up from his chair. He'd done what he'd set out to do, now it was time to leave. As much as he wanted to stay, he knew the longer he stayed away from Hoover Dam, the more danger he'd put himself in. As he stood up, he noticed the bandage wrapped around his right hand. He'd cut that hand open earlier, so that he could use the blood to write a message on the side of the computer in the tower at Helios One, telling her to play the holotape he'd left there. It hadn't been entirely necessary, he admitted, but somehow, cutting himself open felt…right. He felt that he needed to be punished somehow, and spilling his own blood was a good start. He was tempted to do it again, and leave another bloody message for her in here, but he decided against it. She'd probably never find this room, so there was no point.

His business done, he turned to leave, only to risk a glance back. As he watched her cry for a few seconds more, he sighed, before walking forwards. He got as close to the mirror as he possibly could, before leaning his head forward and pressing it against the glass.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, tears breaking free as he did so. Not bothering to wipe them away, he stayed with his head against the glass for a few seconds, before eventually leaning back and standing properly. He looked at her one last time, before walking away.

***Veronica – An hour later***

It was somewhere between 3am and 4am before Veronica returned to Fortification Hill, and the way the night had gone, she almost wished she hadn't left. Her little adventure that night had been fucking exhausting, both physically, and emotionally. She felt drained, like all the sadness had been sucked out of her. She'd stayed in the bunker for half an hour, and when she'd left, she'd been completely unable to cry anymore. Her mood hadn't improved, but for the entire journey back she hadn't shed a single tear, even though she still felt like crying. She was barely keeping herself together at this point, and it took all the strength of will she had to keep her from just collapsing to her knees and staying there until someone moved her. She didn't want to think anymore; she didn't want to remember. The pain was more than she could handle.

She currently stood on the hill overlooking the arena, mind still dazed and recovering from Campbell's words, and emotions still going haywire. The Gannon family armour was in its box, inside her tent, but that was the last thing on her mind at the moment. After listening to the holotape, she felt she now had a greater understanding of the merc…and she had no idea if she wanted to kill him anymore. He still deserved to pay, she knew that for a fact, but realising that Arcade's death had affected him just as badly as it had affected her…he didn't seem like the heartless killer she'd painted him as anymore, and though her vengeful side told her he deserved death, some part of her didn't want to give it to him. Part of her hated him, but part of her pitied him. Part of her wanted him to die, but part of her just wanted him back. Part of her was annoyed by his antics and his bullshit, but part of her missed that bullshit, and wished he was there to cheer her up and make her laugh again. She was at war at herself, and it was giving her one hell of a migraine.

"I'm back." A familiar voice announced, but she was far too deep in her own thoughts to notice. She stayed in those thoughts, looking up at the sky and ignoring the pain in her head as she mentally debated with herself, while a familiar figure walked towards her. "Veronica?" Layla asked, standing next to her and poking her to get her attention. "Helloooo?" Finally snapping out of her thoughts, the former scribe looked at Layla, allowing the witch to see her red, puffy eyes. A look of concern took over the red one's face almost immediately.

"Hi." Veronica said quietly, while forcing a weak smile onto her face. She wanted to at least appear happy for her best friend.

"Are you okay?" Layla asked in a worried tone. The former scribe looked at her for a moment, before casting her gaze upwards again.

"I don't know." She said, still too confused by her conflicting emotions to truly know what she was feeling.

"You've been crying haven't you?" Layla asked. She nodded. "What happened while I was gone?" She really didn't feel like telling her. It was a long story; a long, weird, painful, confusing story, and she wasn't going to tell it when she was emotionally exhausted, cripplingly tired, and suffering from the god of all migraines. "Did one of the legionaries do something to upset you? Just point me their way and I'll slice their balls off before you can say…"

"It wasn't a legionary." She interrupted, shaking her head as she did so. Layla's concern touched her heart, but right now she just wanted to be alone.

"Veronica…what happened while I was gone?" The witch asked again, more forcefully this time. Still not wanting to explain, the former scribe reached into her pocket, and pulled out the group photo Campbell had given her. She forced it into Layla's hands, before leaving without a word. She heard her friend give a shocked gasp as she looked at the photo, and some small part of her felt guilty. She knew she needed to explain this to Layla, but right now, her body and her mind were simply unwilling. _I'll tell her tomorrow. _She mentally promised herself as she skidded down the hill and headed for her tent. Right now, she just wanted to stop thinking; about Arcade, about Campbell, about Layla, everything. It all just hurt too much.

_**So...yeah...thought I'd write a nice happy chapter for you. Hope you liked it, and sorry again for how long it took. Blame life.**_

_**Can Campbell apologise, or what?**_

_**For the easily confused, this whole chapter takes place at the same time as the last chapter. While Layla's carrying out her mission with Vulpes, Veronica is chasing Campbell across the Mojave, following clues and receiving bizarre gifts. You'll notice that this chapter ends at the same point as the last chapter. It's the same dialogue, and basically the same scene, but from Veronica's perspective this time. Yeah, she's had it rough. Poor thing.**_

_**After this little adventure, will Veronica think differently about Campbell? Will she find it in her heart to forgive him, or will she continue trying to kill him? You'll have to wait till the next chapter to find out. Actually, since the next chapter is another 'Report' chapter (Short chapter showing how the NCR are reacting to the antics of Layla and co), you'll have to wait till the chapter AFTER that. Don't worry, the next one's already halfway done, so it shouldn't take that long (I just know I'll regret saying that).**_

_**In case you haven't been paying attention (Shame on you), Campbell has been very, VERY generous, giving the girls access to a laser satellite, a veritable army of securitrons, and a highly annoying, but highly efficient AI to control them. You can bet your ass that all these gifts will prove to be very important in the future.**_

_**Soooo...this chapter was meant to be sad. Did you find it sad? Did it move you? Are you crying as you read this and cursing me for releasing your emotional floodgates? Please let me know by reviewing. Seriously...please please PLEASE review. I'm kind of begging at this point. It's extremely undignified I know, but I love hearing from people and need to know if this chapter was emotional enough.**_

_**In conclusion, thanks for reading; I appreciate you holding on this long. Love you guys. :)**_


	62. With Friends Like These

_**Here it is, the seventh Report chapter, which basically means that NCR bigwigs (And Campbell) will be talking about what our redheaded heroine has been up to recently. And like the last report chapter (Chapter 51: Internal Disputes), said bigwigs will be at each other's throats. Please enjoy, and sorry for the wait. **_

With Friends Like These…

_Home sweet home. _Campbell thought sarcastically as he stepped into his shoebox sized room at Hoover Dam. _This place could really use a poster or something. Make it seem more…homey. _He mentally wondered why he was making jokes to himself, before shaking his head to remove the distracting thoughts and sitting down on the room's bed, which was devoid of blanket or bed sheets. This less than stellar bed was likely part of the reason for his recent insomnia, but honestly it didn't seem like he'd be barred from sleep land for much longer. In his current, dangerously fatigued state, even the crappy, uncovered mattress on which he sat was starting to look inviting. He really couldn't remember the last time he'd been so tired. Not sleeping for nearly a week and running all over the Mojave to set up a series of gifts and surprises for a loved one would do that to you.

After leaving Camp Golf (And pissing off Cassandra Moore immensely) last night, he'd spent the entire night and most of the day putting things in place, then had sent the holotape to Veronica. After she'd received it, he'd spent the entire evening and a good portion of the night following her, staying just out of sight but making sure she got all his gifts. She'd received them, and heard his final apology, so technically everything had gone right. Still, he had no idea what her feelings were regarding said apology. He didn't expect her to forgive him, and had said so in the recording, but it would still be nice to know how she felt. The only clue he'd gotten was when she'd heard his final recording. Once the recording had finished, she'd started crying, and he'd left before seeing her finish. He assumed she'd made it back to Fortification Hill alright. As vague as her current opinion of him was, at least she knew he was sorry. That had been the main goal of this highly convoluted scheme, and in that regard it had been a success. Of course, the secondary goal had been to give his friends some useful assets to use against the NCR. Considering the girls now had a laser satellite, an army of securitrons, an AI who was loyal to them and could control said securitrons, and a set of highly advanced, cutting edge power armour, that goal seemed to have been accomplished as well. They also had a group photo, but that was more effective at eliciting tears from them than killing people.

It had been nice to see the former scribe again, even though they'd been separated by rooms and hadn't said a word to each other. He'd hoped to see her smile at some point, but all he'd seen were scowls and sad faces. It was dumb of him to expect any different really, considering what Veronica had been through lately. _Poor girl. _He felt guilt flooding his insides (That had been happening a lot lately) as he thought of the sufferings Veronica had endured lately, most of which had been caused by him. All the bad things that happened to her…she didn't deserve any of them. All she wanted was to live happily with Layla, but the universe had decided to crap on her time and again. He hoped that the red haired one got her head together and reciprocated Veronica's attraction soon, because it was blatantly obvious how she felt, and the former scribe seriously deserved to have something good happen to her for once.

Keeping his eyes open was becoming difficult, which made him think that it was time to get some sleep. The fact that it was currently 6am and he'd been up for several days without rest supported that theory. He stood up and stretched, before taking off his trenchcoat. Just as he was carefully laying it down on the floor next to his bed however, the door to his room/cell swung open, and a familiar face barged in.

"Hi Cassandra." He said pleasantly to the annoyed looking woman.

"Shut up and follow me." She snapped, before storming out of the room. Campbell sighed, before putting his trenchcoat back on and walking after her. _I guess sleep will have to wait. _He thought as he switched the light off, and stepped out the door.

"Nice to see you too." He said as he exited the room, and found her leaning against the wall outside, fingers of her non-bandaged hand (The left one) twitching anxiously as she waited for him. The two mooks who guarded his room were stood to one side, likely trying to get as far away from Moore as possible without abandoning their post.

"Oliver's called a meeting, so cut the crap and come on." She said sternly, before walking down the corridor. _Oh great. _He sighed again, wearily this time, before following.

"Can I assume he's annoyed about the little holiday I took?"

"He doesn't give a damn about that, because he doesn't know." She replied shortly, causing the merc to raise a surprised eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"He doesn't know because I haven't told him." Campbell smirked.

"Aw, did you cover for me? You really do care. I'm touched."

"Fuck off." She snarled. "I didn't tell him because I'd be in just as much trouble as you if he found out you wandered off while I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you."

"Disguise it as practicality if you want, but I know the truth: you liiiike me." A wide, amused grin formed on his face as he recalled Layla using the same line to annoy Arcade. _Ah…those were the good old days. _

"Keep talking, and I'll throw you off the dam." Moore said in a hostile tone, but Campbell just chuckled.

"That's the funny thing: you can't." He smirked. "Like it or not, you need me. Oliver needs me. I'm more qualified to take out Layla than anybody else, because not only do I know everything about her, but I also know how she thinks. I'm your best weapon against her, so it's in your best interest to keep me alive. That means I have leverage." His eyebrows darted up and down as his smirk took on a mischievous quality. "I plan to abuse the hell out of this."

"I think you overestimate your own abilities." Moore replied as they turned a corner and continued on down another dull, grey corridor. "Boone is more skilled at combat than you, he has more experience fighting the witch, and thanks to your dossier he knows nearly as much as you do about her."

"Yeah…**nearly** as much, but not **as much**. You forget, I've lived with her. I've spoken with her, repeatedly and extensively. I've eaten with her. I've fought against her, and alongside her. I know her the way you'd know an old friend."

"Because you still consider her a friend. That sentimentality is a liability, which is exactly why you're unsuited for the job, while Boone is entirely suited." That remark caused Campbell to burst out laughing, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop. "What's so funny?" Cassandra asked in a tone that was equal parts annoyed and confused, but the merc just kept laughing. After several minutes, he managed to calm himself down, before finally answering her question.

"Oh Cassandra, if only you knew." He said with an amused grin.

"What?!" It was obvious that she was rapidly getting fed up with this, but Campbell decided to keep annoying her because it amused him to no end.

"Boone's arguably more sentimental about Layla than I am." He said, grin widening ever further.

"What are you…"

"Layla looks like his dead wife, which is why he's never been able to deliver a lethal shot to her, even when he's had her in his sights. He killed his wife you see. Mercy kill, tragic affair really. He's so torn up about it that he can't bear to do it again, meaning he can't kill her. He's at least twice the liability I am." Campbell started laughing again, only shutting up when Moore slapped the back of his head.

"That may be true, but he's at least ten times more trustworthy than you." She said, only to scowl when Campbell scoffed at her words.

"Really? You know what a boy scout he is; he'd never do any of the dirty, unpleasant stuff that you really need to do to when working for an organisation like the NCR. You need him to kill someone, oh yeah he can do that. You need him to kill a kid? Nope. Need to torture somebody for information? He can't do that. Need to wipe out the Followers of the Apocalypse like I know Oliver had you do?" Moore's eyes widened. "No way. He's too honourable to do what's necessary. I'm not. I've killed kids before. I've massacred villages. Burnt hospitals full of sick, starving people. Really fucked up shit. It was unpleasant, but I got it done. I can do whatever needs doing, which makes me at least ten times more useful than Boone." Not wanting to admit that what he said made sense, Moore went quiet, leaving Campbell with a smug smile as they continued down the corridor. That smile vanished when she managed a surprisingly effective retort a few minutes later.

"At least he doesn't leave for days at a time to stalk random girls across the Mojave." A look of genuine shock took over Campbell's face, amusing Moore to no end.

"How did you…"

"You're forgetting, I'm the NCR's main spymaster. I had people watching you from the moment you left Camp Golf to the second you returned to the dam." _Dammit. _The merc thought, suddenly feeling very worried. How much had the spies seen? How much had they told Moore? Did they know who Veronica was? Did she know that he'd essentially been stalking Layla's right hand? Could she present this to Oliver, and have him use it as reason to remove Campbell from the NCR or kill him, ruining Vulpes' plan and possibly making him go after Layla and Veronica?

"And what do your scouts tell you?" He asked carefully, trying to figure out just how much she knew.

"That you spent a good deal of time travelling around the Mojave doing god knows what, then spent hours following a girl around." It seemed like she didn't know who said girl was. Hopefully he could keep it that way, keep her trust, and avoid pissing off Oliver, which would also piss off Vulpes and put the girls in danger.

"Well it sounds creepy when you say it like that." He said, trying to sound defensive so that she thought she had some leverage over him, meaning she wouldn't think there was more to the story.

"Honestly Campbell. You went AWOL for 24 hours just to stalk some bimbo? What a waste of time." On hearing her say the word 'bimbo', he stopped talking carefully, and lost his cool.

"Okay, first of all, if you call her a bimbo again, I'll get out that pen I took from Oliver's office and use it to give you a nice little tongue piercing." He growled, sounding genuinely angry for the first time in the conversation. "Second, I don't see how what I did is any of your fucking business."

"Aw, you have a crush. That's adorable." Suddenly, taking his ripper to her face was beginning to seem like an extremely tempting course of action. _I remember when we got on quite well. _He thought sadly, before turning on the rage.

"Cassandra, listen closely, because I'm only going to say this once, then if you imply I have feelings for this woman again, the pen is going in one of your gums." He said in a surprisingly calm, but dangerously threatening tone. "A) I stopped caring about romance years ago. B) The girl I was following is gay, so even if I did want her, I wouldn't be jumping her bones any time soon. C) That girl is like a younger sister to me, and the idea of having sex with her makes me sick to my stomach. In conclusion, keep your judgements to yourself, fuck off, and let me live my goddamn life without sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"You seem to be forgetting something. Your life isn't yours anymore; it belongs to the NCR now, and more specifically, it belongs to Oliver." Moore replied in a snide tone.

"Does your life belong to him too?" Campbell swiftly retorted, knocking the colonel for six.

"I…"

"I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, it'll stop being a problem once you kill him right?" That comment knocked her completely off guard, and she struggled to maintain her composure as she replied.

"Don't be ridiculous!" She said unconvincingly. "Sure I don't like the man, but I'd never actually…"

"Cassandra, there's a difference between insanity and gullibility, alright? I'm definitely not a stable, rational human being, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to believe any bullshit you throw at me."

"I don't…"

"I'm guessing you plan to kill Oliver at some point, most likely stab him, using a sword if you're going the extra mile, then sprinkle those red hairs in your room all over the crime scene." Moore's eyes widened as a knowing smirk took over the merc's face.

"What are you…"

"I **might **have had a peek in your room, and during that peek, I **might **have spotted a plastic tub containing red hairs, which look suspiciously like Layla's hairs." Both Moore and Campbell knew that the tub those hairs were in was well hidden in her room, contained in a locked drawer and hidden in a false bottom inside said draw. There was no possible way Campbell could have spotted them via a simple peek into her room. A furious expression formed on Moore's face as she realised that her privacy had been violated.

"You searched my room?!" As far as he was concerned, this whole conversation was worth it, just to see the look on Moore's face as she shrieked those four words.

"Yeah, I stuck my nose where it doesn't belong. I'll admit, I'm a hypocrite." Moore looked like she was fuming, which amused Campbell to no end. "It's nothing personal. I've gone through Boone's room too. And Oliver's." Cassandra could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Why?!" Campbell shrugged.

"All kinds of reasons. Paranoia, looking for leverage, boredom; take your pick."

"But…I…when did you have time to look through my room? You're contained in your own room at all times!" Campbell put his hands in his trenchcoat pockets as his smirk widened.

"Yeah, except in the period of time between last night and now, when I was allowed to roam free."

"My spies informed me that you didn't come to the dam once during your wanderings, so when did you…"

"Question: when did your spies say I arrived here?" The merc interrupted, clearly surprising the colonel.

"They…they told me you arrived ten minutes ago." She replied in a confused tone. "So what?" Campbell chuckled, only confusing her further.

"Your spies aren't as good as you think they are Cassandra."

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Simple: I got here **twenty **minutes ago. Plenty of time to look through the rooms of all the major players in the NCR, then go back to my room." While Moore looked utterly gobsmacked, Campbell grinned, before stopping as they reached their destination. "I think we're here." Moore ignored him, entering the office without a word. Campbell looked highly amused as he followed her.

"It's about time." Oliver growled as soon as they entered the office. He was sat behind his desk, with Boone at his side, and looked as annoyed as ever. As usual, seeing the general's ire did wonders to lift Campbell's spirits. "Where have you two idiots been?"

"Nice to see you too boss." Campbell said wryly, before looking at Boone for a fraction of a second, and nodding in his direction. "Smiley." He said in greeting. Boone didn't reply.

"Cut the crap Campbell." Oliver said seriously, leaning forward in his chair as he did so. "We have a serious situation on our hands here."

"What, did Boone crack a smile?" The sniper glared in his direction, almost coaxing a laugh out of him. "Yeah, I can assume that would be a problem, because I can think of only two reasons why he'd smile: 1) He's been replaced by a shapeshifting alien infiltrator, in which case we have bigger problems than the Legion, or 2) He's finally gone insane, which means you officially have no sane lieutenants left."

"SHUT. UP." Oliver said forcefully, irritation plain as day on his face. As much fun as riling him up was, Campbell decided to humour the man, and made a zipping motion on his lips, prompting the general to speak. "Alright…I assume Cassandra briefed you on the situation?" After miming the unzipping of his lips, the merc was quick to reply.

"Nope." He said cheerfully. "She spent the whole journey here wasting my time with idle chitchat." A shocked look appeared on Moore's face, while a tiny, dark smile appeared on Campbell's.

"Sir…I…" Moore tried to deny the merc's accusations, but was silenced by a single glare from Oliver.

"Boone, explain the situation." He ordered, and the sniper nodded before obeying.

"Last night, somewhere between the hours of 12am and 1am, Camp Golf was attacked."

"Oh goody, a terrorist attack." Campbell said excitedly, as Boone's words caught his interest. "What did they use? Fire? Explosives? Snipers? A small force of soldiers that attacked under the cover of night?"

"Gas." Boone said bluntly, shutting Campbell up. _Gas? _He thought to himself. That was…interesting. It wasn't exactly easy to come across poisonous gas these days, and it was even harder to weaponise it. He almost wanted to meet the perpetrator behind this attack; he/she sounded like a creative fellow/lady, and if there was one thing he appreciated, it was creativity.

"What kind of gas?"

"Unknown. It exhibited characteristics unlike any known weaponised gas, and dispersed before our chemical analysts could arrive. All they had to work with were the odd liquid extracts the gas left behind. After analysing the extract, the experts reported that they'd never seen anything like it. It seems to be a unique construct, developed by chemical weapons experts; likely an Enclave creation."

"I doubt it." Campbell said, a hand on his chin as he spoke. "The Enclave preferred robots, lasers and plasma to chemical weapons."

"Its origins are unimportant." Oliver interrupted. "Boone, resume your explanation." The sniper nodded, before getting back on topic.

"Investigations are still on-going, but it appears that an unidentified individual infiltrated the camp, and planted a device that dispersed the gas. After its dispersal, the gas spread, quickly engulfing the entire camp. There were no survivors. An identical dispersal device was later found in the river near the resort building. Its payload had already been dispersed, which suggests that somebody found it and moved it before it could detonate, but none of the rangers in the resort building have confessed to the deed."

"So what you're saying is, two individuals infiltrated Camp Golf last night, and placed gas bombs both in the camp area, and the resort building, and while the one in the resort building was found, the other remained undetected and went off, spreading a highly poisonous gas that killed everyone in the camp before dispersing without a trace?" Campbell asked, wanting to make sure he had the facts straight.

"That's correct, but what makes you think there were two?" Boone asked, and Campbell smirked as he replied.

"From what you've told me, I assume the infiltrators' plan was to plant both the bombs between midnight and 1am. One person would find it next to impossible to infiltrate both areas and place both bombs in such a time frame. If I was the one planning such a mission, which lucky for you I wasn't or there'd be nobody left alive in the resort building either, I'd send in a two man team, one to infiltrate the camp, and one to infiltrate the resort building. Any more than two, and it would be harder to remain unhidden, but any less and there's a chance both bombs wouldn't have been placed in time." While Boone and Oliver paused to take this in, Moore spoke for the first time in a few minutes.

"I was there, and I can confirm that there were two infiltrators." Everybody looked at her, and Campbell cocked his head to the side.

"Oh?"

"I didn't see the other agent, but I confronted one directly, and I think you might know them." Before anyone could say anything, she stepped forward, drew a combat knife, and stabbed it onto the table.

"…The other infiltrator was a knife?" Campbell asked facetiously, earning a slap to the back of the head from her.

"It's the owner of the knife you idiot. Look closer, see if you recognise it." Deciding to humour her, Campbell leaned in, and examined the knife up close. To the untrained eye, it looked like any other knife. To him however, it set off several alarm bells in his head. After all, it was hard to forget a knife that had tasted his blood before.

"If I'm not mistaken…I do believe that's Layla's knife." He said slowly, shocking both Boone and Oliver.

"Are you sure?" Oliver asked seriously, and Campbell nodded.

"I've been stabbed with that knife before…in the gut; trust me, I'm sure." The merc replied, not a trace of doubt in his voice.

"Where did you get this?" The general asked, directing his next question at Moore.

"Layla threw it at me as she was making her getaway. Luckily, one of the rangers backing me up got in the way to shield me from the attack." The last part was a lie of course (She'd used him as a shield), not that anybody in the room actually cared. "I plucked it from his corpse, and decided to keep it as a souvenir." Oliver went silent, instead leaning back in his chair and focusing his gaze on the blade in front of him.

"This is definitely her knife?"

"Definitely." Campbell said. "It's her main knife; one of her favourite weapons. I saw it more than once while I was on her side." An unreadable expression on his face, the general leaned forward, and flicked the handle of the blade. It stayed imbedded in the table.

"So…this is the blade that ended the life of Ambassador Crocker?" He asked nobody in particular, smiling strangely as he flicked the knife's handle again. Before anyone could respond to that, he leaned back in his chair, all business again. "Okay, we have confirmation that one of the infiltrators was Layla. Who was the other one?" Campbell's brain jumped into action almost immediately. Layla didn't have a lot of associates, even less that she fought alongside with. It couldn't have been Veronica, because she was following his clues all night, and even if she hadn't, she wasn't exactly the stealthy type. That left only one possible accomplice. _Vulpes. _It had to have been him; there was no other explanation. This plan was well thought out, needlessly complex, and resulted in a lot of people dying; in other words, it reeked of his usual stuff. Of course, if Campbell told them that Vulpes was probably involved, the desert fox might decide to get payback, and that would put Layla and Veronica in danger.

"Speaking as an expert, who knows literally everything about her, including her known accomplices…I have no idea." He lied. "She has few people who she fights with, and even fewer who are stealth experts. If I had to guess, I'd say it was just some random Legion frumentarius."

"Regardless, this attack proves that Camp Golf isn't secure." Oliver said, steepling his fingers on the table in front of him as he did so. "The Legion have shown that they're capable of infiltrating the base anytime they want to. Even if we bump up security, not that we have the resources to do so with how much this war is costing us, there's no guarantee that this won't happen again."

"He's right." Moore said, and Campbell offered her a sideways glance. Oh, it was **so **obvious that she was just agreeing with the man as a way of sucking up to him. It was almost painful to watch.

"What would you suggest, sir?" Boone asked. Everybody at the table turned to Oliver. Boone looked stoic as usual, while Moore's expression was hard to read, and Campbell just looked bored.

"Any base that we can't defend is a weakness. I say we move all operations at Camp Golf to Hoover Dam." Boone's eyes widened slightly, while Moore and Campbell maintained their expressions.

"Sir, the dam is already packed as it is. I'm not sure we have enough room to accommodate…"

"Then make room!" Oliver snapped, before swivelling his chair so that he faced away from the others.

"So basically, you're just going to vacate the base, leaving the Legion to snap it up?" Campbell asked dubiously. "That doesn't seem like the brightest idea."

"Then destroy the base so that they can't claim it! Blow it up or something, I don't care!" The general sounded like he was getting sick of being questioned. _Well if he made better decisions, maybe we wouldn't have to keep questioning him. _Campbell thought.

"Even if we do that, that's another region of the Mojave that we'll lose control of. We need as much land as we can get, or…"

"All we need is the dam." Oliver interrupted. "The dam is the key. They don't win until they claim this base; they have to come here eventually, and when they do, they'll find the full might of the NCR military ready to crush them."

"With all due respect boss…Layla hasn't exactly had that much trouble fighting 'the full might of the NCR military' before, and you can guarantee that she'll be leading the charge."

"Let her. I've already called for reinforcements from Shady Sands. I'll admit we've suffered serious casualties since Layla first surfaced, but thanks to those reinforcements, we'll have twice as much manpower as we have now. We'll take those Legion bastards out with sheer numbers if we have to." Campbell honestly had no idea how Oliver had managed to get his bosses in Shady Sands to give him more troops, but if we was right about their numbers, then the NCR might actually have a chance of putting up a decent fight at the dam. Of course, they still had to contend with Layla…

"Okay, I'll admit, I'm impressed." The merc said, casually twirling his coin between his fingers as he did so. "But tell me something: where the hell do you think we're going to put all these soldiers? Like Boone said, we barely have any room left in the dam as it is."

"I'll leave Boone to sort that out." The general replied, turning to face the others as he did so. "In the meantime, we need to plan a counter attack."

"Sir?" Boone asked, evidently not liking the sound of this.

"The Legion attacked one of our installations; I think it's time we hit them back." Campbell couldn't help but burst out laughing at that, clearly earning Oliver's ire.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said, trying to hide his grin as he calmed himself down. "I didn't mean to laugh, it's just…well…do you understand military strategy at all?" The general bristled at that.

"Excuse me?"

"You're trying to stock up on troops and keep them at the dam for when the Legion inevitably attacks, I get that. Not what I'd do, as it costs us land and the Legion get more room to manoeuvre, but I suppose it's a valid…ish…strategy. But…do you really think this is the time to be attacking anything? The Second Battle of Hoover Dam could occur any day now, and we're already low on resources; until these reinforcements of yours arrive, we're drastically low on troops. And yet, you want to send some of those troops, the very things that we're running low on, and the very things that we need to keep here for when the Legion come knocking, and you want to throw them at the enemy? I mean, even **if **they win, and that's a fucking big **if**, we're going to lose a lot of fucking guys. At the moment, the Legion has more soldiers than us. They can afford to lose men, we can't. They can afford to lose a battle, we can't. If we do this, we're sacrificing most of our resources for minimal gain. It's just a bad, bad idea, plain and simple." One his spiel was finished, Campbell looked around the room to see the responses of his cohorts. Boone's expression was still unreadable, but the merc could tell that the sniper agreed with what he'd said. Moore's expression was neutral and difficult to read, but she seemed to be trying hard not to smirk. Oliver, meanwhile, looked absolutely livid.

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO?!" He roared, prompting a smirk from Campbell. _Oh, don't feed me straight lines. _The merc thought in an amused tone, while the general slammed his hand down onto his desk. "Perhaps you don't understand, but YOU WORK FOR ME!"

"Believe me, I'm well aware." Campbell replied, idly tossing his coin into the air and catching it with his other hand as he spoke. "As your subordinate, I think I'm well within my rights to tell you when one of your plans is idiotic; hell, I think it's even in my job description."

"Listen here you smart mouthed little shit." Oliver growled, standing up and leaning forward over his desk as he did so. "**I **am in charge here, so **you **do what **I **say. If I want your opinion, I'll fucking ask for it!" There was an uncomfortable pause, and for a brief moment, it seemed likely that Campbell would whip out a gun (He'd been frisked upon entering the base, so he was only 'slightly armed' as opposed to 'heavily armed') and shoot Oliver in the face. He was actually tempted for a while, but eventually decided against it. Despite the number of people that would throw him a parade if he killed Oliver, he wouldn't have long to enjoy it before someone shot him or had him locked away to be executed later. And even if he survived that, Moore would likely take over, and having a more vicious version of Oliver in charge was the last thing he wanted. At least Oliver was an idiot. Moore was no brain surgeon, but she was still smarter than him. So instead of simply splattering the wall with Oliver's brains (An extremely tempting proposition if ever there was one), he instead sighed, before leaning back in his chair slightly.

"Alright, fine." He said tersely. "You don't want my input? I'll stay silent."

"Good." Oliver said, leaning back and returning to his seat as he did so.

"Next time you get set to walk into a minefield, I'll be sure not to tell you what a bad idea it is." The general shot him a dirty look, but otherwise ignored him.

"Now, is there any other business?"

"There **is **one other thing sir." Moore said, earning the attention of everyone in the room.

"And that would be?"

"Chief Hanlon vanished during the attack on Camp Golf, and is currently MIA. We don't know his motives for leaving, but considering he left at the same time that Layla and her unknown partner infiltrated the camp, I think it's safe to assume that he's a Legion associate. As such, I feel we should track him down, and make an example of him." Campbell had to resist the urge to burst out laughing again. Hanlon? A Legion agent? Really? The man had more loyalty to the NCR than anyone in this room; it was **highly **unlikely that he was a traitor. He didn't think highly of Oliver of course…but then again, who did? If they started stringing up anyone who hated Oliver, then they wouldn't have a military left…or anyone to rule over, for that matter.

"I doubt he's with the Legion; Hanlon is a lot of things, but above all, he's an NCR supporter." Oliver said, showing a rare amount of insight.

"Still, he wants to usurp you sir." Moore argued. "He could still be a threat." _Pot calling the kettle black. _Campbell thought, wry grin spreading across his face as he listened.

"Even if he is, it's only a minor threat." Oliver said dismissively. "He'd have to act directly against the NCR to strike at me now, and he'll never do that. Regardless of what he's planning, the Legion are the biggest threat right now."

"Are you saying we should just forget about him and let him roam free?" Oliver turned to her, a hard look in his eyes.

"I am. Do you have a problem with that?" There was a lengthy pause before Moore replied.

"…No sir."

"Good." Campbell continued to grin as Moore wilted under Oliver's gaze. It was probably an act of course, what with her wanting to kill him and all, but seeing Moore be put in her place was hilarious, even if she was allowing herself to be put there. "Now then, if there's nothing else…" He paused for a moment, in case anyone had any business they wanted to state. Nobody spoke up. "…then this meeting is adjourned. Boone, stay here; we have some business to discuss. Moore, take Campbell back to his cell." The colonel looked almost offended as she processed Oliver's command.

"Sir, why do I have to be his escort?"

"Because I said so, now take him and get out." The general snapped. Without a word, Moore stepped forward, ripped Layla's knife out of the table, and put it into one of the pockets on the uniform. Once that was done, she grabbed Campbell by the arm and pulled him to his feet, before dragging him to the door.

"Always good talking to you Oliver." Campbell said in a friendly tone, moments before Moore pushed him out of the room. He just managed to avoid hitting the opposite wall, before turning back to Moore as she closed the office door. "That was rude." He folded his arms and smirked at her as she turned to face him. "I didn't even get to say goodbye to Boone." She only snarled at him, before lunging forwards. Before he had a chance to react, she'd forced him against the far wall, a hand around his throat.

"SHUT…THE…FUCK…UP." She barked.

"I…get the feeling…you're upset." He replied, struggling to speak due to the hand around his throat.

"Understatement of the fucking year." The fury in her voice was plain as day, and she bared her teeth at him as the hand not around his throat reached inside one of her pockets.

"Are you…going to tell me…what's wrong…or would you like me…to guess? I'm…pretty good at guessing games…if I do say so myself."

"STOP…TALKING." She emphasised her words by drawing Layla's combat knife, and pointing it in Campbell's face.

"I'll…stop…when you start, how about…that?" She made an enraged noise, before slamming his head back against the wall.

"You are really starting to piss me off."

"Still being…a little vague…Cassandra."

"STOP FUCKING CALLING ME THAT." She slammed his head back again. "You've been getting on my nerves all day, with the constant jibes, and the annoying, unfunny quips, and…"

"Hey hey!" Campbell cut her off. "Unfunny? I resent that remark."

"No, you **resemble **that remark, and if you don't stop talking, then you're going to **resemble **a fucking corpse." Campbell just smirked at her, and she growled in frustration before striking a knee up into his gut. He made a pained expression, but otherwise showed no reaction. "I could tolerate the endless parade of bullshit that comes out of your mouth, but when you made me look bad in front of Oliver…you crossed the fucking line."

"With all due respect…Cassandra…" She bristled as he used her first name again. "…you don't need…my help…to look bad." She made another angry noise, before tightening her grip on his throat, and moving Layla's knife close to his eye.

"You think this is a fucking joke?!"

"Cassandra, **life **is a joke." The merc responded sagely. "And so are you." Clearly growing fed up of this, she pushed him as far back against the wall as he would go, before leaning in close enough for him to see the blazing fury in her eyes.

"You are on…thin…**fucking **ice." She hissed, in the angriest, most aggressive tone he'd ever heard from her. "Remember that."

"Will do." He said casually. "And you remember this." As the merc spoke, Moore felt something press against her stomach. She risked a look down, and saw that Campbell had a 12.7mm pistol in his hand, and a look back to his eyes told her that he was fully willing to use it. "I could kill you any time I wanted. Now, for example." Before Moore could speak, Campbell raised his left hand, the hand not holding the pistol. Her attention was so distracted by his gun hand that she failed to notice as he drew a knife from his left sleeve, before stabbing that knife into her right hand; the same hand that was bandaged up from a previous stab wound (Inflicted by James Hsu, not that Campbell could know that), and the same hand that was holding Layla's knife. Moore cried out in pain as blood rapidly stained her bandaged hand and she dropped Layla's knife, while Campbell kicked her back. She slammed into the opposite wall, right next to the door to Oliver's office, and the merc moved swiftly. Before she knew what was happening, it was her turn to be pressed against a wall, her turn to have a knife pointed against her eye, and her turn to be at someone else's mercy. "Knife to meet you." He quipped as he moved the knife close. _Wow…that was terrible even by my standards. _

"You…you…fucking…" She stuttered angrily, while he laughed and pistol whipped her.

"Language Cassandra." His blow knocked her head to the side, and caused her beret to fall off. Ignoring the bloody cut that the strike added to her cheek, she moved her head so that she was at eye level with him again, and spat in his face. He responded by calmly wiping the spit off his forehead with the back of his knife hand, before pushing her back against the wall, knife against her throat and gun against her stomach.

"I…swear…I will…"

"Not do a damn thing." He interrupted in a cold, humourless tone, immediately shutting her up. "Cassandra, I'm going to be frank here. You…are not…a fucking threat…to me. Plain and simple." She growled at him, while he smirked darkly and leaned his head closer. "Let me give you two useful pieces of information Cassandra. 1) At this range, my 12.7mm could easily blow a hole through your chestplate. You'd probably survive, but not for long. And 2)…if I killed you right now…**NOBODY**…**WOULD**…**FUCKING**…**CARE**." She tried to retort, but he just pressed his knife more forcefully against her throat, prompting her to keep quiet. "Don't deny it, you know it's true. Nobody in this base gives a shit about you, Oliver least of all. If I killed you now, sure he'd be annoyed, but I'd likely just get a slap on the wrist from him…and a pat on the back from everyone who works here. You are universally reviled Cassandra; not disliked…**reviled**. You're hated by just about everyone. I was the only one who liked you, because we got on so well, but you've done wonders to ruin that blossoming friendship. So now, we can have one of two relationships; we can act as colleagues, working together but by no means liking each other, or we can act as killer, and victim." He leaned even closer, so that his mouth was next to her ear. "You'd be the victim." He whispered softly, before leaning back again. "So, what's it going to be?" The colonel looked right into his eyes, blood pouring down her cheek and utter fury etched onto every feature of his face. It was obvious she was viciously, murderously angry, but the look in her eyes suggested that she knew he was right. "Well?" Before she could reply, the door next to them opened, and Boone walked out.

"What's going on here?" He asked in his typical, emotionless tone. He didn't even seem surprised or concerned to see that Campbell was literally seconds way from killing Moore.

"Oh, not much." The merc said casually as he removed his knife from Cassandra's throat, and returned it to his sleeve. "Just having a nice friendly chat." Now that there was a witness present, and the knife was no longer against her throat, Moore pushed Campbell away, before drawing her own 12.7mm pistol (The same one she'd tried to use to kill Hanlon back at Camp Golf, if he remembered right), gripping it tightly in both hands, and pointing it at his head. Campbell lazily pointed his own gun at her head, looking more bored than anything else as he held his firearm in one hand. "Cassandra has a way with words doesn't she?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"Oh I'm sorry; why don't I call you Dumbass instead?" The merc responded near instantaneously. "Or would Bitch suit you better? You can change your surname too; your full name can be: Bitch Who's About to Die." She made a furious noise, while Boone took a brief look at their standoff, before sighing.

"I don't know what's going on here, and I really don't care, but put your guns away before Oliver sees." He said in a forceful tone.

"Boone, what's going on out there?" The general asked from inside the room.

"Nothing sir." He called back, before looking at the colonel and the merc and repeating the order in a low tone. "Guns. Away. Now." He hissed, and after a few seconds, they reluctantly holstered their pistols. "I understand why either of you would want to kill the other; Campbell is an annoying, untrustworthy psychopath, and Moore is a…moderately less annoying, equally untrustworthy psychopath, but for the love of God, save it for the enemy." With that, he went back into Oliver's office, and shut the door behind him.

"I hate him." Moore replied in a sulky tone.

"Ditto." Campbell replied, before walking away.

"Where the hell are you going?" Moore asked, causing him to stop.

"Back to my room. I know you don't want to escort me, so don't worry; I'll get back myself."

"If Oliver learns I went against orders and let you roam the dam of your own free will…"

"He'll be annoyed, but if we walk the corridors together, I don't think we'll make it half a minute before we're at each other's throats again…literally." It took Moore a few seconds to respond.

"…Fair enough." Campbell smiled (Not that she could see, since he had his back to her), before raising an arm and waving as he walked away.

"Oh, and make sure to replace those bandages on your hand; you're dripping blood all over the floor." While she scowled, he turned the corner, an amused grin on his face. As tempting as it was to screw with her and go gallivanting around the base, he planned to stay true to his word, mostly because he was so fucking tired that all he could think about was collapsing onto the shitty bed in his room and drifting off into peaceful oblivion. He was beginning to memorise the dam's layout now, so it didn't take him long to reach his room. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his right hand, while using his left to open the door. It wasn't until he'd entered the room and shut the door behind him that he realised something strange; there had been no guards outside his room.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took care of the peons outside." A voice suddenly said, its owner unseen in the darkness of his room. Acting immediately, Campbell drew his 12.7mm again with his right hand, while using his left to punch the light switch right next to him, fully illuminating the room. There was still no sign of the figure, which could only mean one thing.

"Turn the damn stealth boy off or I start throwing grenades." He growled, left hand now searching through the inside of his trenchcoat for a frag grenade. It didn't take him long to find one.

"Very well." The stranger replied, before chuckling as they obliged Campbell's request, and appeared in front of him. At first glance, the stranger was little more than a common NCR grunt, but a quick examination of his face set off alarm bells in Campbell's head. This was no simple NCR foot soldier, this was Private William Fox…also known as Vulpes Inculta.

"Hello Campbell." The fox said in greeting as he stood next to the merc's bed. Campbell groaned in annoyance and impatience, before holstering his 12.7mm and throwing off his trenchcoat.

"Oh go away." He said curtly, in a tone that made it sound like he was completely fed up. "I'm really not in the mood." With that, he waved dismissively in Vulpes' direction, before making a beeline for the bed.

"Are you in the mood for this?" Before he could reach the bed however, the frumentarius threw a bag at him. Thanks to his quick reflexes, Campbell managed to catch the bag, and a quick peek inside revealed that it was full of caps.

"My fourth payment?" He asked in a surprised tone. After processing this for a few seconds, his eyes widened. "Wait…does this mean…"

"Indeed." The fox replied amicably. "I have but one more task for you, and once it's complete, your time in my service will come to an end." Campbell felt positively giddy as he realised that he was almost out from under Vulpes' thumb. _Just __one more mission, and I'm free of this bastard forever…which means Layla and Veronica will finally be safe from him._

"Well don't keep me in suspense." He said, feeling wide awake now as barely contained excitement flowed through him. "What's my last task?" A sinister look appeared in the fox's eyes, as though he'd been waiting for Campbell to ask that. _Uh-oh. _The merc immediately had a bad feeling.

"It is a simple task really." Vulpes replied, with a dark, animalistic smirk on his face. "I want you to kill Layla."

_**Campbell: Professional troll.**_

_**Vulpes: Professional bastard.**_

_**Me: Professional cliffhanger user…so basically a professional troll AND a professional bastard.**_

_**And Vulpes continues to be an unlikeable prick. His last task might make things difficult for Campbell; he wants to protect Layla, but that's going to be pretty hard to do if he's being forced to kill her. What's a man to do? How will Campbell react to this situation? Will he do as the fox commands, or find another way? Find out…whenever the fuck the next chapter is finished. **_

_**So…I said this wouldn't take very long because it was already half done…and it took me a month. I knew I'd regret saying that, and lo and behold I was right. On the plus side, it's EXACTLY a month (Last chapter: May 22nd; this Chapter: June 22**__**nd) since the last chapter**__**, which makes me really happy for some bizarre reason. On a slightly related note, this is the second longest report chapter after Internal Disputes. That's pretty cool right? Right? Riiight? **_

_**Okay, okay, I'm sorry this was late. It was pretty good through right? There was some typical Campbell humour (Snark and painfully bad puns), witty (I use the term VERY loosely) banter, a recap of Layla's activities, a small amount of violence, and even a cliffhanger. What, you don't like cliffhangers? Ooooooh…right…shit. Well…bye! (Throws a smoke bomb to escape.)**_

_**(Smoke clears, to reveal I'm standing only a few feet away)…*Sigh* That's what I get for buying budget smoke bombs. Oh, you're still here. Hi. Err…what else is there to talk about? Oh yeah! I updated my profile, if for some reason anybody in the world actually cares. It now offers more insights into my personality and my psyche. Enter at your own peril.**_

_**I…think that's it. Oh no…wait…I have one last thing to say. Something that will annoy you. *Sigh* Okay, here we go. (Takes a deep breath, then releases)…The next chapter will take a while. Sorry, but it's going to be long (Like, 'cut into two parts with each part being 15,000 – 20,000 words' long), and I haven't gotten it fully planned out yet. I'd say…two or three months…maybe even FOUR FUCKING MONTHS…again. Yeah…I'm very, very sorry. Also…(Throws another smoke bomb.)**_


	63. Heads I Win

_**Hi! Remember me? No? Understandable. I'm that guy who used to update his stupidly lengthy Fallout story, remember? It's been some time. Now before you get out the torches and pitchforks, I have an excuse. Well…actually I don't. Unless 'I accidentally went on a hiatus' counts as an excuse. Yeah, I'm not even sure how that happened. Before I knew it, it had been months and my on-again off-again co-conspirator Inspiration (Who I often humanize as a flighty human girl in some kind of crappy anthropomorphic personification thing) had fucked off, so I thought 'Huh…I guess I'm on a hiatus'. And so, it was. Since then, I've finished university, graduated, and entered the real world (Shudders). But I'm back now, and to ease hostilities, I come bearing two chapters instead of just one. Although…the fact that I did two chapters instead of just one is probably part of the reason why this took so long. But…and I'm just going to spoil this now…it's a two parter, which is why there are two chapters. What, would you have wanted me to upload the first part, leave it on a cliffhanger, and upload the second part months later? I'm guessing no. Anyway, let's not talk about how long this took to create (Thinking about it makes me hate myself a little); all that matters is it's here now, and it's ready for you. So grab yourself a cup, mug or glass of your favourite beverage, maybe get a snack, find a comfy place to sit (Preferably a chair or sofa, but it's your choice), sit back, relax, try to forget about how much you hate me (Whispering 'I wish I knew how to quit you' is optional, but it would probably amuse me), and settle in to read a big steaming pile of story. 20,000+ words await you. Enjoy. :D**_

Heads I Win…

Campbell had no idea what to do. Vulpes had long since left, vanishing as suddenly as he'd appeared with an infuriatingly smug expression on his face, leaving his hired gun to decide what to do next. It had been about an hour, and Campbell still hadn't come up with a solution. He was sat on the bed in his room, coat in some random corner and his head in his hands. _Fucking Vulpes. _He thought angrily, releasing a hand from his head to punch the mattress as he did so. He knew for a fact that the fox had done this on purpose, trapping Campbell in an impossible situation that would likely resolve in Layla's death, possibly by his hand. The fox was a sadistic bastard, that was certain.

_What the hell do I do?_ He wanted to protect Layla; after everything he'd done to her, keeping her safe was at the top of his list of priorities. But…if he disobeyed Vulpes' order, then the fox would just kill her anyway. It seemed that no matter what option he chose, Layla would die. He briefly entertained the idea of going after Vulpes, but quickly shook that idea off. With his network of spies and informants, the fox would know Campbell was coming before he could even leave the dam, and since he was likely close to Layla and Veronica right now, he'd be able to assassinate them long before the merc reached him.

On thinking of Veronica, he realised what the full implications would be if he killed Layla. In addition to protecting Layla, protecting Veronica was also at the top of his list of priorities, perhaps even higher because she needed protection more than Layla. The witch wasn't exactly what you'd call 'sane', but she was stable and could handle herself, while Veronica was full of angst and confused feelings and frustration, and had been traumatised to the point where her sanity had been severely damaged, making her fragile, unpredictable, and a ticking time bomb of conflicting emotions that could explode with even the slightest provocation. If he killed Layla, he didn't know what she'd do. She'd already lost so much; losing her trusted companion, her best friend, the girl she loved…it would destroy her, Campbell had no doubt. But if he left Layla alone…then both girls would die at Vulpes' hand. Was it better to break Veronica…or allow her to die?

Growling in frustration, the merc threw the bed's pillow across the room, before getting up and pacing the tiny living space. _What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?! _The question repeated itself in his head over and over again, slowly becoming a mantra that seemed like it would drive him insane. After several minutes of this, he stopped mentally chanting that phrase, stopped pacing, and took a second to clear his head. He took a deep breath, put a hand to the nearest wall (The room's left wall), and leaned forwards against said wall as he calmed down.

People had often asked him what his greatest weapon was, and were always surprised at the answer he gave them. The Twins weren't his best weapons, the Ratslayer wasn't his best, neither was his 12.7mm, his sawn-off shotgun, Vance's SMG, or any of his other, less frequently used guns. His ripper wasn't his best toy either, nor were the knives he kept in his sleeves, or Daisy Whitman's gun, or the multitude of grenades he carried around at all times. No, his best weapon, in his opinion, was his mind. Guns and blades and explosives were dull instruments, while his brain was like a scalpel; it had always been his most useful tool, even when he carried around enough guns to bring a small country to its knees. He put that sharp mind to work now, trying to decide what to do next.

_Alright, let's weigh up my options here. If I kill Layla…I kill Layla. _Just thinking about it made him uncomfortable. _I kill her…and Veronica will be utterly heartbroken; considering the amount of trauma she's already been through, I imagine that would be the straw that breaks the brahmin's back. In such a state, I imagine she'd…probably…kill herself. _Just the thought of Veronica driven to suicide, by something he did…it made him physically sick. He'd already put her through so much; he didn't think he'd be able to live with himself if he drove her to that.

_If I don't kill her, then Vulpes will, and he'll likely kill Veronica too. More than that, I imagine he'll make their deaths slow and painful, just to spite me. _He imagined the girls being slowly and agonisingly tortured to death by Vulpes; the image was no more pleasant than the first image he'd gotten into his head.

_No matter what I do, they die! _He thought, before leaning in closer to the wall and punching it with the hand that wasn't pressed against it. He'd had to make tough calls before, but this…_Wait_…Remembering what he usually did when he had to make a tough call, he moved off the wall, turned away from it, and got out his coin. Instead of flipping it however, he just leaned back against the wall and…stared at it. After staying silent for about a minute, he sighed, before speaking to the piece of legal tender in his hand.

"Sorry…I can't." He said quietly. "I know you give good advice, you're always looking out for me, and you've always steered me right in the past…but I can't rely on you now." He leaned in, and lightly kissed the non-bloodstained side of the coin, before putting it back into his pocket. _This is a choice I have to make on my own. _For the next hour, he quietly considered the two courses of action he could take, weighed up the pros and cons of each, and tried to decide what to do. He moved acround the room as he thought, starting out leaning against the far wall, then sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, then lying on his back on the floor, then moving the pillow close, before lying on his stomach and pressing his face into it while idly kicking his legs, then sitting against the right wall with the pillow in his lap, then eventually lying on the bed with the pillow in its proper place.

Not once during the entirety of his thought process did he look at, fidget with, or think about his coin. Interacting with his coin was normally automatic for him, but he repressed his coin related urges this time, as he knew even slight contact with it would erode his resolve, and make him cave into flipping it. The whole idea of using it for choices was ingrained into his mind; trying to resist using it was like a recovering alcoholic trying to resist the urge to fall off the wagon with a six pack of booze in their lap, or a quitting smoker trying to resist the urge to light up a cigarette or ten while being bombarded by second hand smoke. It wasn't easy, but he managed to ignore the coin, and focused on making the choice himself. After exactly an hour and a half (He didn't even move for the last thirty minutes, instead lying completely still on the bed and staring up at the ceiling), he came to a decision. He'd completely memorised the pattern and arrangement of the ceiling tiles, and saw said tiles every time he closed his eyes, but he'd also decided what to do about Vulpes' request. _I just hope it's the right thing to do. _He thought, before exhaustion took over and he drifted off to sleep.

***Layla – The Following Evening***

The mid-evening sun yawned tiredly, and bathed Fortification Hill in a lazy orange glow as Layla stood in the arena, ready for a training exercise. Resting from her tiring mission last night, she'd nearly slept the whole day away, so she'd come to the arena to get at least one practice session in before the sun set. She had both her swords equipped; greatsword on her back and katana sheathed at her side, and was currently surrounded by legionaries, all wielding machetes. She still wasn't used to the weight of both swords on her body, but that was exactly why she'd organised this exercise: to get used to it. She wore her recon armour (Otho had wanted her to equip gladiator armour, but all she'd needed to do is scowl at him to shut him up), not just because it served as her default armour at this point, but because it was light enough to allow her to move fairly quickly, even with two swords weighing her down.

_Okay, the goal of this exercise is to get used to using my swords in tandem. _She thought as she looked at the legion grunts surrounding her. Her greatsword required a good portion of her strength to lift, and while she could potentially carry it with one hand (She'd done so more than once, in order to use That Gun with her other hand), she wouldn't be able to swing it effectively without both hands, and there's no way she'd be able to use it while holding her katana in the other hand. No, dual wielding was definitely out, but she loved both these swords and didn't want to leave either of them on the sidelines (She saw it as abandoning them), so she wanted to learn how to fight with both of them; not necessarily using both at the same time, but still using them together. Old sword and new sword, fighting side by side; she couldn't think of anything better. Both swords stayed sheathed as she took a step forwards, and addressed the group. On hearing her voice, every man around her stood to attention.

"When I give the order, I want all of you to attack me." She said in a commanding tone. When her order earned some confused looks from the men, she spoke again, this time in a more forceful tone. "This is a training exercise, and I need each and every one of you fighting at 100%. Anyone who holds back, or questions my orders, will make me angry. As Otho can tell you, making me angry is a very bad idea." The men took a look at Otho, who was currently stood next to the open arena gate, and Layla swore she saw each and every one of them shudder. A twisted sense of pride flowed through her as she saw the fear she inspired in these men. "Do I make myself clear?" The legionaries responded with various comments, murmurs, and gestures of affirmation, and she smiled (Inwardly; if she smiled physically, it could be seen as a sign of weakness, and that was the last thing she wanted), before shouting in the direction of the open gate. "OTHO, SHUT THE GATE!" The arena master grumbled, but obeyed. It took him a full minute to close the gate with no arms, and once the arena was sealed, Layla took a few seconds to get ready.

After stretching and cracking various joints (Including neck, knuckles, and shoulders), she reached for a weapon. Deciding her first sword should go first, she reached for the handle, before pulling the oversized blade from her back, lifting it into the air with one hand, dropping it down so that she held it in front of her, and pointing it forwards with both hands on the sword's hilt. The men shrunk away slightly at the size of the blade, amusing her to no end. Set in her combat stance, she turned until the sun was no longer shining in her eyes, moved her legs apart, and eyed the legionary directly in front of her, causing him to sweat nervously. After a few seconds, she gave the order.

"Begin!" The men moved impressively swiftly, considering their obvious nervousness. They charged her as one from every direction, machetes at the ready, and Layla took a deep breath, before striking.

The first one to reach her was a man to her left, and she easily dodged his sloppy slash by leaning back, and smashing the hilt of her massive blade into the side of his head. He crumpled like a paper bag, but she soon found herself under attack again, forcing her to move. Sensing movement behind her, she rushed forwards, right into the path of two legionaries, one attacking from her front and one attacking from her right. She moved to the left while bringing her sword up in front of her to block any attacks the men attempted, before planting her foot firmly in the sand as they followed her and driving her blade forwards. The first man attempted to block it, but the force of her attack staggered him and she saw her chance. She lunged at him, holstering her greatsword as she did so, before drawing her katana from her hip as she reached him. Though she could have easily delivered a killing strike, she instead used a nonlethal attack, slashing the man's ankle as she moved past him. He fell to the floor, shrieking in pain, and she brought her katana up to parry the attack of the second man before using her free hand to punch him in the throat.

While he recoiled, coughing and spluttering as he struggled to recover from her attack, another man came at her from the side. She kicked the spluttering man into the attacker's path, causing him to hesitate. Seeing her chance, she kicked the man with the injured throat's legs out from under him, before punching the attacker square in the face with the hilt of her sword. He dropped like a rock, and she stomped on Throat Guy's head to make sure he wouldn't get back up again, but before she had a chance to breathe, a man rushed her from the right, and she heard footsteps suggesting a second was coming at her from the rear.

The guy at her side brought his machete crashing down, but she moved her katana into its path to block, before risking a glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, she saw a second guy leaping towards her, blade at the ready. Reacting quickly, she moved away from the man in front of her, and the force he'd been focusing into pushing his machete against her katana pushed him forwards…right into the leaping guy's attack. Leaping guy cancelled his attack, lest he cut his comrade, but couldn't cancel his leap, and so landed on his comrade. They ended up in a heap on the floor, and Layla casually kicked both their heads to make sure they didn't get back up again.

_Okay, six down. _She thought as she stepped away from the unconscious men. _That leaves…err…hang on, how many did I start with again? _Before she could finish this thought, she heard footsteps behind her. Quickly looking back, she saw a legionary aiming a slash at her unprotected rear. A pragmatic move, but not one that would save him. Deciding to try something she'd never tried before, Layla actually moved **into **his strike, while making sure his blade met the greatsword she had holstered on her back. It was a risky move, but it paid off, as she blocked his attack using the sword she hadn't even drawn. While the man was stunned by this, she turned to face him, and delivered a spinning kick in the same movement that knocked him off his feet. While he landed painfully in the sand, two more legionaries charged Layla from the front, and she casually slid her katana into its sheathe before walking towards them.

One of the men rushed ahead of his comrade and slashed wildly at her, but she drew her greatsword with one hand and brought it down on his sword. The weight of such a thing coming down on him wrecked the man's arms, and caused him to drop his weapon. Eyes wide, he tried to move out of range, but considering the size of her weapon, that wasn't going to happen. She put both hands on her weapon, ran towards him, and slammed the flat of the blade into his face. He was swept off his feet, and she kept running, before swinging her oversized sword at her other assailant.

To her surprise, he swayed under the attack, before delivering an attack of his own. She blocked with her blade, before taking a hand from its hilt, and placing that hand on the hilt of her katana. The man kept striking, but she used her greatsword as a makeshift shield, before smoothly drawing her katana. She moved the flat of her blade forwards to knock the man back, and while he struggled for balance she stabbed directly forwards with her katana. Remembering that she wasn't supposed to kill these men, she avoided stabbing him in the gut or chest as she would usually do, and instead stabbed through his shoulder. He made a loud, pained noise, and dropped his machete as the arm wielding it was rendered useless. Layla pulled her blade free, pulling the man closer as she did so, and shot her head forwards. The headbutt knocked the man off his feet, and he lay in an unconscious heap before her.

_Huh…I guess I __**can**__ dual wield these swords after all. _She thought with a wide grin (In her mind of course), before looking around to see who was next. To her surprise, she found every last legionary lying injured or unconscious, and realised she was done. _Oh yeah…I started with nine didn't I? _She mentally smirked, before holstering both her blades. _Weird…I could've sworn it was an even number. _Almost immediately, she heard a fierce battle cry, and spun around to see a legionary leaping towards her. _Ten! There were ten! Thank you! _She easily sidestepped his slash, and hopped back to dodge his next, before moving into range, grabbing the wrist that held his weapon in a crushingly strong grip, and kneeing him in the gut. His eyes widened, but he refused to yield, and tried to headbutt her. She moved her head to the side to dodge, before increasing the force of her grip, causing her to break his wrist. He actually dropped his weapon this time, and screamed in pain, but still struggled in her grasp. Rapidly growing sick of this confrontation, she stomped on his toe, breaking it, released his wrist, used that hand to punch him in the face, and used her other hand to deliver an uppercut that struck him right under his chin, knocking him off his feet. He landed in front of her, well and truly down for the count, and she took a moment to stretch, before turning to cast her gaze over the arena.

She looked around at the defeated men surrounding her, and smiled inwardly, before walking towards the gate as Otho opened it.

"Get these men some medical attention." She said as she walked past him, leaving the arena. As soon as she was out of sight of the legion goons, she let a happy grin take over her face.

Layla was proud of herself. She'd knocked ten men unconscious without killing any of them, a feat she hadn't thought she'd be capable of. She'd been expecting to accidentally kill at least one of them, but no; not a single death. Her grin widened. Back in the day she'd never have been able to control her rage enough to win a fight **without **killing anyone, especially when using a blade. She'd become a lot calmer and more relaxed lately, and as a result her self-control had increased. _Seems like it was only yesterday that I was some kind of mad, bloodthirsty berserker. _She thought, nostalgia flowing through her like a minor chem high as she flashed back to her early days, and allowed an amused smile to form on her face as she remembered how amateurish and inexperienced she'd been. _I was adorable. _

Shaking those thoughts away, she decided to focus on the present. She was hungry. Training always made her ravenous, and the fact that she hadn't eaten yet today only increased her desire for sustenance Deciding that she should probably put away her weapons before going in search of food, she headed back to the tent that she and Veronica shared, which caused her to start thinking about Veronica, more specifically, the state she had been in last night.

_What the hell happened last night? _Layla thought, not for the first time, as she walked up the hill to her tent. Veronica had been unwilling to divulge details, and Layla had spent a good portion of the night lying awake pondering what could have occurred…and where the scribe had gotten the group photo from. Though she wasn't 100% sure, she seemed to recall that the last time she'd seen that photo, it had been in Campbell's possession, which only made her more curious as to what had happened last night. Had the scribe and the merc clashed? Had he done something to mentally damage her even more? She still thought of him as a friend, and was fully intent on bringing him back to the fold, but if he'd hurt Veronica again, either physically or emotionally, then she was going to make him pay.

She was unfocused as she pushed aside the tent flap and walked into her temporary dwelling, so she nearly walked into the legionary standing near the entrance.

"What are you doing here?" She asked grumpily, until a delicious smell hit her nostrils, and she turned in its direction to see Veronica sitting on her bedroll, eating a delectable looking steak. Like Layla, she'd slept in, but while she'd been asleep when the witch had left for training, she was clearly wide awake now.

"Forgive me miss." The legionary said respectfully, bowing slightly as he did so. "Your…" He looked at Veronica with a thoughtful expression, as though he was trying to decide what to call her. "…assistant…requested some food, and while it is not normally customary for soldiers to deliver food, I did not wish to incur your wrath so…"

"He brought me a steak." Veronica finished cheerfully from her position on the floor. "A damn good one too." Layla couldn't help but feel a little envious as she watched her friend feast. "You can go now." The legionary bowed again before heading for the exit. As he walked past Layla however, she spoke.

"Wait." Her words stopped him in his tracks. "Bring me some food too." Were it anyone else giving him this request (Save maybe Lanius), she had a feeling he would have objected. Seeing as it was coming from her however, he didn't hesitate for a second.

"Of course miss. What should I ask the chef to prepare for you?"

"I don't care, so long as it has meat in it." He bowed for a third time, before turning and leaving the tent. With the legionary gone, Layla turned back to Veronica, before walking over and sitting on her own bedroll, across from the scribe's. "When did you get up?" She asked as she plopped down on the bedding.

"A little while ago." Veronica said as she paused to wipe steak juice from her chin. "I was hungry, so I ordered in."

"I'm surprised he listened to you." The witch took off both her greatsword and her sheathed katana, before depositing them on the floor next to her bedroll.

"Well, like you, I managed to get a scary reputation. It tends to work wonders when getting these idiots to obey you."

"I find the arena helps with that." Layla said with a wry grin as she sat back. "They started fearing me after I…disarmed…Otho." She couldn't help but snicker at her own horrible pun. Neither of the girls bothered to mention that it had sounded like something Campbell would say. "And I imagine they started fearing you after…well…" She paused for a moment, as she remembered Veronica's arena battle had been fairly traumatic for her. As she paused to pick her words carefully, the former scribe finished her thought for her.

"After my misadventure in the arena?" It was mildly surprising to see her mention it so freely, but she didn't seem affected by it, so Layla decided not to comment.

"Yeah." Her grin shifted into a happy smile as she attempted to change the subject. "And speaking of the arena, I just came from there."

"What, did Otho annoy you again?"

"Nah; I was doing some training for the battle at the dam. I decided to try and use both my swords in tandem." Veronica quizzically tilted her head.

"What, you mean dual wield them, greatsword in one hand and katana in the other?" She asked dubiously. "You're strong, far stronger than a fairly skinny 21 year old girl should be, but even for you…that's a bit much."

"Yeah, I know; I can wield them both at once, but there's no way I'd be able to swing them at a decent speed so it wouldn't exactly be practical. Instead, I tried to fight using both, but not at the same time." Veronica tilted her head again.

"So…what, you constantly switched between them?" Layla nodded, a wide grin forming on her face.

"Yep."

"And…how did that go?"

"Awesomely." The redhead replied in a proud tone, as her grin turned toothy. "I used my greatsword as a shield at one point while stabbing a legionary with my katana." Veronica made an impressed noise as she took a bite out of her steak. After chewing the meat enough to give her mouth some space, she then spoke.

"Impressive, but why'd you stab a legionary? I know they're very stabbable and all but did he annoy you or…" Layla shook her head.

"No, nothing like that; I just gathered some legionaries to be my sparring partners. Ten in fact."

"Sucks to be them." The hooded girl said as she dug into her steak again. "But isn't Lanius going to be annoyed that you're killing soldiers?" She followed the statement up with a question, somehow perfectly understandable even though her mouth was filled with steak meat.

"That's the best part: I didn't kill them." Veronica looked genuinely shocked as she swallowed the steak, leaving her mouth free to twist into an O shape.

"Come again?"

"I beat all ten of them…non-lethally." Veronica whistled.

"Wow."

"I know!" Layla said excitedly. "I actually managed to win a fight without killing anyone!"

"I have to admit, I'm impressed." The former scribe said, a genuine smile on her face for the first time since Layla had sat down. "That's a lot more self-control than you usually show."

"I know!" The witch repeated, now beaming. "I really think I'm getting better at it." Veronica looked like she was about to reply, only to be interrupted as the legionary from before came in again, now carrying a steak much like the one she was eating. He deposited it at Layla's side, before bowing to the two girls and leaving the tent. The red haired one dug into her meal, and the conversation died down for a while as the two of them ate. After several minutes, both their plates were empty, and Veronica lay back while rubbing her full stomach, while Layla burped as she finished devouring her last morsel, before picking at her teeth to remove some meat that had been lodged in there. "Why didn't anyone tell me the Legion could cook like that?" She asked as she removed the crafty piece of meat, before dropping it back into her mouth and chewing it to oblivion.

"They have been hiding some rather surprising talents." Veronica replied as she patted her belly. "Though I guess it makes sense; they wouldn't have survived this long if they couldn't make food."

"Well yeah, but I never expected their food to be gourmet quality." Layla said as she moved to lie on her back. "I thought they'd just eat shitty rations or something."

"Well you know what they say: an army marches on its stomach." Layla shrugged, before yawning and looking up at the tent's ceiling. Now that she'd eaten, she was getting quite drowsy, and since she was already on her bedroll, her body was convinced it was time to sleep. She denied it however; there was one thing she wanted to discuss with Veronica before she'd feel comfortable enough to sleep. Knowing this wasn't going to be a fun conversation, she sighed, before taking a deep breath, releasing it, and speaking.

"Veronica…what happened last night?" The hooded girl had been moving her plate as the question had been asked, but on hearing it she dropped said plate in surprise.

"I…" Layla sat up slightly so that she could see her friend's face. She paused for a few moments, as though attempting to come up with a lie, before sighing much as Layla had done, and lying back on her bedroll so that she was looking up at the ceiling (Again, much as Layla had done.) "I don't want to talk about it."

"I guessed as much." Layla said as she sat up properly. "But…I'm worried about you." Veronica pulled her hood down slightly to conceal her face; a guilty gesture. "When I got back, you looked…well…you looked horrible. You had black bags under your eyes like you hadn't slept, your eyes were red like you'd been crying, you were more distant than you've ever been with me, and you just looked so…broken. It reminded me of how you were after the events in the Remnant's Bunker. I…I couldn't do anything for you after that. You were traumatised…and….and depressed and…I was utterly useless. All I could do was watch you get worse and worse, and it killed me. If there's something wrong now, please…please tell me. Let me help you…I don't want to feel useless while you suffer…not again." The former scribe pulled her hood up again, so that her eyes were visible, and sighed for a second time before rising up from the floor and sitting cross-legged on her bedroll in front of Layla.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, with what the red haired one realised was shame. "I don't want you to worry about me, and I don't want you feeling useless, because you're not; you're my best friend, and you should be my sole confidant, the person I talk to about all the things that are eating me up inside, but instead I've been leaving you completely in the dark ever since we got back from the bunker. It's not healthy for me to bottle this up, and keeping it to myself is only worrying you." She brought her hand to her forehead, as though nursing a headache. "I talked to you last night but…well…I had another little misadventure, and after what I experienced during that…I was just drained, both physically and emotionally. I barely had the will to keep standing, my head was a mess, my emotions were going haywire, and I had a migraine that felt like it was going to split my skull in two. I…I was in no mood to talk, and even if I had been, in my state I doubt I would've been very coherent." She looked downward, and Layla scooted forward, off her bedroll and across the room, before sitting on the floor in front of her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"You seem coherent now." She said in a slow, gentle tone. "Do you want to talk about it?" The former scribe looked into her grey eyes for a few seconds, before shaking her head.

"No, I really don't." She said quietly. "All I really want to do is forget it." She sighed for the third time in a few minutes. "But…I can't. I'll never be able to forget what happened last night, and if I don't talk about it, I think it'll drive me even further over the deep end." She chuckled bitterly. "As if I could get any further." Layla's grip tightened, and a concerned look appeared on her face. The scribe put her own hand over her friend's slightly larger one, and smiled wanly. "Okay, here's what happened. It all started a few minutes after you left, when I got a mysterious package…"

***A few minutes later***

"So I got back to the fort, and like I said, I was an utter mess. You showed up, recognised my distressed state, asked if I was okay and…well…you know the rest." Silence fell over the tent as Veronica paused to get her breath back, and Layla took a few minutes to process what her friend had told her. Considering the journey she'd been on last night, it was no wonder she'd been in no state to talk.

"Wow." She said eventually, after not speaking for several minutes. She had a mildly dumbstruck look on her face, understandable considering the tale she'd just heard. "So…you spent the whole of last night chasing Campbell across the Mojave, but every time you thought you'd found him, you instead found a gift from him, as well as a clue to your next destination?" Veronica nodded.

"Yeah, and they were really good gifts; useful gifts that can help us in the battle at the dam. Our own laser satellite, an army of securitrons, and a suit of power armour."

"And you said that was Arcade's dad's power armour?"

"That's what the last recording said." She looked at the corner of the room, where the armour currently sat, inside the box it had come in. "I tracked him to the bunker, but he wasn't there; all I found were our group photo, the Gannon family tesla armour, and a last recording."

"And that last recording…affected you?" Veronica turned back to Layla, and nodded.

"It didn't just 'affect' me…it shattered my whole worldview. Listening to that recording, I realised that Campbell is hurting just as much from Arcade's death as I am; I'd forced myself to believe he was some irredeemable monster who'd killed one of my best friends, but as I listened to his words, I started to…empathise with him." She closed her eyes, and put her hands to her head. "What you said to me outside Arcade's shack…you were absolutely right. I wanted closure, I wanted to move on, and I thought getting revenge was the best way to accomplish that, so I selected Campbell as a target for my revenge. I think deep down, I still cared about him and thought of him as my friend, but my mind did its damndest to supress those thoughts, and I forced myself to hate him. I painted this image of him in my head; an image of an unrepentant murderer, a monster who killed one of my closest friends in cold blood. But…he's not like that at all. He's still Campbell, the idiot who helped us through thick and thin…my friend." She opened her eyes, and Layla saw that they were filled with tears.

"Veronica…" The former scribe angrily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before continuing.

"I just…I don't know what to do. I mean, I still care about him, but he killed Arcade. He needs to pay for that, but…I don't want to hurt him; not like I did before."

"You know how sorry he is, and by giving us all those gifts, he's proven he wants to make it right. Killing Arcade was a horrible thing to do, but he did it because he was trying to save us. Considering the circumstances, can't you find it in you to…forgive him?" The hooded girl violently shook her head.

"No!" She growled, fury evident on her face…before rapidly fading as she cooled down. "I want to, I really do, but Arcade's dead because of him. I can't just let him get away with that; he needs to be punished. He needs to pay."

"But it's Campbell."

"I know!" She snapped, before an embarrassed look formed on her face, and she turned away. "I know." She said again, quieter this time. "I just…I feel so conflicted, and it's killing me. My head has been hurting non-stop ever since I heard his recording. All the way back to the fort, most of the night last night, and all day today, I've had the king of all migraines, because I just can't decide what to fucking do here. He needs to suffer for what he's done, but I can't hurt him. He's my friend, but he also killed another friend. It's a paradox and…and…" She made a loud, frustrated noise before punching the bedding next to her. "…I just can't decide what to do." She said weakly, before looking Layla right in the eyes. It was clear her conflicted feelings were tearing her up inside; she looked frazzled, shaken, and…tired…more tired than Layla had ever seen her. She'd definitely slept last night (Layla had heard her snoring), but she looked like she hadn't slept in weeks. As her brown eyes looked into the redhead's grey ones, she surprised her friend by pulling her hood down. Willingly exposing her hair was so out of character for her, especially since a discussion like this; Layla immediately took notice, and focused entirely as her friend spoke.

"Layla…we've been together so long and…I've started to take after you. I honestly don't know if it's on purpose or by accident, but I've started to follow your example, and think and act like you do. I've learnt the joys of hurting people you hate, seeking revenge, and protecting those you care about. Your life philosophy…you protect your friends, and violently hurt anyone who would harm them; it's a simple philosophy, and one I agree with, but…what do you do when someone you care about is hurt…by someone you care about?" Layla's eyes widened slightly. "You see my problem? Campbell, a friend, killed Arcade, another friend. What do I do?! Please, Layla…tell me what to do." She looked like she was on the verge of bursting into tears, so Layla instinctively reached forwards, before wrapping her into a hug. Veronica didn't resist; she relaxed her body as Layla held her, almost going limp in her arms. "What do I do?" She asked again, quieter this time, and Layla gently stroked her short hair in an attempt to calm her down. After holding her for a few minutes, she released the hug, put a hand on each of Veronica's shoulders, and looked deep into her eyes.

"Look, Veronica…I understand where you're coming from." She said softly. "I've always tried to protect those dear to me, and kill anyone who harmed them, or even thought about harming them, but…if someone you care about is harmed by someone you care about…well…I can see why you're conflicted." She leaned in, moving slightly closer to the former scribe. "Yes, Campbell killed Arcade, and yes, that's something you have every right to hate him for, but…it's affected him just as much as you, and he's clearly sorry for what he's done. I…I think we should forgive him." Veronica's eyes widened slightly. "I don't want to hurt Campbell, and I know you don't. If he's sorry for what he did, then…I say we give him a second chance." The smaller girl gazed into her eyes for a few seconds, before looking away.

"I don't know…" She said quietly. Layla stayed quiet for a few more seconds, before sighing and removing her hands from her friend's shoulders. _I think it's time. _She thought, before surprising Veronica by getting to her feet and walking over to her duffel bag, which rested next to her bedroll. "What are you doing?" The former scribe asked, but Layla didn't reply. She reached deep into her bag, before pulling out a small item, walking back over to Veronica, and opening her hand. "A holotape?" Veronica asked, puzzled as she looked at the item in Layla's hand. "I don't understand." The red one responded by crouching down, forcing the item into her hand, and standing back up again.

"Before the incident at the bunker, Campbell recorded this tape." She explained. "On it, he recorded final messages for me, Arcade, and you, for us to listen to if he died." Veronica's eyes grew till they were the size of saucers. "I listened to the messages, and I wanted to show you the one he left for you but…you weren't in a very good place. I planned to show it to you when you snapped out of the state you were in, and I think now is the perfect time."

"But…"

"Please, just listen to it." Before Veronica could object, Layla turned away, and walked towards the tent flap. "You need to be alone for this. Come find me once you've listened to it." With that, Layla left the tent. Though not quite understanding why her friend wanted her to listen to this, she decided to do as she'd asked. She inserted the holotape into her Pip Boy, before playing. After forwarding through the part that explained what was on the tape, she found the message Campbell had recorded for her.

"Hey kiddo." The recording began.

***Campbell***

General Oliver was in a bad mood, as was the norm these days. That mood only worsened when he walked into his office, accompanied by a pair of NCR soldiers serving as bodyguards, and found Campbell sitting in his chair.

"Afternoon." The merc greeted him in a friendly tone, while putting his feet up on Oliver's desk and casually rolling his coin between his fingers.

"Get the fuck out of my chair." The general snarled, prompting a brief chuckle from Campbell that increased his ire ever further.

"No need to be so hostile." The merc said as he let the coin settle in his hand. "I just want to talk."

"I don't. Guards, take him back to his cell." The man with the coin rolled his eyes as Oliver's goons stepped forward.

"It's important." He said seriously, while the soldiers slowly approached.

"I don't care. I have work to do, so go away."

"This is about work." Fed up of this, Oliver decided to bite his minions' heads off.

"I told you idiots to get him out of here!" The rage in the boss' voice told the men to get their act together, and instead of slowly approaching, they charged forwards. Campbell sighed, then put his free hand into his pocket, and pulled out Daisy Whitman's shock gun. Before the goons had any time to react, they found themselves being blasted by several volts of electricity. They screamed for a few seconds, before slumping to the floor. He smirked at this, before returning the gun to his pocket, and leaning back in Oliver's chair.

"Want to talk now?" He asked conversationally as he idly tossed his coin from hand to hand, eyes focused on Oliver as he did so.

"…Did you just kill two of my men?" The general asked in a surprised, but clearly angry tone. "…in my office?"

"No." Campbell replied simply. "It's a stun gun. They're fine. Aren't you guys?" One of the goons on the floor moaned weakly, and Oliver sighed as he walked closer to the desk, purposely walking on his minions in the process.

"How did you even get here?" He asked as he reached the desk. "You should be in your cell."

"I should." Campbell admitted with a nod. "But this was important, so I figured I'd ignore that little rule and pay you a visit."

"You don't get to ignore my rules." Oliver snarled. "And how the hell did you get past Boone? The man's as dedicated as they come. His attention wouldn't have wavered for a second."

"That's true." Campbell nodded again, before wrapping his left hand around his coin, and using his right hand to pull something out of his trenchcoat. Oliver scowled as the merc drew a stealth boy, and put it down on the table in front of him. "But you see, for some reason, he can't see me when I'm using one of these." He put his feet down, and leant forward in the chair before idly tapping the stealth boy with his right hand. "It's the damndest thing." It was clear that Oliver was losing his patience, but it was also clear that Campbell wouldn't be leaving here of his own volition any time soon. The only sure-fire way to get him out would be to get Moore or Boone, but Moore was busy and it would take too long to get Boone here, so the general decided to ignore his gut feeling and listen to what the lunatic had to say.

"Alright fine, I'll listen." He grumbled as he sat down on the chair in front of his desk, burning with envy as he saw the man with the coin clearly enjoying his own chair. "Say what you came here to say, but make it quick. I'm a very busy man."

"Oh I'm well aware, and the last thing I want is to take up too much of your time." Campbell said in a tone that made it difficult to tell whether or not he was being sarcastic, as he idly spun his coin on the desk. "I'll get to the point: I have a plan to kill Layla, and deal a significant blow to the Legion at the same time."

"Oh really?" The general asked sceptically as he sat back in the chair.

"You doubt me?" Campbell asked in a mildly irritated tone. The general's condescending tone was clearly annoying him.

"Your prior relationship with the witch means that I can't trust you to go after her. And even if I could, I can hardly trust a lunatic to plan my operations now can I?" An annoyed look appeared in Campbell's eyes, which caused the general to smirk.

"You know, I'm really getting sick of being underestimated by know nothing pricks like yourself." Oliver's smirk vanished at that, and a look of pure rage took over.

"Excuse me?!" He yelled. Ignoring his outburst, Campbell calmly stopped spinning his coin, and put it back in his pocket. "YOU **DO NOT **TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

"I'll talk to you however I want, because I'm right." The merc said in a cold, forceful tone, and actually succeeded in doing the impossible: he got Oliver to calm down and shut up. "You're my boss, I get that, but let's face facts: you're no strategist. **I **am a strategist, and I'd like to be treated with respect."

"I'll treat you with respect when you deserve it." Oliver snapped.

"Did destroying the Brotherhood bunker make me deserve it?" On hearing these words, the general went quiet. He was unable to think of a rebuttal, and that only got worse as Campbell piled on the evidence. "Did taking control of every securitron in New Vegas make me deserve it? Did succeeding in catching Layla, something none of your men, including Boone, managed to do, make me deserve it?"

"I get the point."

"No, I don't think you do." The merc slammed his hand down on a table as he spoke, never raising his voice but still speaking in a tone that was downright intimidating. "I may be insane…but I'm not an idiot." That was rapidly becoming his catchphrase. "You've got all those examples of my planning abilities, and there's also what I did to Camp McCarran." Oliver's eyes widened. "Yup; the event that destroyed it? I planned every last bit of it, and as I'm sure you're well aware, it worked like a charm. Face it, I'm smart, and whether you like it or not, I'm the best strategist you've got, so instead of being a condescending ass, why don't you shut up, start taking me seriously, and look at my plan?" A long, awkward silence filled the room, and for a while Campbell thought Oliver was going to draw a gun and shoot him. Instead, the general sighed, before surprising him by saying eight simple words.

"Alright, fine; tell me this plan of yours." After taking approximately a minute to process this, and deal with the shock of Oliver actually defying his pig-headedness for once, Campbell smiled, before reaching into his trenchcoat and pulling out a large piece of paper, folded up like a scroll. He unfolded it, causing it to cover the table, before weighing the corners down with some of the paperweights on the general's desk. Once that was done, he looked at Oliver and grinned.

"Okay, here's what I've got."

***Layla***

The Colorado River was quite peaceful that night. The sun had set while the girls had been in their tent, removing its light from the Mojave and replacing it with the pale glow of the moon. Layla sighed as she stood on the cliff that bordered the fort, looking down into the waters below. Ever since she'd come here to decide what to do about Caesar, this had become her favourite spot to think and clear her head. It was the quietest spot in the fort, devoid of the Legion idiots with their noise, misogyny and testosterone; a peaceful place where she could actually hear her own thoughts. Her current thoughts were ones of worry.

_Veronica…_She tore her gaze away from the waters to look up at the sky. The moon had been full last night, but it also been hidden behind dark clouds; tonight it was less full, but the clouds had fled, allowing her not only to see the orb above, but also the stars that littered the black sky. It really was a beautiful night, but she was far too distracted to notice it. _I hope she's okay. _Seeking to take her mind off the Veronica situation, she kicked a nearby stone, and watched it roll off the cliff before dropping to the waters far below. It hit the surface with a plop, before vanishing from sight. Watching it cheered Layla up slightly, but it didn't last long. _Maybe I shouldn't have shown her the recording yet. _She thought, panicking slightly as she began to second guess herself. _She's so fragile at the moment; maybe I should have waited. Maybe…_

"Layla?" A familiar voice cut through her thoughts, and she turned to see Veronica approaching, hood up again to protect her from the cold night air, and to hide the hair that she was still self-conscious about. Her cheeks were damp, but she had a small smile on her face.

"Hi." The red one said carefully, not sure what kind of state Veronica was in at the moment.

"Hey." She replied, sounding quite calm. _Not on the verge of tears…that's good._

"You listened to the message?" The girl nodded. "And? What did you think?" It took her a few seconds to reply.

"It was…nice." She said quietly. "He…he said he thinks of me as a sister. I never knew…"

"He cares about you Veronica. He cares about all of us. We're family; no matter what we've done, we'll always be family, and we'll always stick together." She looked down at the ground, surprisingly still smiling.

"Yeah." She said quietly. "I wasn't sure before, but after listening to that…you're right. He's a friend…he's family…and despite his mistakes, I could never hurt him." She looked up, and the sadness in her smile increased slightly. "And besides, if I lost someone else I care about…I don't think I could take it. I…" Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, but Layla moved in and wiped them away, before putting an arm around her.

"It's okay." She whispered, before leading her to the cliff. They looked into the lake, as it reflected the light of the moon in a beautiful display. "You won't lose anyone else Veronica, I promise. I'll always be here for you, no matter what." Slowly, the hooded girl stopped crying, and her wan smile became a happy smile.

"And Campbell?"

"We'll get him back." Layla said resolutely, prompting Veronica to look at her.

"Really?"

"Yes." She sounded utterly sure of herself. "I don't know how, but we'll find a way to free him from his commitment to the NCR, we'll get him to come back to us, and we'll be a family again."

"You realise how difficult that will be, right?"

"I've never shied away from a challenge before, and I won't start now." Layla looked down at Veronica, utter determination in her eyes. "I swear to you, I'll make it happen." They silently stared at each other for a while, before Veronica chuckled, surprising Layla.

"If it was anyone else, I'd tell them they were insane." She said, sounding almost amused, a far cry from the state she'd been in before. "But…you're an expert at achieving the impossible. For one thing, you keep managing to keep me from falling apart." She gave the happiest smile Layla had seen from her in a while, filled with both love and admiration, and it warmed the red one's heart. "If anyone can do it…you can." Layla smiled back, and they gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds longer, before turning and looking at the lake. After a few minutes, Layla had Veronica look up, and the scribe gazed in wonder at the beautiful night sky. Seeing her face light up like that, Layla felt better than she had in a while. Keeping an arm around her friend, she followed her gaze upwards, and both girls watched the stars.

_**-**_**O-**

Vulpes Inculta couldn't help but sneer as he watched the witch and her pet gaze at the stars. They were off in their own little world; it was quite a pathetic sight, in his opinion. The witch was distracted so easily; he had no idea how someone with an attention span as horrible as hers was even still alive. In his life, the fox had learnt a very simple truth: no man is ever safe, and if he allows himself to believe otherwise, he will be proven wrong. Even here, in the main base of the Legion, he refused to drop his guard, but she dropped it the moment she got off the ferry. Usually she was at least partially focused, but at the moment, she was miles away. _Imbecile. _He thought as he watched her.

It would be all too easy to quietly dispose of her and her companion and toss them over the cliff, but he didn't feel safe killing them here. The camp was full of witnesses, and most of those witnesses respected her, or at the very least feared her. If they learnt he was responsible for her death, he doubted he'd be able to escape the cross, especially if Lanius heard about it. Even if he waited for her to leave the fort before ending her, there was still a chance it could be traced back to him. The best thing to do would be to just let Campbell deal with her; his own hands would be left unstained, and nobody would be able to trace her murder back to him. He smiled a dark smile as he ceased his observations, turning and walking away.

He soon arrived back at his own tent, but as he passed through the dwelling's flap, he heard a familiar noise. In the corner of the tent, the radio he used in the field sat, and it was beeping. Curious, he walked over to it, before pressing a button and bringing it to his ear.

"Who are you, and how did you get this frequency?" He asked in a threatening tone.

"Evening boss." Campbell replied, in his typical cocky tone. The fox let out air through his nose; a gesture of mild annoyance. He really had no desire to speak to this idiot right now. "Sorry to call so late, but I have some news that I figured you'd be interested in."

"I highly doubt that." He replied stoically.

"Oh, so the fact that I've decided to kill Layla doesn't interest you in the slightest?" The fox's eyebrows rose slightly, but besides that he showed no reaction.

"Of course not." He lied. "It was obvious you'd do as you're told, because it's your only option." He imagined Campbell bristling on the other end of the line, and an animalistic grin formed on his face.

"Well, if you predicted that, then you obviously predicted that I'd come up with a plan to kill Layla, Oliver would greenlight it, and I'd be assigned my own task force to carry out the plan." Intrigued, the fox brought a hand to his chin.

"Is that right?"

"It is, but considering you're so much smarter than me, you probably already know the plan, so I won't bother to explain it to you. Just get my caps ready; I'll be collecting my payment before the end of the night." With that, the line went dead. Curious as he was, the fox didn't bother dwelling on Campbell's words; he was much too busy for that. He settled in his tent, and began looking at the various reports sent in by his frumentarii, completely unaware that his hired gun was already putting his plan into action.

_**-**_**O-**

Roughly two hours after Vulpes had received Campbell's call, a hooded man strolled into Cottonwood Cove. He was surrounded in seconds, but he didn't seem too concerned, even when Legion soldiers forced him to his knees, and machetes were pointed at him from every direction, almost a dozen in total.

"You have walked to your death profligate." A Legion explorer spat as he stood before the now kneeling man. "This land belongs to Caesar, and for trespassing, you shall pay the price." To his obvious annoyance, the man chuckled. "Is something amusing?"

"Caesar's dead." The man replied calmly. "You invoke the name of a corpse."

"Hold your tongue dog!"

"You know, I remember hearing the news that he'd died. I'd been having a bad day up till then, but learning that that arrogant blowhard was dead really brightened my mood." The explorer kicked him onto his back, but he just laughed. "That's the problem with you Legion boys: if you hear something you don't like, you immediately get violent. You use your fists and your feet so often that your brains have decayed and withered away from misuse. Oh well…no great loss I'm sure." The explorer walked forwards, and stepped on the man's throat before pointing a machete down at him.

"You walk into a Legion camp, and begin disparaging Caesar and those who serve him. Did you come here to die profligate?" The rage on his face was plain as day as the hooded man laughed again.

"If you're trying to scare me, you're wasting your time. I'm not afraid of death; in fact, I'd welcome it." Though most of his face was hidden by the night's darkness, the man's mouth was just barely visible, and it was obvious he was sneering. "Tell me Legion boy, can you say the same?"

"Death does not matter to us; we live only to serve the will of Caesar."

"But he's dead." The man jibed. "And his Legion will follow. He was the only thing keeping your pitiful organization together, and without him, before long it will all fall apart."

"You know nothing."

"Oh, I know plenty. Unlike you, I actually use my brain."

"And did your brain tell you to come here to die?" The man chuckled again, earning the ire of not only the explorer, but every other Legion grunt present.

"Actually, no." Shadows moved on the edge of the camp, but everyone was too busy focusing on the hooded man to notice. "My brain told me to come here and distract you, while my friends with the sniper rifles get into position." The explorer was about to respond, but he froze as he saw a red dot appear over his heart. Before anyone could react, a gunshot echoed across the camp, and suddenly there was a large hole where his heart had been. While the explorer dropped to the floor, the hooded man got to his feet. The other Legion grunts rushed him, machetes at the ready, but red dots soon found them, and before long more gunshots echoed. As the man dusted himself off, legionaries dropped left and right all around him, all shot dead before they could reach him. One actually managed to get into striking range, but the man casually sidestepped to dodge his attack, and drew something from his belt. He pressed a switch, and the device roared to life while the man slashed. The ripper made short work of the legionary's throat, and the man had shut it off before his aggressor's corpse had hit the ground. He casually cracked his neck, before returning his ripper to his belt, and pulling his hood down.

"All clear!" Campbell said, prompting his backup to move in. A group of rangers surrounded him, before following him as he strolled to the large building next to the lake. "Spread out and mop up any survivors, then get back to the vertibirds and await my orders." The men replied in the affirmative before spreading out. As the merc reached the building, a heavily armoured man wearing a helmet that sported ridiculous plumage stepped out of a door on an upper balcony, and started shouting as he realised that there were rangers all over his camp. _Centurion. He must be the one who runs this place. _Campbell thought automatically, while reaching into his trenchcoat.

"What in Caesar's name is going on here?!" The man roared. "PROFLIGATE SCUM, I WILL…" He was interrupted mid rant as Campbell drew his 12.7mm and shot him in the face. The man dropped, and after getting onto the balcony via the stairs, he removed the man's helmet, before shooting him two more times in the face to be sure. He walked to the edge of the balcony, before leaning over the railing and watching his men finish cleaning up the camp. _Guess we'll be having a reunion soon Layla. _He thought glumly, before turning and walking over to the centurion's corpse. He picked up the helmet, and looked it over for a few seconds as he tried to decide whether or not to keep it. He eventually decided not to, and callously tossed it over his shoulder. After walking back down the stairs, he walked onto the Cove's dock, and looked over at Fortification Hill in the distance. _I hope you've had a good day today. _His expression hardened. _I wouldn't want your last day on Earth to be a bad one. _With that, he turned away from the waters, before leaving the camp. It was time to begin the operation.

***Layla – An hour later***

"You know, I just realised something." Veronica said. Curious, Layla looked down at her friend. Having left the cliff side over an hour ago, the girls had returned to their tent. Layla sat on her bedroll, relaxing with a bottle of whiskey in hand, while Veronica lay with her legs spread out, and her head on Layla's lap. She hadn't put her head there since their last day in The Tops, and she had to admit, she'd missed it. The Red Blade Witch had a very comfy lap.

"What?" The red one asked curiously.

"With all the drama of my adventure last night, I never asked you how **your **adventure last night went."

"Oh." Layla said, before nodding in understanding. A wry grin formed on her face as she replied. "Well unfortunately, I never made it back. Killed in action. Very tragic." The former scribe playfully slapped her leg.

"Yeah well…for a dead woman, you have a really soft lap."

"I get that a lot. Mostly from you." Both girls flashed each other amused smiles.

"Seriously though. How'd the mission to Camp Golf go?" The witch shrugged.

"Eh." Veronica tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Eh?"

"Not much to write home about really. It was fairly simple. Not one of the overly elaborate, epic slaughter fests my assignments usually turn into. I snuck into Camp Golf, planted my bomb, and snuck out again. Simple."

"Really?" The hooded girl asked dubiously, sending a doubtful look to the girl whose lap she was using as a pillow.

"Well…" Layla slowly admitted. "…I…**did**…run into a major NCR player and have a long conversation with him that made me question my motives…then I got knocked out after planting my bomb and woke up to found someone had removed it…**then **ran into another major NCR player on my way out."

"Oh yeah, totally routine." Veronica said with a small smirk. "Tell me more…starting with how **you **had a conversation with someone in the NCR." After a brief pause, Layla sighed, before responding.

"His name was Hanlon." She began. "Called himself **Chief **Hanlon for some reason, and claimed to be the head of the NCR rangers. I accidentally stumbled onto his balcony while hiding from some patrols, and instead of raising the alarm or trying to kill me, he engaged me in conversation, then let me go." The former scribe's eyebrows rose slightly.

"What, just like that?" Layla nodded.

"Just like that."

"But…why?"

"I have no idea."

"What did you two even talk about?" She took a moment to think, as she attempted to recall the conversation from the previous night.

"Me mostly." She eventually said. "He seemed quite curious about me. Asked about my motivations; why I do what I do, and whether or not it's worth it. I'm pretty sure he was trying to plant seeds of doubt; make me abandon my vendetta. He almost succeeded too."

"Wait, wait." Veronica interrupted. "He almost convinced you…**you**…to abandon your quest and leave the NCR alone?" Layla nodded. "Wow. I've heard of someone having a silver tongue, but this guy…he must have a silver tongue etched with magical runes and enchanted by the gods themselves."

"Well he was a lot more convincing than Crocker, that was certain. And unlike Crocker, he got to live."

"Wait." Veronica interrupted again. "Not only did he nearly pacify you, but he also managed to escape bloody death at your hands?"

"Yep."

"But…why? He got into your head and nearly made you abandon your whole purpose for being. You've killed NCR gits for less than that."

"Okay first of all…my quest isn't my whole purpose for being. You're a pretty good reason for me to exist too." Veronica blushed slightly. "And secondly…he wasn't like the usual NCR scum I encounter. He wasn't arrogant, he wasn't an idiot, and he wasn't a coward. He stood up to me…an old man, who's got to be at least in his sixties…stood up to me, with no fear in his eyes whatsoever."

"None?"

"Not a drop." The hooded one whistled.

"That takes guts." Layla nodded in agreement.

"He was a pretty pleasant guy too. Polite, courteous, not condescending at all even though he was clearly smarter than me."

"So basically, the opposite of every high ranking NCR prick you've ever met."

"Basically."

"So that's why you let him live? Because he wasn't a dick? You've killed plenty of NCR guys who weren't dicks."

"A) I don't think that's true. B) I let him go because he seemed like a man worthy of respect."

"You thinking an NCR official is worthy of respect?" She shook her head, rubbing it against Layla's lap slightly. "Now I've heard everything."

"You haven't heard about how I was stealthily knocked out by an unseen, likely NCR assailant…then left completely untouched." A puzzled look appeared on Veronica's face.

"Come again?"

"After dropping off the bomb, I was blindsided, and knocked unconscious. When I woke up, my radio was smashed and my bomb was gone. I think the attacker was NCR, since I was in an NCR base at the time, but…who in the NCR would knock me out, steal my bomb and destroy my radio…but not kill me, tie me up, or inform their superiors? Why just leave me there? I mean…I'm at the top of the NCR's shit list, and I'm pretty sure their goons are told to shoot me on sight…so why did my attacker just leave me there?" Veronica cupped her chin with one of her hands.

"It's a puzzle, to be sure."

"I know right?"

"Seems to me like whoever your assailant was, they wanted to prevent you from bombing the place, but also wanted you unharmed."

"But…who in the NCR would want me unharmed?" Veronica looked up at her, an utterly serious expression on her face.

"My guess: someone who has plans for you." Layla shivered slightly.

"But…who in the NCR would…" She stopped midsentence, as a thought flashed through her mind, a thought that made far too much sense for her to ignore. "Hanlon."

"What about him?" Veronica asked, expression once again neutral.

"He's the only NCR manipulator I've seen who's actually any good at his job, and he's the only NCR lackey I've met who hasn't tried to kill me, not counting Crocker." The hooded girl nodded slightly, hand back on her chin as her expression turned thoughtful.

"That makes sense. After all, you weren't attacked until after you met him, so it's possible he could've followed you to find out what you were up to, then knocked you out when he saw you had a bomb."

"That raises another question though: what does he want with me?" Both girls went quiet as they pondered this question.

"Whatever his goal is, it's probably not good for you." Layla nodded.

"Makes sense. Decent as he was, he's still NCR after all, and you can't trust any of them, especially if they're a major player in the organisation."

"Right." Veronica said, before looking up at the tent's ceiling. As she gazed upwards, mind drifting, she remembered something Layla had said earlier. "Speaking of major NCR players though…you said you ran into two last night."

"Yeah…"

"If Hanlon was the first, then who was the second?"

"Colonel Cassandra Moore." The name rang a bell, but Veronica wasn't quite sure why.

"Where've I heard that name before?" She asked, a look of deep concentration on her face as she searched her memories.

"Boone." The word surprised her, knocked her from her thoughts and prompting her to look up, into Layla's pale grey eyes.

"Huh?"

"Boone said it. Back in the bunker, when he was trying to get Campbell to rejoin the NCR, he threatened to send us off to Moore if Campbell didn't comply. Considering he thought just shooting us then and there was a kinder alternative to having us in Moore's clutches…you can probably guess what kind of woman she is."

"The NCR's resident psycho?" Layla laughed.

"That's exactly what I called her." Veronica grinned. "But…basically yeah. Psycho through and through. She's basically their version of me…if I was a smug bitch who hides behind her men because she's too weak to fight her enemies one on one."

"Hiding behind goons when dealing with you doesn't usually work out well." Veronica said, remembering Layla's encounters with Crocker, Marjorie, and even President Kimball; all events that felt like they had occurred years ago.

"Yeah, but this time I didn't have my sword, and she had me surrounded. It was a bad situation, but fortunately, I got lucky. While she and her men were distracted by Vulpes' gas bomb going off outside, I made a run for it. Threw my knife at Moore as I was making my getaway, but she used one of her men as a shield. I managed to get away, but I had to leave my knife behind." A downcast look formed on her face, a look that was chased off as Veronica reached a hand up and poked her cheek.

"Hey, don't be sad." She said supportively. "I know you love your knife, but you'll get it back."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, if you threw it at Moore, then I'd bet my big toe she took it, either as a souvenir or to show her boss. I'd bet my other big toe she still has it, and considering she's an NCR bigwig, she'll probably be at the dam during the big battle, right?"

"Which means when we attack the dam, I'll be able to get it back." Layla said, eyes wide with understanding as she realised what Veronica was getting at.

"Exactly." The hooded girl said with a grin. "So cheer up." The red one looked down into her friend's eyes, and breathed a happy sigh.

"What would I do without you?" She asked warmly.

"I imagine your body count would be higher." Veronica replied. "But you'd probably be sexually frustrated as hell, and you wouldn't have a highly skilled martial arts master to train you in hand to hand combat." The two girls smirked at each other.

"Well I guess I'm pretty lucky then."

"I'd say so." The two looked into each other's eyes for a while…until Veronica ruined the moment by yawning. "Sorry." She said sheepishly. "I just…" She yawned again, clearly struggling to keep her eyes open. "Sleepy…" She said in a groggy tone. Before Layla could reply, the smaller girl closed her eyes, and drifted off into a land of slumber. Looking down at her sleeping companion, the witch smiled, before bringing her whiskey bottle to her lips.

***Campbell* **

The flight across the Colorado River was a quiet one. A sense of unease hung over the men sat inside the vertibird, and Campbell knew it was probably because of him. These men were used to following NCR orders, given to them by idiots in NCR uniforms; it was unlikely they'd ever been led into battle by a mercenary. _It's unlikely they've ever been led by someone with an actual fucking plan. _He thought bitterly as he looked out of the side windows, admiring the way the river reflected the moon's light. _Shame; this could be quite a tourist spot, if it wasn't for the skirt wearing, machete wielding zealots that call it home. _If he survived this mission, he'd be sure to drown a few of those zealots in the river.

He rolled his eyes as he realised some of the men were staring at him. He'd thought that, by flying over with the rangers, he'd get to sit with some professionals who wouldn't bother him. Evidently, that assumption had been incorrect. Some of the men in the compartment with him were nearly half his age; they'd probably only had their ranger stripes for a few weeks, if that. _I'm flying with a bunch of pups. _It couldn't be helped of course; considering how many rangers Layla had murdered, he knew he was lucky to have any along at all. Newbie rangers were better than no rangers at all; even if they wouldn't stop looking at him for three damn seconds.

"Do I have something on my face?" He asked eventually, turning to the men (More like boys really) that were staring at him. Clearly embarrassed, most of the men turned away, but one not only continued looking, but actually met his gaze.

"Sorry…Mr Campbell…sir." He said nervously, though still refusing to look away.

"Please, Mr Campbell was my father. Call me Campbell." The merc said in a friendly tone, clearly knocking the men off guard. The ranger's expression didn't change, and Campbell realised this one probably didn't have much of a sense of humour. "That was a joke. There is no 'Mr Campbell'; I chose the name for myself, so my dad, were he actually alive, would not be called 'Mr Campbell'. I also should not be called 'Mr Campbell' because 'Campbell' isn't my surname, it's a moniker. Both my first name, and my second. Campbell. Just…Campbell." The men stared blankly, and he sighed. "ANYWAY…" He quickly got this painfully awkward conversation back on track. "…What's your name?"

"Lawrence…sir." The boy replied, sounding a tad more confident now.

"First name or second?"

"…Second…sir." He answered, nervousness clearly returning.

"What's the first?"

"…Cale."

"You forgot to say 'sir'." The boy looked mortified. "That was a joke. I don't care if you call me sir or not." He seemed to relax a little more as he heard those words.

"Thank you." Campbell nodded. "…Sir." He nodded again.

"So…Cale Lawrence?"

"Yes sir."

"That's not a bad name. The surname I don't really care for, but Cale is a fine name. Very cool sounding. Means 'bold' in some cultures…I think. Read that in a book somewhere." The boy's eyes widened.

"You can read?" The other men stared in wonderment.

"Oh yeah…I keep forgetting most people can't do that." He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

"Where did you learn…sir?"

"Taught myself." The others made surprised noises. "When you have to survive on your own, you learn some things. I learnt how to make a tasty meal out of a radroach, how to kill a man with a bottle cap, and how to read, among many, many other lessons." Cale and his friends looked very impressed. "Changing the subject…" He said with no subtlety whatsoever. "…why were you and your friends staring at me earlier?" The others looked away, clearly embarrassed again, and Cale finally broke eye contact, looking down at the floor as he replied.

"Sorry sir, it's just…well…" He looked up again. "We've all heard stories about you." Campbell cocked his head to the side.

"Oh?"

"There are folks telling tales of you all over the Mojave sir. From New Vegas all the way to the Mojave Outpost in the southwest, everybody's talking about things you've done."

"Huh…and here I thought the witch was the talk of the town."

"You were around long before her sir." Campbell smirked.

"And yet she nearly has a higher body count than me. Doesn't really seem fair does it?"

"Is it true you assaulted the Gomorrah, fought through its security, and killed its leaders…all by yourself?" Another young ranger asked. Campbell's smirk faded. Cale motioned at him to be quiet, but the merc still saw fit to reply.

"Yeah, that one's true." The rangers began to chat amongst each other, and though they attempted to be quiet, the man in the trenchcoat could vaguely hear words of praise like 'holy shit' and 'badass'.

"My dad was working the bar in there that night." The ranger who'd asked the question said. "Whenever I asked him why you did it, he'd always say you were cleaning out the sin and corruption. He said you're a hero."

"He's wrong." The merc said tersely, shocking everyone.

"But…"

"What your dad probably didn't realise, is that I worked for the Omertas for a good while before turning on them that night. I was happy to ignore all their sin and corruption…until they killed a friend of mine. **That **is why I attacked the place and killed their bosses. Revenge, not justice." The men went quiet.

"What's the difference though?" Cale asked, earning everyone's attention. Campbell laughed bitterly.

"Justice is killing bad people; revenge is killing people who've wronged you, whether they be good or bad. That can intersect occasionally, but believe me, justice was the last thing I was thinking about that night. I went in there looking to hurt two people who had hurt me, and I was all set to kill anyone and everyone that got in my way. That isn't justice." He noticed the downcast looks in his makeshift fan club's eyes, and felt guilt slithering down his spine. "Look; I know I'm a very impressive man, and I've done some very impressive things, but believe me when I say that I'm no role model. I'm not a good person, and I'm not a hero; I'm just a guy who's done a lot of shit in his life. Some of that shit was good, some of it…" A memory flashed through his mind; he saw himself shooting Arcade, and suddenly he felt quite nauseous. "…not so good." _Understatement of the fucking year. _"It's not that I don't enjoy the attention, it's just…" He sighed deeply. "…I don't really think I deserve it." He looked away from Cale and his friends, before drawing his coin and rolling it between his fingers. He stopped his ministrations as a sound met his ears. Someone was clapping. Slowly.

"That was a pretty little speech." The merc's eyes, and the eyes of everyone in the compartment, turned to the voice, and saw a ranger stood leaning against the door. Campbell's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw that not only was this another young ranger, but he was sneering. _Oh this'll be fun. _"Real emotional; very moving. You'll forgive me if I struggle to feel…empathetic to your situation though." He ceased leaning on the door behind him and stood up straight, before strolling forwards, all eyes on him as he moved. "'I've got a bunch of rookies with low IQs and stars in their eyes licking my boots and worshipping the ground those boots walk on, oh woe is me. I think I'll go cry myself to sleep while surrounded by a bunch of dipshits who want to have my babies.' My heart fucking bleeds for you." The rest of the rangers looked offended, but Campbell managed to keep his expression neutral. The only sign that he was annoyed was that he returned his coin to his pocket before responding.

"I'm detecting a little hostility here." He said calmly, causing the youth to sarcastically applaud again.

"Wow, your ability to perceive the world around you is incredibly impressive. I'm so glad a man with your abilities is leading us into battle." He said in a biting tone, while continuing to step closer to Campbell.

"Greg, shut up and sit down." Cale said, but the abrasive youth wasn't having any of it.

"Shut your damn hole Cale." He snapped, before turning back to Campbell as he stopped to stand in front of him. "Listen here jackass; I don't like you." Campbell's mouth shifted into a comically shocked O shape.

"HOLY SHIT REALLY?!" He exclaimed, before shifting his expression into one that made it obvious that he considered Greg an idiot. "It seems you and I are equally adept at stating the obvious."

"Do you know **why **I don't like you?" The ranger asked, clearly ignoring the merc's words.

"No, but I get the feeling you're going to tell me. You seem like the kind of guy who just **loves **to tell everyone what's on his mind. I bet that's made you a load of friends." Greg's eyes turned to slits, but he still refused to respond to Campbell's jibes.

"I don't like you, because you shouldn't be here." To his obvious ire, the man with the coin chuckled.

"Well, call me crazy, but I kind of figured, since I came up with the plan that we're all following today, and I'm fairly decent with a gun, I should be here to make sure everyone knows the plan, and ensure everything goes smoothly." He tilted his head to the left, while looking right into Greg's eyes. "I apologise if that comes across as obnoxious. I figured I was being professional, but I guess you can't please everyone."

"Oh yeah, because you show staggering levels of professionalism."

"Last time I checked kiddo, talking shit to your commanding officer isn't exactly 'professional'." The other rangers seemed amused by Campbell's retort, but once again, Greg refused to acknowledge it.

"And that brings us to the crux of the matter." The merc clapped his hands excitedly.

"Oh boy, the crux; I've been looking forward to this part."

"You **are not **our commanding officer." He chuckled again, clearly infuriating the ranger more and more.

"Alright, since you're clearly badass and edgy, and way too cool to conform to society and learn the rules, you probably don't know this, but usually the guy in charge of a military unit is considered a commanding officer. Now, last time I checked, you guys, and everyone else involved in this operation, make up a military unit, and I'm the guy telling you all what to do. Does that, or does that not, sound like a commanding officer to you?"

"Oh, so you're an officer in the NCR military are you?" Greg asked facetiously. "Why didn't you fucking say so? And why don't you wear your stripes on that ratty trenchcoat of yours?" The very second his trenchcoat was insulted, Campbell shot to his feet, and the size advantage he had over Greg, plus his intimidating stance, caused the ranger to back off.

"I think I see what the problem is here." He said in a cool tone as he took a step closer, prompting Greg to back off slightly. "You don't like taking orders from a mercenary, is that it?"

"Yeah." The abrasive youth replied, with confidence that was clearly forced. He was struggling to maintain eye contact with the merc now, and a bead of sweat was running down his cheek. A dark smile formed on Campbell's face..

"You think 'Oh he's just some dumbass hired gun, why should he be giving me orders?', and to tell you the truth, I get it. It must be frustrating to be ordered around by somebody who's clearly vastly inferior to yourself." Greg continued backing away as Campbell approached, only stopping as his back touched the door. "I'll tell you what else is frustrating though." He said in an icy tone as he closed the gap, and stood a short distance away from the ranger who'd had such a smart mouth a few minutes ago, but was now obviously struggling to keep his nerves under control. "Being talked down to by some know-nothing punk kid who thinks he's better than you just because his parents bought him a spot in the rangers, while you've had to work all your life, and all you have to show for it is a 'ratty' trenchcoat. That really grinds my gears, let me tell you."

"You…you think you can talk down to me?" Greg growled. "You immediately assume my way was paid for me? You know nothing about me."

"What a coincidence." The merc leaned closer, until his face was inches away from Greg's. "You know nothing about me either."

"I know you're some chicken shit inbred braggart who likely has about as much skill and combat experience as my left ball sack and is so pathetically stupid that his mummy and daddy probably had to wipe his ass until he reached his twenties." The other rangers in the compartment gasped in shock, and all eyes turned to Campbell, waiting to see how he'd react. Everyone expected him to throw a punch, or at the very least yell at the ranger who'd insulted him, but instead, he moved his head away from Greg, and just looked at him. His smile vanished, but other than that his expression didn't change even slightly. He appeared as calm as could be…but if one looked close, they could see that one of his hands was clenched tightly into a fist.

"…I'm sorry Greg, my hearing's a little poor. I've had so many grenades going off near me and bullets whizzing past my ear, the damned thing just stops working occasionally." He put a finger into his ear, as though to clean it out. "I missed most of what you just said, which is a shame because I'm sure it was incredibly witty and would've cut me deep if I'd heard it, but...near the end there…did you say something about my parents?"

"Yeah, I mentioned the two hicks that spawned you. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." With that, Campbell's fist shot out. To the surprise of everyone around him however, he didn't punch Greg; he punched the control panel next to him. Specifically, he punched the button that would open the door. Almost immediately, a loud grinding noise could be heard, and the door behind Greg rose up, while the boarding ramp also descended. The tension in the room became thick enough to drown a man. "I THINK I UNDERSTAND!" He said, having to shout to be heard over the vertibird's engines. "BETTER MEN THAN YOU DIE TO THE RED BLADE WITCH EVERY DAY, AND YOU THINK THAT, WITH A MERCENARY LEADING YOU INSTEAD OF AN EXPERIENCED NCR OFFICER, YOU'LL LIKELY BE THE NEXT TO DIE! THAT'S AN UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERN, AND IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE MY SERVICE, I WON'T DO ANYTHING TO STOP YOU!" Before Greg could respond, Campbell drew his 12.7mm pistol. "GREG…I ACCEPT YOUR RESIGNATION." With that, he shot the ranger in the face. Everyone else in the compartment stared open mouthed as the merc put a hole where Greg's right eye had been, before kicking him back. The corpse toppled over, and rolled down the boarding ramp before passing over the edge, and tumbling down to the water below.

Without another word, the merc put his pistol away, then punched the button again and walked back to his seat. The boarding ramp and door returned to their original positions, and Campbell sat down again, before getting out his coin and fiddling with it once more. Nobody else said anything for the remainder of the flight.

***Layla***

_Oh my god she's adorable. _Layla thought as she watched Veronica sleep. The former scribe looked utterly at peace, and had such a cute smile that the girl whose lap she was using as a pillow couldn't help but feel all warm and fuzzy. Unable to resist the urge, she moved her hand down, pulled back Veronica's hood, and gently stroked her head. The sleeping girl made something akin to a purring noise, before moving so that she was pressed further into her 'pillow', and smiling wider. _I really am lucky. _Layla thought, smiling herself as she moved a lock of hair out of Veronica's eyes.

As she reached for her whiskey bottle, the peace and tranquillity of the moment was shattered as a loud, irritating noise hit her ears. _What the hell is that? _She had a feeling she'd heard the sound before, but she couldn't place it. _No rest for the wicked. _She thought, before grumpily complaining under breath as she gently moved Veronica's head off her, and got to her feet. Whiskey in one hand, she drew That Gun with her other hand (Even when she was just relaxing, she always had the gun in easy reach; usually had her knife in easy reach too, but Moore had it now so…), she moved to the tent flap, and opened it.

Looking around for the noise, she didn't spot anything, and frowned before closing the tent flap again. She stopped midway through doing so however, as she caught sight of something moving overhead, and looked up to see a vertibird hovering above the camp. It could have been anyone's bird, but there was no doubt about it; when you jump off the roof of a skyscraper into a flying vehicle, you'll remember that vehicle for life, and Layla remembered this one.

"Fuck." She said out loud as she recognised Campbell's vertibird. Whether because of the bird's noise or her spoken expletive, Veronica started to stir.

"Layla?" She said, rubbing her eye tiredly as she sat up. "What…" She yawned midway through saying the word, forcing her to try again. "…What's going on?" Before the red one could reply, a door on the back of the vertibird opened up, and its ramp descended. By this time, legionaries had noticed the craft and were starting to react, but they were too late to stop a squad of rangers from running down the ramp, dropping down to ground level and opening fire. As Layla watched, more vertibirds whizzed by, before depositing soldiers all over the area._ Shit, shit, shit. _She thought, before gripping her pistol tightly as the bird turned so that its side door was facing her, and its door opened. "Layla?" Veronica asked again as she stepped closer, but her friend was too busy looking at the vertibird. Campbell leaned out of the open door, sporting the most serious look Layla had ever seen on him, before looking around. He soon spotted her, and a sad look passed through his eyes as he hefted a large gun. It took Layla a few seconds to realise what it was, but when she did, she acted immediately.

"Missile launcher!" She yelled, before pushing Veronica back as the merc fired his oversized gun. The projectile it fired was fast, and as the missile exploded close to Layla, everything went white.

_**CLIFFHANGER! MUHAHAHHAHAHAHA oh wait, no it isn't.**_

_**TO BE CONTINUED.**_

_**INSTANTLY.**_

_**The party resumes in the next chapter, so head over there at your leisure. (Blows annoying party blower.)**_


	64. Tails You Lose

_**Heads I Win...Tails you Lose. GET IT? FUCK I LOVE COIN PUNS. Guess that's something me and Campbell have in common. **_

_**Remember the three part finale of the Remnants arc? Remember how the first chapter in that was dialogue and character interactions while the second was violence and plot? Well, we're doing that again. Strap in motherfuckers, because shit's about to get real.**_

…Tails You Lose

Campbell didn't think Layla was dead. He'd just shot her with a missile launcher and watched as she was knocked flying back into her tent, which had quickly turned into a raging inferno. If it were anyone else, he'd consider them a corpse, but he'd seen Layla survive worse than that. He sometimes doubted she was 100% human; she certainly didn't die like one, that was for damn sure. She'd been shot more times than a target on a firing range, had been stabbed and cut so many times he had no idea how she had any limbs, organs or blood left, had probably broken every bone in her body at least five times, had been burnt and blown up only to walk it off later, and had even been shot in the fucking head, only to rise from her grave, cross a desert, and make her way right into her killer's nest before personally returning the favour. She was good at many things, but dying wasn't one of them. With this in mind, the merc closed the side door, and returned to the seat he'd planted himself in during the journey across the river, before taking out his radio before bringing it to his lips.

"Attention all units." He said in a commanding tone. "The witch has been sighted and injured, but is not believed to be dead. Keep an eye out for her, and shoot on sight. If anyone kills her, call in immediately. Under no circumstances should you hold her at gunpoint, tell her to surrender, or taunt her. And **definitely **don't monologue at her. If you see her, shoot her. Immediately. Don't stop to think, just shoot. If you stop, she'll kill you, end of story. Are we clear?" A number of voices gave the typical reply ('Sir yes sir!'), and he leaned back, before, getting out his coin, as he rolled it between his fingers, he spoke again. "And remember the plan. Brutus Unit, remain in character until your cover is blown, and silently take out as many enemy combatants as you can; try to take out the Legion higher ups if at all possible. Everyone else, burn everything and kill every legion bastard you come across. There's no-one in this place deserving of mercy, so don't give any."

He considered telling them to save any slaves they found, but decided against it. This wasn't a rescue mission; they had enough to worry about without having to deal with slaves too. Guilt threatened to worm its way up, but he forced it back down again. _No guilt. _He thought. _You won't be doing anything you can be proud of tonight; you knew that going in. _He looked at his coin. _Focus on the objective. Everything else is secondary. _After keeping his gaze on the coin for a few more seconds, he sighed, before getting up and giving a command to the pilot.

"Patrol the area and keep an eye out for the witch." The pilot replied in the affirmative, and the merc cracked his neck before going over to the crate in the corner of the room.

***Layla***

_OWWWWWW. _Layla was in a world of pain. The world was spinning as though God had struck the Earth with a mighty kick, sending it whirling through the endless vacuum of space, and a wave of nausea was almost drowning her. Ignoring both, she forced her eyes open (A task that, in her current state, seemed like a Herculean undertaking), and looked around. Her eyes soon found a familiar pair of brown orbs, attached to the very worried looking face of her best friend. As the blurry girl realised that Layla was alive, she made a relieved noise, and hugged the partially conscious girl tight.

"Oh thank god you're alright!" Veronica said as she held her best friend close. "I dragged you from the fire, but you weren't moving and I thought…" Something small and wet fell onto Layla's cheek, and her groggy mind, showing surprising insight, realised that the hooded girl was crying. Her vision started to calm down, and she saw Veronica free her from the hug, before angrily wiping her eyes. "Looking utterly focused, she turned away from Layla, before calling a nearby legionary over. "Keep an eye on her." She ordered. "Anything happens to her, and I'll nail you to a fucking cross myself." With that threatening, frightening order, she ran off, leaving Layla with the legionary. Now mostly awake, the witch made an attempt to sit up, while the man tasked with watching over her turned away from her, shirking his assigned duty almost immediately. As she got into a sitting position, Layla saw that the masked legion grunt was wearing a white armband. Before she could wonder what its purpose was however, something far more worrying caught her attention, as he got out a device that was unmistakably a standard issue NCR radio, and spoke into it.

"Brutus 12, reporting in." He said into the radio, and a few seconds later a familiar voice spoke back.

"Go ahead Brutus 12." Campbell replied.

"I was ordered to guard an unconscious woman, and I think she's the Red Blade Witch. What do I do?"

"Are you sure it's her?"

"I…"

"Does she have red hair?"

"Yes."

"How red?"

"Very."

"Does she have a sword?"

"No, but her assistant dragged two swords out of their burning tent after dragging her out."

"What swords are they?"

"Err…a katana…and…a greatsword…I think."

"It's her. Kill her now." Moderately surprised to hear a man that once been her friend order her death without hesitation, Layla regardless stayed focused, and looked around for something she could use.

"But…"

"Didn't you hear what I said earlier? If you find the witch, shoot her on sight. If you hesitate for a second, she'll kill you. Draw your pistol and shoot her now." The merc said forcefully, clearly intimidating the young man.

"Sir…are you sure?"

"OF COURSE I'M FUCKING SURE!" He snapped, scaring the life out of the 'legionary'. "She's not at the top of the NCR's wanted list for nothing! You **have **to shoot her as soon as you see her! If you don't, she'll stab you in the face! You've already wasted too much time! Kill her before she wakes up! NOW!" While the man nervously drew a 9mm pistol, Layla moved, carefully removing his Legion machete from its holster. The man gulped loudly, before turning to the witch…just in time for her to stand up and stab him in the face. The dead man dropped, blade still stabbed through his skull, and after a few seconds, Campbell's voice spoke from the radio again. "…I didn't hear a gunshot." He said as Layla bent down to pick up the radio. "…You're dead aren't you?"

"He is." She said into the radio. There was a long pause, then Campbell's voice, barely audible, passed through the device again.

"Layla." From that one word, she could tell so much. She heard sadness in his voice, mixed with shame, but…some coldness too, as though he was trying to bury his feelings and force himself to be aloof. She wasn't buying it.

"Campbell…we need to talk." She waited a full ten seconds, and heard no reply. After waiting ten seconds more, she tried again. "Hello?" Nothing. _Dammit. _Since Campbell clearly wasn't feeling too talkative, she moved the radio away from her face and put it into one of the pockets on her armour, before looking around.

She found the tent she and Veronica shared, blackened and burnt to a crisp. Since the 'legionary' had mentioned the former scribe dragging Layla, then her two swords, from a fire, she assumed that the missile had set their tent ablaze. Knowing she wouldn't find anything useful there, she turned her attentions elsewhere, and quickly came across her twin swords. Her greatsword lay on its own, while her katana was in its sheath, both completely unharmed. _That girl is an angel. _She thought as she attached her katana to her hip, before placing the greatsword in its holster on her back. _Now…where the fuck did she run off to? _

***Campbell***

The merc held his radio against his forehead, eyes tightly closed as a pained expression dominated his face. _Layla. _He thought, before pulling himself together. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, he gripped his coin tightly, before speaking curtly into the radio.

"It's me. The witch is alive. Shoot her on sight. Don't fuck this up." With that he threw the radio away, sending it careening across the room until it hit the metal wall, before running a hand over his hairless head. Once he'd composed himself, he barked an order to the pilot.

"Head back to the tent where he found the witch, then sweep the area surrounding it." With that, he stomped over to the crate on the other side of the room, before opening it. The crate was bolted to the floor, meaning that even though the door at the end was open and the boarding ramp was down, the container had no chance of falling out. He removed the lid, before tossing it to the side and searching through the sizeable supply of weapons he kept inside the crate.

This was his own personal weapon cache, usually stored on his vertibird for easy access. Since he'd used his bird for this operation and the crate was bolted to the floor (Done by him a while ago), it had come too. That suited him just fine. After rooting through the guns for a few seconds, he found what he was looking for, and hauled it out. He had to put his back into it; it was a **big **gun. _If a missile won't kill her, maybe this will._

***Veronica***

Veronica's thoughts were in a whirl as she ran through the camp, both fists (Power and ballistic) clenched and a determined expression on her face. Many of the tents were on fire, vertibirds were whirling around all over the place, and she could hear sounds of conflict (Gunshots, explosions, screams of pain) in the distance, but she ignored them all. She didn't care about the battle, she didn't care that the NCR were attacking her, all she cared about was the man leading them. She'd only got a quick look, a second of looking over Layla's shoulder, but she'd seen the man who fired the missile, and even though it was the middle of the night, she'd recognised him immediately. _Campbell. _

_That bastard…what the fuck is he doing?! _She was confused…hurt…and angry. Very, very angry. She didn't think of Campbell as a liar; he was an idiot who talked too much, but most of the crap that came out of his mouth was true. Well…it was when he was talking to her. And yet…he was currently giving her reason to doubt him. He'd poured his heart out to her last night, shown him his guilt, his heartache, and made it clear that he was still a good man…the same good man who she'd reluctantly befriended…and now here he was, attacking her current dwelling, setting everything on fire, and trying to kill Layla. What was he doing? Had everything he'd said last night been an utter lie? Had the whole adventure he'd sent her on just been a sick mind game designed to demoralise her? She didn't know, and quite frankly, she didn't care. The fact of the matter was, he was here now, and he'd shot at Layla. That made it clear that he was a threat. _He can do what he wants to me…but I will __**NOT **__let him hurt her! _She didn't care about his intentions; if it came down to him or Layla, she'd pick Layla every time. She'd already lost family and friends; there was no way in hell she was going to lose the love of her life.

Burning tents illuminated the night, making it easier to see where she was going. She hadn't heard any explosions in a while, and the sounds of combat were fading. Still, she'd completely lost sight of Campbell's vertibird, and she had no idea how she was going to track him. As she tried to think of a solution, she heard a gunshot up ahead, and immediately ceased running to slide behind a tent, one of the few that wasn't on fire. Using her left hand to grip the tent, and clenching her right, she poked her head out from behind the tent, just in time to see a legion soldier…executing a legion soldier. _The fuck?_

Two legionaries stood, one holding a pistol and the other holding a machete, before another pair of legionaries, who were kneeling in the dirt. The knelt pair were beaten and bloody; one of them had a bullet in his knee and the other had just been shot in the face. As the shot soldier's body slumped, the standing soldier with the pistol took aim at the surviving enemy. _What the hell is going on here? _As she examined the standing legionaries, she noticed something: both of them were wearing white armbands. The legionaries being executed weren't wearing white armbands, and as she thought about it, Veronica realised she'd never seen any other legionary wear one. Just as she was wondering as the significance of this, she heard a gunshot, and returned her gaze to the scene just as the second kneeling soldier slumped to the ground, a sizeable hole in his skull.

"Two more gone." The executioner said. Though she didn't know precisely what it was, there was something about the way the man with the gun spoke that made it painfully obvious to Veronica that he wasn't a legionary. He'd probably never held a machete or wore a skirt in his life.

"Got to hand it to that Campbell guy; this plan of his is working pretty good." The other goon said as he knelt down next to the bodies and began looting them. Electricity shot through Veronica's body as she heard the merc's name, and her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Well."

"What?"

"It's working 'well'. 'It's working good' is grammatically incorrect."

"Fucking bite me." While the goons were distracted by idle conversation, Veronica moved in. "Alright fine: 'Got to hand it to that Campbell guy; this plan of his is working pretty **well**. Happy?"

"Ecstatic."

"Oh come on. You have to admit things are going smoothly."

"Yeah, apart from the fact that we're wearing skirts."

"We're alive, and we've killed six guys. I'd say we're doing pretty well." He made sure to emphasise the word 'well' for his grammar Nazi friend.

"I'm wearing a goddamn skirt."

"What's the matter, self-conscious? You have very nice legs."

"Fuck you." The man with the gun pulled down his face scarf before yawning. That was the last sound he ever made, as a fraction of a second later, a fist collided with the back of his neck, followed by a gunshot that made short work of him. The guy on the floor immediately turned to the sound, only to be laid flat as Veronica's heavy boot collided with his face. Head spinning, he lay there next to the executed men, while the former scribe picked up the executioner's pistol, and pointed it at his head.

"What the fuck is going on here?" She asked coldly.

"Bite me." The man replied, as he put his hands to his head to stop the spinning, before tilting his head up to face her, a defiant look in his eyes. "I'm not telling you a goddamn…" His words turned to a scream as she shot him in his left leg.

"What the fuck is going on here?" She asked in exactly the same tone.

"Go fuck yours…" She shot him in the other leg, and he screamed again.

"What…the fuck…is going on here?" She asked again, slower this time, and putting more emphasis on each word.

"We're razing this place to the ground and killing all your Legion fuck buddies. **That **is what's going on here."

"And the skirt?" He managed a wry smirk.

"It makes me feel pretty." The smirk shifted into a sneer. "Plus, it helps keep the legs cool."

"Your legs need some ventilation? Why didn't you say so?" She shot him in the left leg again; lower this time, near his calf. "Is that any better?"

"FUCK YOU!" She copied his expression from earlier, a sneer, as she pointed the gun at his other leg.

"I'll ask again: why the skirt?" He looked like he was about to give her a witty retort…up until she pointed the gun away from his leg, and towards his crotch. "Answer carefully." He did.

"Our commanding officer gave a bunch of us some Legion outfits and told us to dress like them. Called us 'Brutus Unit', and told us to infiltrate the camp. Gave us white armbands so that we'd be able to tell each other apart from the regular legion pricks, and told us to lay low until the attack started. As soon as we saw vertibirds, we were to go around killing legion soldiers; cause as many casualties as possible before being detected. When/if our cover is blown, we have to return to the main force, and help them clear the camp."

"Your commanding officer…is his name Campbell?" The man nodded.

"How did you…"

"Where is he?"

"I don't know." She shot him in the crotch. His lungs were pushed to breaking point as he shrieked his heart out.

"WHERE…IS…HE?"

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!" Tears were rolling down his cheeks now, and she had a feeling he wasn't lying. "I swear, I don't know. Please…please just let me go. I…I don't want to…" His last words were cut off as she shot him in the face. A quick check of the gun's magazine revealed it to be empty, so she threw it at his partially destroyed head, before continuing down the path.

***Layla***

"Get out of my fucking way!" The Red Blade Witch roared as she brought her greatsword crashing down on a 'legionary' wearing a white armband. With some luck, he managed to block the strike with his machete, only for Layla to draw her katana with her free hand and gut him. His eyes went wide, but his killer wasn't looking at them; she was looking over his shoulder, at the two disguised NCR goons approaching. Without a word, she pulled her katana out of the rapidly dying man, before charging.

After sheathing her oversized sword with one hand as she ran, she leapt at the nearest armband wearer, before slicing right through his skull with her katana in mid-air. As the two pieces of his head fell, she landed in a roll, before slicing at the leg of the second soldier. He dropped with a shrill cry, and she swiftly got up, drew That Gun with her free hand, and shot the downed man without looking, before holstering the gun, wiping the blood off her katana with one hand, sheathing it and running.

_Veronica…where are you? _She thought as she ran past a burning tent…right into a skirmish between Legion and NCR forces. The Legion troops had the numbers, but they also had machetes, while the NCR troops (All rangers from what Layla could see) were wielding all manner of rifles, and seemed to be doing so with some degree of skill. Gunshots filled the night, each one followed by a charging legionary becoming a corpse. As more and more men dropped, Layla decided to intervene. As she ran out into the open however, she noticed that several of the Legion troops, the ones hanging back from the main group, were wearing white armbands. _Shit. _She thought moments before the fakers drew pistols and shot the legionaries in the back.

After a few seconds of deliberation, she decided that the riflemen were the biggest threats, and charged them. Spotting her, one of the men coolly pointed his rifle at her…only to freeze right up as she drew her greatsword. It took the other men a few seconds to realise what had him so frightened, but by the time they saw her, it was too late. She decapitated the terrified ranger with a leaping slash, before driving her sword straight through the chest of the nearest ranger. While the others turned their attentions to her, the legionaries closed in. They pounced on the distracted NCR troops, and quickly tore them to shreds. As Legion machetes tasted blood, Layla took both hands off her sword, leaving it in the ranger's chest, and put her foot under his dropped rifle. With a swift move, she kicked it up into the air, right into her hands, and caught it before firing at the armband wearers on the other side of the battlefield. She hadn't fired a rifle in a while, but some skills never fade. One of the men was thrown back as her shot punched through his chest, and the others tried to run, only to meet similar fates. She shot one in the back, and as she was lining up the sights to shoot at a second, the machete legionaries climbed off their slain prey, turned around, and rushed them. Her rifle soon ran empty, but it didn't matter; all she had to do was stand there, rifle over one shoulder, and watch as the machete wielding horde descended on the scum wearing their uniform and cut them to pieces.

_Ah…killing NCR bastards never gets old. _She thought, allowing herself a moment to relax as she threw the rifle over her shoulder, before putting a foot on the NCR corpse at her feet, and attempting to pull her sword out of it.

"Your timely assistance was much appreciated Miss Layla." She looked up at the voice, and saw a legionary standing nearby. His machete was stained with blood, and he had an uneasy smile. "If you had not arrived when you did…"

"You and your friends would have been slaughtered." She said bluntly as she finally managed to pry her blade loose. She yanked it free from the corpse, knocking her off balance somewhat, and after managing to avoid falling over, she turned back to the man who'd spoken to her. "Do legionaries carry radios?"

"Yes miss." He replied in a respectful tone.

"Send a message over your radios; tell everyone that any legionary wearing a white armband is an NCR soldier in disguise."

"As you say." He bowed. "I will spread the word around." With that, he ceased his bow before walking away. He stopped however, as he heard the witch's voice again.

"Wait." His legs went still, and he turned to face her. "My assistant; the woman in the hooded robes. Have you seen her?"

"No miss."

"Tell any Legion soldiers you see or hear to report on the radio if they find her. Witch's orders."

"Very well." He bowed again, before walking away. Thoughts turned back to Veronica, Layla set off running again. Hearing chatter on the radio as she ran, she brought it to her ear, and the words she heard only made her run faster.

"This is Bird 2: I've sighted a hooded girl assisting Legion forces. What are my orders?" A nasally young male voice asked.

"This is Campbell: she's a high priority target. Engage at once; terminate with extreme prejudice." The mercenary's familiar voice replied.

"Yes sir."

***Veronica***

_Shitshitshitshitshitshit! _Veronica thought as a vertibird started shooting at her. Laser fire rained down from above, scorching the landscape and prompting her to run for her life. The bird made a pass, firing wildly as it went, but she dived to the side to avoid being burnt. Undeterred, the bird flew past, before turning and coming back for another run. _It's times like this I wish I packed something larger than a pistol. _Veronica thought as she got to her feet, drew her 10mm, and fired at the front of the vertibird as it came back. Her bullets bounced uselessly off the bird's armoured hull however, causing her to swear under her breath before running as her aggressor came back.

The airborne craft charged her, laser turrets firing without rest, and she looked around for a way to avoid being disintegrated. She thanked her lucky stars as she spotted a ditch, before leaping into it as red bolts of energy scarred the landscape around her. She landed safely in the ditch, lying prone on her belly, and the vertibird whizzed past, pilot having seemingly lost sight of her. After waiting a few seconds, she got onto her knees, and risked a look out of the ditch. What she saw made her scramble to her feet, hop out of the ditch and start running again. Mere moments after she'd left the ditch behind, a missile flew into it, blowing it to high heaven.

The vertibird was coming after her again, and now it had a heavyset ranger with a missile launcher leaning out of the side door. The laser cannons had stopped (It was likely they'd overheated from all the nonstop firing and needed some time to cool down), but the ranger proved to be just as annoying as they'd been.

Wishing she hadn't left the tents behind, (They were on fire, but they made good cover, and the smoke did a good job of concealing her), Veronica kept running, weaving side to side to dodge missiles as she went. _Need some cover, need some cover. _As the ranger fired another missile, the hooded girl's prayers were answered, as she spotted a familiar construct up ahead. _Isn't that…_She'd never seen one, but she'd read about them in the bunker, and Layla had told her about this one. It was a howitzer; specifically, the howitzer that the Legion had acquired and Layla had repaired with the help of a firing mechanism she'd come across. Thanks to her studies, Veronica knew that a howitzer was a pre-war artillery weapon, capable of firing an explosive shell that could blow just about anything to hell…including a vertibird.

Rapidly forming a plan, she jumped to avoid the ranger's missile, before landing in a roll and ending up in a crouch next to the howitzer. The vertibird flew past the ancient weapon as the ranger reloaded his gun, and Veronica saw her chance. _Sure hope this thing is loaded. _She thought as she drew on her research to figure out how to fire the cannon. The vertibird turned to face her, and began its journey back towards her…right as she figured out how to fire the damn thing. The ranger laughed as he took aim, only to drop his missile launcher in utter shock as the howitzer fired. His screams were drowned out by a deafening explosion as the shell hit its mark, blowing the vertibird to kingdom come. What remained of the craft crash landed in a ditch a fair distance from the howitzer, while Veronica whooped and punched the air as she realised what she'd done.

_That was fucking awesome! _She thought, a massive grin on his face as she watched smoke from the obliterated vertibird float into the air. _If only Layla had seen that; she probably would have kissed me right then and there. _A light blush came to her cheeks as she pictured that, and she smiled wistfully…before slapping herself as she realised she'd gotten distracted. _Focus! _She nodded, before running off to continue her search for Campbell.

***Campbell***

"Clever girl." Campbell said as he leant out of his vertibird side door, and watched what was unmistakeably a howitzer shell make short work of what he assumed was Bird 2. He remembered reading somewhere that the Legion had a pre-war artillery weapon, but he'd never expected it to be operational, and he'd **never **expected Veronica to use it to bring down one of his birds. _That was beautiful. _He thought, grinning despite the situation as he watched the bird crash. He didn't even care that he was down one craft; watching Veronica blow a vertibird up with a centuries old weapon had been more than worth it. He had a feeling if he'd been near her when he'd witnessed that, he likely would have kissed her right then and there…and regretted it for a few seconds before having his head punched off by her. _Layla…fucking marry this girl already; she's a keeper. _

His grin shrunk and shifted into a wan smile as his mind turned to his friends, and he stepped back inside the bird before sighing. Not for the first time, he wondered if there was some other way. Like every other time his mind drifted onto that topic, he realised that there wasn't. This was his only option; as much as he didn't like it, killing them was the only way. He pictured putting the girls away, and felt sick to his stomach.

"Sir, should I have us move in to engage the hooded girl?" The pilot asked. At this distance, it would take them a few seconds to reach her, and he could lean out the door before ending her with a single blast of his oversized gun.

"No." He said sternly as he walked over to his weapon crate.

"Sir?"

"The witch is the bigger target; take her out first." That was an utter crock; Veronica was easily as dangerous as Layla, if not more so. In truth, out of the two girls, he was dreading killing Veronica the most, and planned to put it off for as long as possible. Though he hated himself for it, he had far less reservations with killing Layla. Besides, there was a good chance she'd be able to survive his assassination attack, defeat him in battle, and kill him. While it was possible that Veronica could beat him and kill him, Layla had a history of beating him in combat, so there seemed more of a chance of her succeeding than the former scribe. He imagined Layla running him through with her greatsword, and felt far less sick then he had when imagining killing them. _I think it's possible I have mild self-loathing. _He thought, before shaking his head to dispel such preposterous thoughts. _What utter nonsense. First of all: it's not __**possible **__I have_ _self-loathing, it's certain. And second: nothing about my hatred of myself is mild. _Before he could psychoanalyse himself further, his ears pricked up as he heard radio chatter. Dropping his massive gun (Couldn't lift it with one hand), he took out his radio (He'd retrieved it from the corner he'd thrown it into earlier when answering Bird 2's call), and brought it to his ear.

"Sir, this is Brutus 16. My group and I have engaged the witch. Repeat: Brutus 13, 14, 15, and myself have engaged the witch." He moved the radio to his lips and replied without wasting a second.

"Brutus 16, what is the witch's location?"

"We're near the arena sir. She's…she's hitting us pretty hard. Brutus 13 is dead, and I think we're next"

"Roger that. Keep her busy for as long as possible Brutus 16; backup is on the way." With that, he tucked the radio into a pocket inside his trenchcoat, before addressing the pilot. "She's near the arena. Let's go."

"Yes sir." The vertibird turned and headed for the arena, while Campbell picked up his oversized gun again. _Only got one shot at this; better not fuck it up. __**Can't **__fuck it up. _Gun in hand, he walked to the open door, and leaned out. _Time to burn the witch._

**Layla**

Layla smirked as another disguised soldier died to her blade, before ducking to evade as another soldier fired his pistol at her. He missed completely, and she lunged forwards before putting her katana through his neck. A 'legionary' to her side rushed with his machete, and she moved to meet him, leaving her katana in the dead man's throat, before drawing her greatsword. The surprisingly ballsy soldier slashed with his machete, but she brought her huge blade down as she drew it, hitting the attacking sword and deflecting the strike. While the man was off balance, she turned, swinging her blade as she did so, and took his head clean off.

With the last of the undercover NCR goons dead, she took a moment to catch her breath. Despite how well she was doing, she knew that the situation was pretty fucking bad. _NCR soldiers are everywhere, the camp's in chaos, legionaries are falling left and right, everything's on fire, Veronica's nowhere to be seen and Campbell's leading the enemy charge. _She sighed as she holstered her greatsword, before walking over to the dead pistol user and pulled her katana out of his throat. _I honestly don't see how things could get any worse. _As if on cue, she heard the familiar sound of vertibird rotors above, and looked up to see Campbell's vertibird hovering above her. The merc himself was leaning out of the side door, and he was carrying a Fat Man. _Shit._

He spotted her quickly, and hefted the gun, an unreadable expression on his face. Knowing full well what a Fat Man could do and not wanting to be destroyed in a nuclear blast, Layla scarpered. The merc's expression didn't change as he pulled the trigger, firing a mini nuke at the girl he'd once called his friend.

She ran as fast as she could, and successfully managed to avoid getting blitzed. Unfortunately, while the mini nuke didn't hit her, the huge radius of its explosion was difficult to escape. The nuke detonated in a massive nuclear blast (Smaller than a regular nuclear blast but still) as it hit the ground, successfully throwing Layla through the air with the force of its explosion. She landed face first on the ground a short distance away with the wind knocked out of her but no serious injuries. As Campbell loaded another nuke, she swiftly got to her feet, only to bump into an NCR ranger.

_Oh for fuck's sake. _She thought as the ranger drew his rifle. Not in the mood for this, she lunged at him and slashed his throat with her katana. As blood spurted from the wound however, she looked at his rifle and got an idea. After wiping blood from her katana, she returned it to its scabbard, before picking up the ranger's rifle. She turned and pointed the gun up at Campbell right as he finished reloading his Fat Man, and opened fire. She didn't want to actually hurt him (He was still her friend after all); she was planning to lay down supressing fire until he retreated inside his vertibird. She misjudged the shot however, and instead of flying past him threateningly, the shot him in the chest. He stumbled back a step, and for a moment she was worried she'd hurt him…until he removed one hand from his Fat Man, unfastened all the buttons on the front of his trenchcoat, and opened it dramatically, revealing that he was wearing a veteran ranger chestpiece underneath. _Oh…good, he's okay. _She thought, mildly relieved…until he pointed the Fat Man at her again and fired. _Oh…shit, he's okay. _She started running, but didn't make it far before the nuke hit the ground. A mushroom cloud burst into existence, and she was once again knocked flying.

The heat of the nuclear fire was so intense that it didn't quite seem real. The heat sent daggers of pain through her, even though it failed to penetrate her armour. She landed in a heap, back (Metaphorically) on fire, and head overcome by dizziness. As struggled to get up, she realised she was in front of Caesar's tent, on the hill overlooking the arena. _How the hell did I get here? _She thought as she realised she hadn't been paying attention to the scenery at all and had gotten here without even realising it.

Right as she found her feet, the vertibird flew over Caesar's tent and past her, raining down lasers from its main turrets all the while. Though she managed to evade the lasers with a quick roll, she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to dodge again. The vertibird stopped, and turned to face her, hovering over the edge of the cliff just in front of her. Instead of shooting lasers, it rotated so that the door Campbell was leaning out of was facing Layla. She expected him to say something; a taunt, an apology, a joke, a dramatic speech, anything, but no words left his lips. Instead, he just took aim with the Fat Man, and as her back brushed against the front of Caesar's tent, Layla realised she had nowhere to go. Behind her was the tent, but in the time it would take her to turn around and open its flap, he'd be able to nuke her, and on either side of her she had empty spaces with little cover; no matter which way she went, his mini nuke would find her. _Shit. _She thought as she looked into Campbell's piercing blue eyes. _How can I…_Before she could finish her thought, she sensed movement behind her, moments before being roughly pushed aside.

While she struggled to keep her balance and remain standing, a familiar figure ran out of Caesar's tent, and towards the vertibird. Campbell's eyes widened as a towering, greatsword wielding warrior clad head to toe in golden armour rushed him. _Lanius? _Layla thought, moments before the man currently acting as the Legion's leader ran out of ground to run on. She stared open mouthed as Lanius jumped off the edge of the cliff, straight towards Campbell. Though she couldn't hear his voice over the roar of the vertibird, she could see the merc mime the words 'Oh fuck' as Lanius barrelled into him.

What happened next was a little difficult to make out, as it occurred inside the vertibird and Layla was incapable of seeing through metal. All she knew was, a few seconds after Lanius entered the craft, it started to ascend, while also rotating slightly. After a few more seconds, it started to spin out, presumably because Lanius killed the pilot. Without anyone to control it, the bird nosedived towards the arena, before crashing into the bloodstained sands.

_***Campbell***_

_Bloody hell. _Campbell thought irritably as he threw his weapons crate out of the crashed bird, before jumping out after it. _I __**do not **__need this shit. _The vertibird had landed nose first in the ground, and while it hadn't exploded, it was leaking fuel, and likely wouldn't be flying again anytime soon. He landed feet first on his crate (He'd put the lid back on), before hopping off and pushing it away from the craft. He only made it a short distance before he heard a thud behind him, as though someone with very heavy armoured boots had jumped out of a crashed vertibird. He turned to face that someone, and saw the golden armoured giant from earlier, approaching with greatsword drawn. Very much wishing he hadn't dropped his fat man after they'd spun out, the merc took a step back, while the bastard that had crashed his ship took a step closer.

"Puppet of the Bear, my blade shall taste your blood this day." He boomed, voice echoing throughout the entire arena.

"Wow." Campbell replied, with no trace of fear whatsoever. "Oh my god, you're so intimidating. I'm legitimately terrified." He bent down slightly, and gestured to his legs. "Look at my knees: they're shaking. Every non-existent hair on the back of my neck is standing on end."

"An army led by a jester…sickening, but considering it is the NCR, it is hardly surprising." As always, the jester was quick to retort.

"Better than being led by a golden gimp who's clearly compensating for something." He nodded to Lanius' sword as he said this, wry smirk on his face. While he verbally sparred with the intimidating man before him, Campbell mentally flicked through his weapons, trying to decide the best one to use to punch through his foe's armour. The deadliest ones were in the crate, but he doubted he'd be able to open the thing and find the gun he wanted before getting impaled. That left the tools in his jacket, and he doubted any of them were strong enough to pierce Goldie's hide.

"If you know I lead this force, then you must know who I am."

"Yep: Legate Lanius; former general of Caesar, now the leader of his Legion. I have to say, it's hard to be a worse leader than Caesar, but you're doing a brilliant job. Bravo." _Okay, think, think, think. None of my pistols will be enough; I'd have to switch to armour piercing ammo, and he'd kill me in the time it would take to do that. SMG won't do the trick. Shotgun is a bit better, but still not enough. _As he continued to think, he caught sight of a puddle of fuel that was forming close to Lanius, and realised that it had likely leaked from the vertibird. The puddle was still connected to the bird via a trail, giving him an idea.

"Continue to hide behind your words profligate; they will do you no good when you are nailed to a cross."

"If I had a shiny cap for every member of your legion who's threatened to nail me, I'd be a very rich man. I can tell I'm already richer than you though. For example, I can afford trousers."

"Enough of this idle prattle." The legate gripped his sword tighter, before pointing it right at Campbell. "I will cut your worthless tongue from your mouth, leaving you unable to beg for your miserable life as I put you on a cross…and unable to beg for death after the nails have spilled your blood, the crows have taken your eyes, and the desert sun has drained your will."

"If you want to drain my will and make me long for death, just keep talking. Honestly, I expected a barbarian with a big sword to just chop me up, not to waste time posturing. For all your hatred of the NCR, you're about as dull as they are. You'd think a man in shiny gold armour with a stupidly oversized greatsword would be interesting, but lo and behold, you're a fucking bore."

"Then let me put an end to this asinine conversation." With that, he settled into a combat stance. "For the Legion." Campbell yawned, before rapidly drawing a gun from within his trenchcoat and pointing it at the legate. "You profligates and your guns. Your pitiful firearms will not find my flesh."

"Yeah, yeah, bullets are useless against you; I'm well aware." Campbell replied as he took aim. He moved the gun, adjusting it so that it wasn't pointing at Lanius, but the fuel around him. "Too bad this gun doesn't shoot bullets." With that, he fired the flare gun in his hand, shooting a fiery projectile at the very flammable fuel pooled at Lanius' feet. The flare ignited the fuel, and it passed down the trail, before reaching the vertibird the fuel had leaked from. As the fire reached the bird, Campbell gave Lanius the finger, and the vertibird exploded.

Though his armour protected him, Lanius was still thrown forwards by the blast, landing in a heap in the middle of the arena. While his adversary was distracted, the merc whipped out his radio and started barking.

"The Legion's leader is in the arena. Repeat: the Legion's leader is in the arena. Everyone in range head to the arena immediately." Not long after he'd put his radio away, rangers appeared on the walls around him, firearms pointed at Lanius. Two more rangers managed to open the gate, and ran into the arena to stand at Campbell's sides. "You two, grab the crate and follow me." They looked confused, but obeyed regardless, teaming up to lift the heavy crate before following Campbell as he walked to the exit. Recovering strikingly quickly from being blown up (The only sign he'd been in an explosion was the scorch marks on his armour), Lanius got up and ran after the mercenary…only to be stopped in his tracks as the rangers on the walls opened fire. Their rifles weren't high caliber enough to pierce his armour, but the force of their shots still knocked him back. He was forced to his knees, while Campbell and his men left the arena, shutting the gate behind them. When he got up, Lanius found that he was completely surrounded by rangers; all around him, armed men were perched on arena walls, taking aim at him. He made a frustrated noise, while Campbell poked his head up over the gate.

"Sorry to cut and run Lanius, but I have better things to do with my time than entertain you. My men however, do not. Gents, make sure the legate doesn't get bored." With that, he dropped off the wall and scarpered, followed by the men carrying his weapons chest.

***Layla***

Layla watched Campbell leave from her position on the cliff, and wished more than anything that she could pursue. Unfortunately, Lanius needed her help. While the legate wasn't what she'd call a friend (She didn't hate him like Caesar, but she didn't exactly like him either), he was still the Legion's boss, and if she was to have any chance of getting her revenge, the Legion needed a strong leader. _Dammit. _She thought, before taking a few steps back so that she could get a running start and leap into the arena. She was about to set off running, when a commanding voice cut through the night, stopping her in her tracks.

"Layla." She looked towards the voice and saw Lanius, still standing in the middle of the arena, but now looking right at her. Not for the first time, she was struck by just how loud his voice was. Despite the distance between them, he was speaking normally, without raising his voice, and she could hear him perfectly. "I do not require your assistance." That statement knocked her for six. "The man behind this attack is escaping. Pursue him."

"But…"

"These NCR buffoons are no threat to me. Find the jester and kill him." He was completely surrounded, had over a dozen guns pointed at him, and was currently covered with laser dots, but he didn't seem concerned in the slightest. Ignoring the dots as they danced across his golden form, he said something else, his tone harder. "That is an order." If it were anyone else, she would've called them crazy, but Lanius had one hell of a reputation; if even half of the things they said about him were true, then she couldn't see him having any trouble with a bunch of rangers, even if they did have him surrounded. Looking right at him, she nodded, before running down the path so that she was next to the arena, and heading after Campbell.

Though the desire to find Veronica still raged within her, she wasn't too worried; her friend would be more than a match for any NCR goon she encountered. Besides, Layla had a feeling that Campbell was Veronica's target; if she found him, she'd find the scribe. That thought in mind, she headed off as fast as her legs would carry her.

_***Campbell***_

"This is Campbell. I'm in need of immediate pickup. I'm firing a flare; use it to locate me, and bring a bird to my location." With that, the merc removed his radio from his lips, raised his recently reloaded flare gun into the air, and fired.

It felt weird to use a flare gun for its intended purpose, but he didn't care too much; he'd insert the damn thing rectally if it would get him out of here. As the ball of red light flew into the air, he returned the flare gun to his trenchcoat, before addressing his men.

"Keep an eye out." He ordered, before walking over to his crate. The two rangers who had carried said crate this far saluted, before searching the area for hostiles.

Campbell couldn't help but grin as he remembered using the flare gun on Lanius. It had always been one of his favourite weapons, and he always enjoyed perverting its intended purpose to set somebody on fire with it. That was the first time he'd ever blown something up with it though; it had been **exhilarating. **He only wished he'd captured the event on camera. As he looked in his chest for a gun to deal with Layla when she inevitably showed up, he heard something that made him freeze.

Footsteps…coming from nearby. His men didn't seem to have heard them, and as he cast his eyes around, he failed to spot an intruder. There was someone nearby though; he could feel it.

"We have a hostile." He informed his men as he drew The Twins. Before either of them could reply, he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning to it, he saw a figure skidding down a nearby incline. He took aim, but the figure jumped off the incline before he could fire, and flew towards one of his rangers. The ranger turned just in time to get a ballistic fist to the face. Blood and brains flew everywhere as the man's head was decimated, while his slayer landed in a roll, drew a 10mm pistol, and fired at Campbell. He dived behind his crate and went prone, while the other ranger turned to the attacker and took aim. She was a faster draw than him however, and before his finger could find the trigger of his rifle, a 10mm bullet found his eye, putting a hole in his skull. Twins gripped tightly, Campbell rolled out of cover and took aim…just in time for Veronica to run up and kick his crouched form in the face.

He landed painfully on his back, but this wasn't the first time he'd taken a hit to the face (**Definitely** not the first time). He shook his head to stop it from spinning, before rolling to the side as the girl pounced on him, punching directly downwards. He heard the telltale noise her power fist made when it punched something, and it sounded like it was coming from right next to him. Having narrowly avoided getting his head mulched, he sprung to his feet, both hands still gripping The Twins, and pointed them at her. She got up quickly, but he moved quicker, and by the time she was standing, he was a safe distance away, both guns pointed at her threateningly. _Okay, now pull the trigger. _He mentally commanded, but his body refused to obey. His sky blue orbs looked into her chocolate ones, and as he saw the look of betrayal in his eyes, he felt like an absolute bastard. _Dammit…why did it have to be her? _

With anyone else, he would've shot first, and asked questions never, but…this was Veronica…his little sis…one of the most important people in the world to him. He looked into her eyes, filled with unvoiced accusations, but also…filled with hurt. He'd…hurt her. _I promised Arcade I'd look after her. _He thought, feeling like utter scum. _What the fuck is wrong with me? _Looking at Veronica now, he felt all his drive fading. _I can't do this. I can't. I can't. I can't! _All he wanted to do was lower his guns, renounce his allegiance with the NCR forever, and give the girl in front of him the biggest hug she'd ever had in her life. He relaxed his arms, and started to point his guns downward…

_"If you leave my service…those close to you will suffer."_…only for Vulpes' voice to play in his mind, reminding him of what he had to do. Cursing whatever sick deity had forced him into this situation, the merc sighed, before raising his guns so that they were properly pointed at Veronica again. _No choice. Have to do this. _

"Hi." He said awkwardly. She didn't reply, instead taking a step closer. Right on cue, he took a step back. He waited for her to say something, but she just stood there, both hands clenched into fists as she glared at him. Slowly, as he watched, her hands relaxed, and her gaze softened somewhat.

"I just have one question." She said abruptly, almost making him drop his guns in surprise. "…Why?" That single question hit him hard, like he'd just taken a sledgehammer to the ribs. "You're supposed to be our friend, a part of our family. But here you are, burning everything, shooting missiles at the girl I love, and pointing guns at my head. Why? Did our friendship mean nothing to you? All those hours we spent together, laughing and joking and helping each other…were you just acting? Did you even care?!"

"Yes!" He said sharply, unable to take any more. "…Yes, they meant the world to me. I…I wouldn't trade those times for anything, but…"

"But they're over now? Is that what you were going to say?" He didn't reply. "Are you done with us now? What, did you notice we were losing and decide to join the winning team?"

"No!"

"Then **WHY **are you doing this?!"

"BECAUSE I HAVE NO CHOICE!" He yelled, hands shaking as one of his favourite people in the world tore into him.

"BULLSHIT!" She snapped, somehow raising her voice higher than his. "YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD A CHOICE, BUT YOU KEEP MAKING THE WRONG ONE!" Her fists were clenched again and she was trembling slightly, clearly overcome with either grief or rage…or maybe both.

"…I know." He said quietly, shocking her. "I know, I've always made the wrong choice. I rely on my coin to avoid taking responsibility for my actions, but even when the coin told me what to do, I chose to obey." He looked down at the ground, an expression of shame in his rapidly moistening eyes. "My coin never made any choices, they were all mine. Every person I saved or helped because the coin came up heads, every person I betrayed or killed because it came up tails; their fates were decided by me. I'm not going to hide behind this damn thing anymore; it's time I take responsibility and grow a damn spine." He looked up, eyes damp, but expression determined. "Everything I've done tonight has been a result of a choice I made myself, without my coin. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life, but I did it, and this time, I'm sure I've made the right call."

"The right call?! Are you serious?! You're trying to kill Layla! You're trying to kill me! How can that possibly be the right call? How can you possibly justify any of this?!"

"Simple: I'm being merciful." Before Veronica could respond, his fingers moved to the triggers of his guns. _Pull the triggers, and this'll all be over. Quick as a flash; no pain, no suffering. Just do it. _He tried to shoot her, but once again, he couldn't bring himself to do so. _Stop hesitating! _He mentally berated himself. _Don't think, just shoot! _He…he couldn't do it. He knew had to, but he just couldn't bring himself to kill another friend. _DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT_ _DO IT DO IT! _He closed his eyes as he started to give himself a headache…before realising how stupid that had been. He opened them again…just in time for Veronica to hit him in the gut with a flying kick.

All the air left his lungs as he was thrown back, dropping his guns and rolling through the dirt before landing on his back. He slowly got up, while the hooded girl rushed in and swung her ballistic fist at him. He was in a crouch as she approached, but as she struck he stood up, weaved to the side, and drew his ripper. The second she heard the familiar growl of his favourite melee weapon, Veronica rolled forwards, just in time to dodge as he attempted to stab her. He ran after her, but she got up before aiming a kick at his face, forcing him to back off.

_Okay, have to be careful here. She's got a ballistic fist __**and**__ a power fist, so if she hits me with even one punch, I'm as good as dead. _He thought as he narrowly dodged a series of blows from Veronica, before slashing with his ripper. She surprised him by parrying the strike with one of her metal gauntlets, before shooting the other one at his stomach. He moved to the side, barely managing to avoid the attack, before kicking her. She crossed her arms in front of her to block, so beyond skidding back a few steps, she took little damage. _Hang on…_He thought as she leapt into the air. _If she's got a pair of lethal punching implements, then why the fuck am I fighting her in punching range? _She descended with a jumping punch, only for her eyes to go wide as he threw a smoke grenade, quickly concealing himself.

She landed in a roll within the smoke, before looking around for him. She couldn't hear his ripper anymore, which meant he must have turned it off. Surrounded on all sides by thick white smoke, she closed her eyes, softly breathed in and out, and focused. Since sight was useless here, she'd have to rely on her other senses. She listened carefully, searching for even the slightest sign of his whereabouts…and was rewarded. Nearby (If she was facing 12 on a clock, then the sound came from the direction of 2), she faintly heard the sound of a pebble rolling, as though someone had carelessly knocked it with their foot. Her eyes shot open and she was moving in a flash, fist flying in the direction of the sound. She just managed to spot Campbell's outline, and heard him grunt in pain as her power fist collided with his stomach. He was wearing a chestpiece, but even so, the blow knocked him off his feet.

_Ow. _He thought as he landed painfully outside the smoke. He got to his feet as fast as he could, before ducking as a ballistic fist charged at his face. Even with his chestpiece, that blow had hurt like hell; he had a feeling one of his ribs might be cracked. Ignoring the pain, he leaned back to evade her second blow, before grabbing her arm. _She might be faster and more skilled than me, but I'm stronger. _Sure enough, she found herself unable to free her arm, and he managed a smirk as he pulled her towards him, before tripping her and causing her to land face first in the dirt behind him. He had a gun in his hand in an instant; he'd drawn it so fast he had to actually stop and check what it was. _Vance's SMG? _He thought as he looked at the gun. After a few seconds, he shrugged. _It'll do. _He pointed it down at Veronica, only to lose his balance as she rolled onto her back and swept his legs out from under him. He landed face first next to her, and she quickly got up, before brutally kicking his downed form. Ignoring the pain, he rolled onto his back and fired his SMG upwards, forcing her to dart back to avoid being perforated.

After finding his feet, he managed to force his way through his mental block, and fired full auto at Veronica. His gunfire was inaccurate and, admittedly, amateurish, but he found that if he didn't aim directly at her, he didn't have any problems bringing himself to shoot her, so he held the trigger down and wildly sprayed bullets everywhere. He followed her with the gun as she ran around him, but showing impressive agility, she managed to stay ahead of him, and skidded to a stop as she reached his weapons chest. _What is she…_He began to ask, only to involuntarily smile as he saw her pick up the tough, metal lid of his crate and use it as a shield. _Clever girl. _He thought for the second time that night as he watched her block his storm of bullets with her makeshift shield.

All too soon, his gun clicked empty, and before he could reload it, she threw her shield at his head. _Ow! _He thought as the metal lid bounced off his noggin, dizzying him slightly. He got his head together just in time to see her ballistic fist heading for his face. A quick roll saved him from losing his head, and he holstered his empty gun as he tried to think of a strategy. As he backed off, he nearly tripped over the weapon chest lid. At first cursing the thing as he tried to keep his balance, he remembered where it came from, and got an idea. _The weapons chest! _If he could get to the chest, with its multitude of guns, he might be able to find something to help him win this fight. Unfortunately, Veronica was currently charging.

Thinking fast, he picked up the lid, and copied her by using it as a shield. He moved it in front of him moments before her ballistic fist connected. The shotgun blast went off, and the metal was dented as the lid was knocked back, causing it to hit him in the face. Ignoring the pain in his nose, he pushed forwards, hitting Veronica in the face with the shield and stunning her. Seeing his chance, he ran for the chest, and dived over it before landing behind it. The former scribe approached, and he pulled out the first weapon he could find, before firing it…'firing' being the operative term, as his chosen weapon was a flamer.

A torrent of fire shot forth from the oversized weapon, causing Veronica to jump back to avoid being torched. He walked after her, expression neutral as his weapon spat fire everywhere. _Her death was supposed to be quick. _He thought, before shaking his head and directing the flames at her. She managed to stay out of range, but it was clear she was stuck on what to do. She was a melee specialist, but it was impossible to get close enough to use melee when he was spraying fire everywhere like an angry dragon. _It won't be long now. _He thought as he drew her further and further back. The flames were close enough to make her sweat now, and he knew soon they'd find her. She ran out of room as she backed into the steep incline of the hill, and Campbell mentally prepared himself as he closed in. _Set her on fire, then a bullet to the head. It'll still be quick. _He thought, sounding unconvincing in his own head as he tried to reassure himself. He moved into flaming range…only to be surprised as Veronica ran up the hill. _Where's she going?_ He thought, moments before she turned, ran down again, and used her elevated position to leap over his head. _Clever gir…_He was cut off from thinking the same thought again as she landed behind him, 10mm pistol in hand, and fired. Having a good idea of where she was aiming, he dropped the flamer and dived away. Sure enough, her bullet found the fire spitter's fuel tank, and caused it to violently explode.

Campbell got up, surprised and relieved that he hadn't been burnt…until he realised that his trenchcoat was on fire. He immediately took it off, and did his best to put the fire out. It wasn't easy, but he managed to quell the flames, and sighed as he put it back on…until he heard a ballistic fist shotgun blast right as something hard hit him in the back. He was knocked to the floor, and rolled onto his back just in time for a familiar hooded girl to stomp on his throat.

"I can't believe you." She said, seething as he struggled to breathe. "I've been in a bad place ever since Arcade's death…but after last night, and talking to Layla tonight, I'd finally managed to come out the other hand. I was happier than I'd been in a while, and I was finally, finally ready to move on. More importantly, I was ready to forgive you. Then you went and did this!" She gestured widely around her. Flames and smoke could just barely be seen atop the hills that surrounded them. "Just as I come to terms with everything, just as I'm ready to take you back, you show up trying to kill Layla and me. How…how could you do this? After what you told me last night…after everything…how could you just turn around and stab me in the back?!"

"I…" He struggled to speak, with her boot pressing down on his windpipe. "I…don't want to do this." As he spoke, he subtly reached a hand inside his trenchcoat.

"Then why do it?! I don't understand how you could…I mean…" Struggling to find the words, she turned away, allowing Campbell to draw the gun he'd been reaching for. He raised the flare gun and prepared to set her robes ablaze, only for another of her heavy boots to come down and trap his wrist. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I…I have to do this." He said weakly, before greedily taking in air as she took her foot off his throat, before using it to kick his flare gun away. _Well so much for that. _

"No you don't, you idiot! You could leave the NCR, forget all this nonsense, and come back to us." She crouched down, so that her face was close to his. "Please…" There were tears in her eyes, and he felt absolutely horrible. He wanted more than anything to accept her offer, to rejoin her and Layla so that they could all be a family again…but he knew it could never be. That bastard Vulpes continued to haunt him like a spectre, and as long as he was alive, Campbell would never be free, and the girls would never be safe. He closed his eyes, while sitting up slightly. His face was inches away from Veronica's, and he opened his eyes before letting out a deep sigh as he drew a knife from his left sleeve (The sleeve of his free hand).

"I'm sorry." He said as he slashed. Veronica screamed as the blade cut her face, spilling blood, and he took the opportunity to push her off him, freeing his other wrist. He sprang to his feet while the former scribe was distracted, and returned the knife to its sleeve before drawing his hunting shotgun. He approached the bleeding girl, who was on her knees in front of him, and prepared to end it. She turned to him, an enraged expression on her face, and he saw that his slash had left a bloody, horizontal cut on her forehead. _I…I did that. _He thought, suddenly freezing up as the full weight of what he'd done hit him like an anvil. _She's supposed to be my little sis…and I cut her open. _He saw his reflection in her eyes, and he stared, horrified. _What the fuck is wrong with me? _That moment of hesitation allowed the angry, bleeding girl at his feet to strike.

"YOU BASTARD!" Veronica screeched as she struck her aggressor in the stomach with her ballistic fist. Campbell's eyes went wide as he felt the chestpiece finally give way, followed by a sharp pain in his stomach. _I think I might have been shot. _He thought as he stumbled back, dropping his shotgun in the process. He had no idea how much of the ballistic fist's blast had gotten through, but looking down he saw that the front of his chestpiece was rapidly becoming stained with blood. _Oh that can't be good. _Dizziness and nausea assaulted him, but he fought them off, before rushing in as he saw Veronica pick up his shotgun. "I TRUSTED YOU!" Ignoring her words, he attempted to pull the gun from his grasp. She denied him however, and they struggled, both attempting to take the gun for themselves. His superior strength provided him with the advantage in this conflict, and with a great effort, he managed to free the shotgun from her, before flipping it so that it was facing her and cocking it.

Time seemed to stand still as they stood there, Veronica with a shotgun pointed at her and Campbell attempting to force himself to pull the trigger. She looked absolutely furious, and the blood running down her face combined with tears to form a frightening visage. Trying to focus himself, Campbell closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. _Do it. _Slowly, he opened his eyes, and his finger gripped the trigger.

"I…I heard your holotape." Veronica said out of nowhere, utterly knocking Campbell for six. Her expression was solemn now, and she'd wiped a good deal of the blood from her face. The tears stayed however. "You said you thought of me as…a little sister." _Oh god. _He felt his resolve fading once again as she looked into his eyes. "I…I love you like a brother." _No…_He could barely hold onto the shotgun anymore; her eyes seemed to be shooting rays of pure guilt into his body, and it was more than he could take. "If you have to do this…please, just tell me why." He imagined Vulpes' sneering face, and he shook his head.

"I want to, believe me, but I can't. Telling you will just put you in more danger." To his surprise, she let out a genuinely amused laugh.

"I have a shotgun literally inches from my face; how can I possibly be in any more danger?" He experienced surprise again as he found himself smiling.

"Good point." They both smiled, but their expressions quickly turned wan again.

"If you can't tell me, then at least promise me one thing."

"Anything." He said without thinking.

"Kill me, but please…please don't kill Layla." Looking into her big, sad eyes, and hearing the sincerity in her words, his will shattered completely. _I can't do this. _Before either of them could say or do anything, the moment was inexorably shattered as the loud, overpowering sound of rotor blades filled the air, before a vertibird flew over the hill and hovered into view. With the spell broken, Campbell moved. Dropping his shotgun, he pushed Veronica aside, before running over to his crate, getting out his radio as he did so. After taking a moment to clear his breath, he spoke into it.

"Change of plan. Get the crate aboard, then follow me." With that, he ran past the crate, scooping up The Twins as he went, before holstering them and sprinting up the hill. Veronica gave chase, only for the vertibird to open fire with its lasers. She rolled to avoid being disintegrated, while the bird hovered low enough for a pair of rangers to jump out of the side door. They ran over to Campbell's crate and lifted it, before returning to the bird as its ramp descended and climbing aboard. With rangers and crate on board, the ramp ascended and the craft took off, before flying after Campbell. As she watched it go, Veronica stared at the hunting shotgun the mercenary had left behind, a flabbergasted look on her face. _He…he spared me. _She thought, quite confused. _He had me right where he wanted me, and he dropped his gun before running away. _She looked at the hill he'd clambered to escape, a thoughtful expression on her face. _Campbell…what the hell's going on?_

_**-**_**O-**

Campbell panted tiredly as he stopped for a moment to catch his breath. All too quickly however, the memories of his confrontation with Veronica came to the surface, and he threw up. _What is wrong with me? _He thought as he knelt in the dirt. _They're my friends, and I'm trying to kill them. _He looked at his hands, before punching the ground. _I'm a fucking monster. _Rocking back on his knees till he was in a seated position, he looked up at the stars, and sighed. _This is all so fucked up. _The thought amused him somewhat, and he managed a weak smile. After sitting there and thinking for a while, he wiped his mouth, and got up. _What I'm doing is horrible, but it's the lesser of two evils. _He thought as he reached his feet. _Either I kill them, or Vulpes does. _Now feeling a smidgen less hysterical and a good deal calmer, he looked at the path ahead…and saw three Legion goons approaching. _Oh for fuck's sake. _In no mood for this shit, he decided to go for the big guns, and drew his 12.7mm SMG as the machete wielding bastards charged.

After easily ducking under the slash of the first legionary, he shoulder barged the idiot to the ground, before opening fire on his friends. The second attacker went down, but the third somehow managed to avoid getting shot, before executing a jumping slash. Rolling his eyes, Campbell blocked the strike with his SMG, while drawing a knife from his sleeve. After kicking the jumper back, he lunged forwards, and introduced his knife to the goon's throat. The shoulder barged guy got up behind Campbell, but he pointed his SMG back, and shot the soldier without even looking.

Relieved to have that chore done with, he smiled…until he saw a whole lot more legionaries closing in. Not one of them had a gun, but there were about ten of them, and he was fairly certain his 12.7mm's clip was empty. _Right, fuck this. _He thought, before holstering his SMG and his knife, and speaking into his radio.

"It's Campbell; where are you?" As if on cue, the vertibird carrying his crate flew down from above, and hovered overhead.

"Do you want us to provide covering fire sir?" The bird's pilot asked over the radio.

"Negative." He replied. "I need a supply drop."

"…Sir?" The pilot said a few seconds later, sounding understandably confused.

"Go into my crate, find a grenade machinegun, and drop it to me." Though obviously puzzled, the pilot replied in the affirmative, and shortly afterward the craft's boarding ramp opened. One of the rangers that had picked up the crate threw a huge gun off the ramp, and Campbell caught it before opening fire.

The grenade machinegun was, as its name suggested, a gun that fired grenades as fast as a machine gun. It was an immensely satisfying weapon to use; there was something about bombarding an enemy with ludicrous numbers of explosives that brought a grin to anyone's face. Sure enough, Campbell grinned too, enjoying the sensation of fighting someone he actually wanted to kill as he fired a barrage of grenades at the charging legionaries. They didn't stand a chance. Screams and explosions filled the air as the men were obliterated, showering the area with blood and limbs. The gun soon ran empty, but it hardly mattered, as the men that had been threatening him were now little more than bloody smears and piles of body parts.

He dropped the empty gun before pacing, hands in his pockets. _Okay…what to do, what to do. _He kicked a piece of brain as he walked, sending it rolling. Now over his little meltdown (His mind was like a rubber band; no matter how far it was stretched, even to breaking point, it would always bounce back to normal again with peculiar ease), he was once again at peace with his mission, but had to come up with strategy. Clearly chasing the girls wasn't working. He needed to decide the terms of the confrontation; where they'd fight, what weapons he'd have, and how outnumbered they'd be.

Not for the first time, he had to imagine how his life must appear for an outsider looking in; he was trying to devise a foolproof plan for killing the two best friends he'd ever had. Even though it was for a good reason, he probably looked like the biggest dick in the world right now. _Not like I have a choice. _As he looked down at a dead legionary (Surprisingly possessing most of his limbs despite being blown to hell), and saw the Legion uniform, he was reminded of Vulpes, the bastard who was metaphorically putting a gun to his head. _If it wasn't for him I wouldn't even have to…_He stopped in his tracks as he had a sudden brainstorm. _I'm being blackmailed by a man into killing my two closest friends…but I'm in that man's fucking house right now. _He felt like an utter idiot. _If I remove him from the equation…_He had his radio out in a flash, and switched to Vulpes' frequency before putting it to his lips.

"Vulpes? It's Campbell."

"What is it now?" The frumentarius replied stonily.

"You may have noticed I'm attacking the fort."

"No, the fact that half of the island is on fire completely escaped my notice." The merc's eyes narrowed.

"Yes well, after I kill Layla, I plan to come directly to you to collect my payment. Where shall we meet up?"

"You don't arrange the meetings; I do."

"Just tell me where you are."

"Why, so you can come and kill me, thus removing you of your obligation to kill Layla?" He froze. "I'm not an idiot Campbell, and I have no intention of being killed by you. As soon as I saw the vertibird I left the island."

"You mean you fled. Like a coward."

"One man's cowardice is another man's pragmatism." The fox had said many infuriatingly smarmy things before, but that statement was well in the top ten; perhaps in the top five. _I hate him so much. _"You aren't going to kill me tonight Campbell, so I suggest you do your job; otherwise, I will." With that, the line went dead, and Campbell threw his radio to the ground in frustration. He rose his foot to stomp on the thing, but remembered he'd need that to contact the vertibird with his weapons chest, and stopped himself. _Guess there's no choice then. _He sighed, before crouching down to pick up his radio. As he stood up properly, he saw the nearby mostly preserved body again, and got a flash of inspiration. Slowly, he brought the radio to his lips for a second time.

"Brutus Unit, this is Campbell. I have a plan to kill the witch; I'm going to need some volunteers."

***Layla***

The Red Blade Witch was getting really fucking sick of Brutus Unit. She was getting sick of NCR goons in general, but these bastards especially. She wasn't sure whether it was their cowardice in choosing to wear disguises, or their utter lack of skill with a machete, but something about the bastards irked her, and after the first ten, the novelty in killing them quickly started to wear off. Impossibly, **she** was actually starting to get sick of killing. That realisation boggled her mind. Perhaps she was starting to mature as a person (Her performance earlier in the arena, where she hadn't killed anyone, could be proof of that), and as such her interests were starting to change? Or maybe these disguised idiots were just that unsatisfying to kill? Either way, slaying them was quickly becoming tedious.

After slaying the latest group of idiots dumb enough to attack her, she paused to catch her breath, only for noise from the radio in her pocket to catch her attention. Curious, she brought it to her ear.

"All units, this is Campbell." The merc's words were said slowly, and there was a pained edge to them, catching Layla's attention. "I'm injured and in need of immediate assistance. I'm firing off a flare now; all available units head to my location and provide support." Right on cue, she saw a flare shoot into the air. She was off in a flash, dropping the radio as she ran for the flare's location.

It didn't take her long to reach her destination. She came to an area beyond the walls of the camp. The path ended at a cliff, and below was a medium sized clearing. The clearing offered a rocky wall leading up to where Layla was standing on one side, and a cliff edge leading to the Colorado River below. There didn't seem to be any easy way out, which meant she had Campbell trapped.

The merc in question was knelt in the middle of the clearing, faced away from Layla, and surrounded by Legion corpses. He had about six dead legionaries around him, none of them wearing a white armband but all stained with blood. Carefully, she climbed down from the cliff, and dropped into the clearing. Hand on the hilt of her holstered greatsword, she cautiously approached Campbell. As she got close however, he suddenly got to his feet…and he wasn't the only one. As he stood up, the 'dead' legion soldiers also got up. He turned to face her, a smug smirk on his face as the six men drew NCR service rifles.

"Hello Layla." He said casually as he drew The Twins and pointed them at her head, his men swiftly following his example with their rifles.

"…This was a trap wasn't it?" Layla asked slowly, feeling like a monumental idiot.

"Nothing escapes you does it?" The merc replied.

"The message over the radio was a lure for me; you knew I had a radio because I'd spoken to you on it before."

"Yup."

"And you chose this location specifically because there's no way out short of attempting to climb onto a cliff and leaving myself open for attack, or jumping into the Colorado."

"That's right."

"I've got to stop underestimating you." He grinned.

"You aren't the only one, trust me."

"I'm guessing these men are more of your soldiers disguised as legionaries; you just had them take their armbands off."

"Yeah." He looked immensely proud of himself. "It's funny isn't it? Give your men a really obvious tell and everyone starts noticing them. Give them that tell then take it away, and they suddenly become invisible." The merc seemed to have lightened up quite a bit since his attack on her earlier. Gone was the cold, stone faced man who'd shot mini nukes at her, replaced by the goofy idiot who she'd once called her friend. Unfortunately, that goofy idiot was still trying to kill her. Honestly, she wasn't sure which persona she preferred; the emotionless one just seemed 'wrong' somehow, but being threatened by the grinning jokester that had laughed and bantered with her only a few weeks ago was no less eerie.

"You seem to be in a much better mood." She commented, and he gave her a happy smile. She assumed it was forced, but couldn't tell just by looking at it; he had a hell of a poker face (Not that she hadn't already known that).

"Well to be honest, I was trying to supress my emotions and force myself to focus on the mission." He replied. "That didn't work out too well; the gravity of what I was doing hit me full in the face and caused me to have a mini-meltdown earlier. But, I feel better now. I reaffirmed my belief that I'm doing the right thing, and now I'm in this for the long haul. Turns out suppressing my emotions is an ineffective coping mechanism, so I'm going to return to my regular coping mechanism: cracking wise, wielding sarcasm like a deadly weapon, and being painfully unfunny."

Layla looked around, and gritted her teeth as she failed to see a way out of this situation. Surrounded by armed foes with no visible way out…if she had a cap for every time she'd been in a situation like this, she'd have had enough money to buy the whole of New Vegas, with enough left over to buy an overpriced meal at the Gourmand.

"Looking for a way out?" Campbell asked, knocking her from her thoughts with the sudden question. "Don't lie; you have your thinking look. I'd notice it anywhere." Layla frowned. "You know one of the reasons I like you Layla? You're an eternal optimist." Her eyebrow shot a few feet up.

"Come again?" He smiled.

"No matter how bad things get, you **always **think there's a way out. Most of the time, you're right. Even when things get their darkest, you refuse to give up, and always find a way to survive." Slowly, his smile faded. "Unfortunately, that's not going to happen this time. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but on this occasion, there is no way out. I'm afraid you've reached the end of your road." He cast his gaze downwards, till he was staring intently at the dirt beneath his feet. "I'm sorry; I really am, but this has to be done. It's what's best for you."

"How is this what's best for me?!" Layla asked sharply. "Campbell, listen to yourself. This is crazy!" He laughed bitterly, before looking up.

"Crazy…isn't that the opportune word? Perfectly describes me. And you too."

"I don't go around trying to kill my friends!"

"And yet you do it anyway." She went deathly pale. "Take Arcade for example."

"You pulled the trigger, not me." The merc and the witch both glared at each other as their harsh words stung, but slowly, their expressions turned downcast. "I…I'm sorry." She said quietly. "That wasn't your fault. It was mine."

"No, it was Vu…" He froze midsentence, as though he'd realised he'd been saying something without meaning to, before quickly backpedalling. "…It was nobody's fault. He and I were both doing the same thing: we were trying to save you." A wan smile formed on his face. "He did a much better job of it than me. I mean, look at us; I only joined the NCR so I could save you, and now I've got you at gunpoint and I'm delivering one last rambling monologue before I kill you." The smile shifted into a sad grin. "I'm pretty terrible at this whole 'protecting my friends' lark."

"I wasn't very good at it when I started out either." Layla said with a small smile. "I find it takes some practice before you truly get good at it."

"Too bad I won't have much time for that." They both smiled at each other for a few seconds, before he awkwardly coughed to change the subject. "Well anyway…" He idly span the Twins in his grasp. "Do you…er…you know…" He used one of the pistols to sheepishly scratch the back of his neck. "…do you have any last words before we…do this?"

"I do, and I think you know what they are." He looked down at the ground again. "Just tell me, openly and honestly: why are you doing this?" A look of shame appeared in his eyes. "You, me, Veronica…we're friends, aren't we? Best friends?"

"…We are."

"Then why are you trying to kill us? Just…why? Did your coin tell you to?" He shook his head.

"No; my coin had nothing to do with it. This was my choice, and I remain convinced that it's the right one."

"But…how is killing us the right choice? How can you think this is what's best for us?" He bit his lip. "Campbell…what's going on? This isn't like you. Are you…being forced into this?" He bit harder, almost drawing blood. "Whatever's going on, I can help. **We **can help." He shook his head again.

"No-one can help me."

"Why not?"

"It's…complicated."

"I'm a big girl Campbell. I know you're smarter than me, but I'm not an idiot; just give it to me plainly, or explain it; dumb it down if you feel you need to."

"It doesn't matter now."

"Of course it matters! I want to help you; I want to get you out of whatever arrangement you're stuck in. I…I want you back." Campbell looked up, and saw that her eyes were getting damp. Somewhere inside him, his heart panged painfully.

"Layla."

"Campbell, whatever's going on, we can help. We've fought the NCR time and again and lived to tell about it; I'm sure if we work together, we can sort this whole thing out, and bring you back to the fold."

"That's impossible."

"Have you being paying attention? My whole fucking life's impossible." Somehow, she managed a grin. "I'm a 21 year old girl with a sword that's nearly bigger than me. I shouldn't even be able to swing this thing, but I've used it to kill more NCR bastards than I can count. I teamed up with a girl who can punch people's heads off, and together we fought a battle against a massive military organisation. And we kicked their asses, time and again. Even after losing my home and nearly dying, I recovered, and teamed up with a guy with a coin fetish who seems to have a portal to hammerspace in his jacket, and a doctor I had a love-hate relationship with who turned out to be a dab hand with energy weapons. It was just the four of us, but we hurt the NCR even more. We blew up one of their bases, killed their soldiers in the dozens; we made a huge, powerful organisation **fear **us. Us, just four people. Campbell, **that **is impossible. If I could do that…if **we **could do that…we can get you out of whatever situation you're in, and we can fix our relationship." He stared at her for about ten seconds, before matching her grin, holstering his pistols, and actually applauding her.

"See, this is what I'm talking about; pure, unwavering optimism even when you're on the reaper's doorstep. The glasses through which you see the world aren't just rosy; they must be redder than your hair." He stopped clapping, and tucked his hands into his pockets. His grin turned into a smile, devoid of sadness like the other smiles he'd had that day. "You know…I've always respected you. Well…okay not at first; at first I thought you were some crazy girl with a big sword and a death wish. But as I got to know you, I learnt you're all those things, and so much more. The NCR have given you so much crap in your life, and unlike most people who just lie there and take it, you had the guts to stand up and say 'No'. You didn't care that the odds were impossible, you just knew you had an enemy that needed to die, and you set out to make it happen. You have a fire in you…a perpetual, blazing fire that drives you to do things most people wouldn't even dream of. You've made some mistakes of course, but I know that in your heart, you've always tried to do the right thing, even if you take some questionable roads to get there. As sappy as this sounds, I think you're an inspiration; a person who never gives up on their goals, and will climb any mountain, vanquish any foe, and do whatever it takes to make their dream come true. I'm proud of you Layla, I'm honoured to have been your friend…and I'm sorry that I have to be the one to end your story." After wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he drew the Twins again.

"Campbell…" She said quietly, pleadingly.

"This…this is one problem you can't solve. I wish more than anything we could be together again, but…it has to be this way."

"No it doesn't!" She said, determination blazing in her words.

"Layla…"

"You know what it sounds like to me? It sounds like you're giving up, and you want me to do the same."

"I just…"

"I heard your holotape." He froze. "You asked me to promise you, no matter what happened to me, that I'd **never **give up, and you know what? I made that promise, to you, and myself. I'll never give up Campbell, even if you do." To her surprise, he chuckled.

"And that's precisely why I admire you Layla." He spun the Twins, before pointing them both at her. "I promise I'll make this quick." Realising that there'd be no reasoning with him, she let out a sad sigh, before drawing her sword. The eyes of every disguised soldier widened significantly as she pulled the oversized blade from its sheathe with one hand, before lowering it to point it directly in front of her, and holding it with both hands. She watched the merc as his fingers neared the triggers of his guns, daring him to make the first move. After a few seconds, she heard a loud gunshot, and for a moment she thought he'd obliged her. He looked confused however, and as she looked around, she saw why. One of his men had a hole in his chest, and before anyone could react, another gunshot filled the air, and one of the soldiers had a good chunk of his head blown off. On hearing the second shot, she recognised it; it sounded like a shotgun. Evidently, Campbell had had the same thought.

"We have an intruder." He coolly told his men as he cast his eyes around. "A shotgunner; likely cloaked. Keep your eyes ope…" Before he could finish his sentence, another gunshot filled the air, and he was sent sprawling as shotgun shells punched into his chestpiece. Another shot ventilated the throat of a third soldier, but as he fell, Campbell fired a shot of his own. The bullet hit the shotgunner's stealth boy, destroying it and revealing them to the world.

"Miss me Campbell?" Veronica asked, before threateningly cocking her hunting shotgun and firing again. A fourth man died, and the remaining troops scattered, carefully watching her while completely forgetting about the witch they'd been watching moments ago. Layla reminded them a few seconds later, a vicious smirk on her face as she put her sword through a disguised soldier's back, skewering him and ending his life in an instant. Whether because her firearm was empty or she was sick of using it, Veronica threw the hunting shotgun away, before rushing the last man. He raised his service rifle, but she surprised him by drawing a knife and throwing it. He successfully evaded the flying blade by moving to the side, only to get a power fist through his ribcage. Shortly after, a ballistic fist blast blew his head apart, and the former scribe kicked him away before running over to Layla.

"You okay?" She asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, thanks to you." Layla replied, grinning despite herself. "Where'd you get the shotgun?"

"Campbell left it at our last scrap."

"And the stealth boy?"

"Raided your stash for supplies before I left. That's also where I got the throwing knives."

"Well aren't you a crafty little minx?" Campbell asked as he worked his way to his feet. "Not only did you steal my shotgun, but you also stole my strategy of 'spam stealth boy till opponents die." He grinned. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed."

"So glad I could please you." Veronica snarled, before rushing over and attempting to punch him. As she closed in however, he dramatically opened his trenchcoat, revealing both the chestplate that had saved his life, and his belt, on the center of which, looking for all the world like an ugly belt buckle, was a stealth boy. Without a word, he flicked it, vanishing just as Veronica reached him. "Come out you coward!" She growled. Never one to miss a cue, the merc appeared behind her, before kicking her in the back, knocking her away from him. She turned to him, and he smirked, before reaching for the Twins…only to find their holsters empty. An annoyed look appeared on his face as he realised he'd dropped them when he was knocked flying by the shotgun blast, but he shrugged, before looking back and forth between the two girls. He stood right between them; Veronica on his left near the cliff that led to the river below, and Layla on his right near the cliff that one had to drop down to get here.

"Well, here we are. The girl I think of as my little sis, and the girl I think of as my best friend/the best employer I've ever had. And I have to kill you both." He idly kicked a rock. "Funny how things work out isn't it?"

"Campbell…" Layla began, but Veronica cut her off.

"Okay, enough of this!" She asked angrily, clearly at the end of her rope. "You obviously **don't **want to kill us, otherwise we'd be dead already. Just tell us what the hell is going on!"

"I can't…"

"Campbell." Layla said, sounding like a school teacher telling off a misbehaving child. "Enough is enough. Tell us."

"Now!" Veronica added. The merc stood there, hands in his jacket pockets, looking between them both for a few seconds, before eventually sighing.

"Alright fine. You're the ones dying, so I guess you deserve to know." He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, before opening them and beginning his explanation. "I have…an employer." Both the girls gave him quizzical looks. "It's not what you think. Oliver isn't my employer, and to be honest, neither was Layla when I was with her." He sighed, before continuing.

"Two years ago, I met…" He looked like he was about to give a name, but instead stopped himself before backpedalling, like he had earlier in his conversation with Layla. "…well, **who **I met isn't important, but suffice to say he was a very powerful man with a lot of money. He predicted the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, and he had some kind of mysterious, shadowy plan to do with the battle, which he never revealed to me. He wanted to hire me to put this plan into action, and offered me several large payments if I'd join. Because I was an idiot who loved money back then, I accepted, and he said he'd contact me two months before the battle was supposed to begin. Two months ago, he tracked me down, and had me join the NCR so that I could feed information to him about their plans. After Kimball's assassination, he had me defect from the NCR to join Layla, so that I could break her out of the slammer and help her do some damage to the NCR. I was still following orders when I helped you guys, but…as I got to know you…I formed what he called 'an emotional attachment' with you, and started to feel guilty about joining you under false pretences. During the hunt for Daisy Whitman, he contacted me again, and ordered me to return to the NCR. I refused in my typical charming way and tried to kill him, but he escaped. Later, in the Remnants bunker, he killed Daisy Whitman, and impersonated Oliver on Boone's radio to make Boone force me to defect back to the NCR. You know how that song and dance went. I was furious when I found out he'd manipulated everything to get me wearing NCR colours again, but reluctantly decided to keep working for him after he threatened you two. He contacted me last night, after I'd finished my lengthy, overly complex apology to Veronica, and gave me my final orders; after I did this task, I'd be free from him forever and could rejoin you guys at my leisure. Then he decided to ruin everything by telling me to kill Layla. I think he did it because he knows how I feel about you guys, the sick fuck. So, bottom line, I was ordered to kill you, and I know that if I disobey, he'll do it himself. And let me tell you, this guy…he's good. He's one of the stealthiest people I've ever met, and he's sharp as a knife. If he wants to kill you, there isn't a force in the Mojave that can stop him, and he won't just kill you; he'll drag it out, make it as painful and horrific as possible. I had no choice; either I kill you, or he does. He'll put you through hell, but **I **can make your death quick and painless. So, I made a decision; if you have to die, then I want to be the one to do it. Thus, I came up with a plan to attack the fort, pitched it to Oliver, got the resources, attacked the fort, and here we are." Silence followed, as the two girls spent a few seconds taking all the information in.

"Wow." Layla said simply.

"Wait, so you've been lying to us since day one?" Veronica asked.

"No! Well…yes…but no. Our friendship was real; every good thing I did for you guys I did because I wanted to, every nice thing I said I said because I meant it, every touching moment we had was genuine. I know how it sounds, but you guys **are **my friends."

"Hang on." Layla said. "You say this 'employer' of yours ordered you to kill me?" He nodded. "Just me? No-one else?" He nodded again. "Then why the fuck are you trying to kill Veronica?" He suddenly looked quite embarrassed.

"Well…" The girls motioned for him to just spit it out already. "…This is going to sound bad, but bear with me. I…I knew that if I killed Layla, it would break Veronica. I didn't want to put her through that pain so…I figured…I'd kill her too. That way, you two could be together in the afterlife, with Arcade."

"How thoughtful of you." Veronica spat.

"Look, I don't want to do this. I didn't want to hurt either of you, and I certainly don't want to kill you but…you can see that I have no choice."

"Campbell, this employer of yours…he's just a man. I'm sure if we worked together, we could…"

"No!" He snapped, cutting her off. "We couldn't, okay? This man is dangerous. Really. Fucking. Dangerous. If we piss him off, he'll kill you. I guarantee it. Trust me when I say killing you now is a mercy compared to what he'd do to you."

"I agree with Layla." Veronica chimed in. "He's just one guy right? I doubt he has minions, because if he did he wouldn't have had to hire you. Why don't we just team up and go kill him?"

"I told you, he's the stealthiest person I've ever met, and he's dangerously crafty. He'd find out the second we decided to go against him, and kill us before we could leave this island."

"You're exaggerating." Layla said.

"No, I'm not. Trust me when I say that I've looked at this from every angle; I've considered every possible eventuality, and as far as I can see it, killing you both achieves the best outcome."

"But…"

"Enough." He took his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms, while sporting the most serious expression either of them had ever seen from him. "No more talk. This is the only way, and nothing you say will convince me otherwise. We're going to settle this, once and for all. One of two things will happen: either you'll both die, or I'll die. If you don't fight me, then you'll die. I'm not holding back anymore, and you shouldn't either. Before either of you say you don't want to kill me, you should know; at this point, I'd welcome death. If I have to be put in the ground, I'd want you girls to do it. So don't go easy; give me everything you've got." Layla looked like she was about to object, but Veronica settled into a fighting pose.

"You heard him Layla." She called over. "There's no reasoning with him. This is the only way."

"I…" She looked at Veronica, before switching her gaze to Campbell. "I'll fight…but I **won't **kill you."

"If you don't, you'll die." He said simply. She sighed, before looking at Veronica. The hooded girl nodded, and she reluctantly nodded back. Without a word, they both charged.

***Campbell***

The two girls rushed in, Veronica readying her fists and Layla readying her blade. Campbell casually drew his ripper as they neared, before flicking the stealth boy on his belt and vanishing. Layla skidded to a stop, and seconds later Campbell appeared behind her, before driving his blade forwards. The roar of the ripper gave him away however, and Layla span around before blocking the slash with her sword. The volatile weapon tore against her greatsword, sending sparks in every direction, but she held her ground, and kicked him back. He skidded a few feet back and she rushed in, only to drop into a prone position as he drew Vance's SMG and opened fire. Veronica had been charging in, and Layla's movement put her right in Campbell sights, but she didn't seem too concerned. She ran around him in a circle, forcing him to turn in order to follow her with his gun. She drew a knife from within her robes and threw it like Layla had taught her, but he sidestepped it with frightening ease before holstering his ripper and reaching into his jacket.

Layla got up and swung her pommel at him, but he ducked under it, before striking her with the SMG, knocking her to the floor. Veronica's blood boiled as she saw this and she closed in, but Campbell finally found the gun he'd been reaching into his jacket for and drew it: a grenade launcher. He fired it one handed, not reacting to the recoil in the slightest, and the former scribe attempted to roll out of the way. It did her no good however; thanks to his knowledge of her (Allowing him to predict her movements), he'd seen that coming a mile away, and thanks to his expert marksmanship skills, he made sure she rolled right into his shot. The explosion threw her back, scorching her robes and causing her to skim across the ground like a pebble across a lake. He felt a twinge of regret as he saw her fly, but ignored it and looked down at Layla…just in time to be slashed in the leg by her katana.

"Shit!" He cursed, before hopping back, blood leaking from his slashed appendage. She shot to her feet, greatsword holstered and katana in hand, and charged him with an expression of utter fury on her face. He gritted his teeth as more life fluid leaked from his wound, and holstered his grenade launcher before drawing some Med-X. She slashed at him, but he sidestepped every strike with expertise that surprised her, before pushing her back with his gun hand and leaning down. He stabbed the Med-X needle into his leg as she rushed in for another strike, and the drug turned the pain into an easily ignorable dull ache. Throwing the syringe away, he darted back to evade another slash, while drawing his radio.

"Heavy incinerator. Now." He barked into the radio, before putting it away and drawing his ripper as she missed with her slash, and stabbed forwards with her katana. He flicked the ripper on, and moved it into the path of her strike as it started to growl, expertly parrying the strike. She pushed hard against his ripper, but he surprised her by moving away, causing her to lose her balance and fall forwards. She barely managed to regain her balance, but when she looked up again, she found Vance's SMG right in her face. Campbell prepared to fire, only to pause as he heard footsteps coming from behind. Reacting immediately, he rolled to the side, saving him as Veronica tried to punch him from behind.

He ended the roll in a crouch, only to have his ripper kicked from his grasp by the scribe, and a second kick to hit him in the face, knocking him on his back. She drew her 10mm pistol as she approached, but he still had Vance's SMG, and pulled the trigger. To his annoyance, it clicked empty, and she smirked…till her threw it at her face. While the gun bounced off her head, he rolled to the side, grabbed his ripper, and used a kip up to get to his feet before rushing the dazed scribe. He swung his ripper at her, but Layla was there in a flash. She repaid him for his earlier parry by parrying with her blade, then decking him in the face with her free hand while he was off balance. He flew back, but landed in a backwards roll before springing to his feet, right as the vertibird carrying his weapons chest showed up. It peppered the area with laser fire, causing the girls to back off, before lowering the boarding ramp. A ranger threw him the requested heavy incinerator, and he smirked as he holstered his ripper, before catching it with both hands. The bird flew high into the air, and Campbell pulled the trigger of his new toy, spitting fiery projectiles all over the area.

The girls scattered to divide his attention, and after playing eeny-meeny-miny-moe in his head, he decided to focus on Layla. She ran fast to evade the blobs of fire he shot at her, but he knew her well, and decided to fire some blobs into her path instead. Surprised at this move, she abruptly stopped, and he adjusted his aim to blast her unsuspecting form, only to be knocked off balance as something hit him in the back. He didn't feel anything resembling pain thanks to the Med-X, but he had a sneaking suspicion he'd just been shot. Not knowing whether the bullet had hit his armour or not, and not really caring, he spun around, before opening fire on Veronica. She rolled to evade his first flaming volley, before surprising him by moving in closer.

_Poor move. _He thought as she charged, before preparing to blast. He was once again knocked off balance however, this time by a boot to the back, allowing Veronica to get close to him. _Dammit. _He cursed, before turning to face his aggressor, swinging his heavy weapon as he did so. He hit Layla in the face with the incinerator, knocking her to the ground, before turning back to Veronica just in time to see her fist coming for his face. He moved the incinerator into the path of her blow to block it, but she'd been punching with her ballistic fist, and the resulting shotgun blast blew off a good portion of the gun's barrel, leaving it useless. Once again cursing under his breath, he dropped the gun and turned away from Veronica, before pulling something out of his jacket and sliding it onto his wrist. Seeing her chance, Veronica rushed in for another blow, only to instinctively block as he threw a punch at her. Unfortunately for her, the thing he'd been sliding onto his wrist was a gauntlet, specifically a gadget called a zap glove. He'd given her one to use when they'd assaulted the Lucky 38, and it had allowed her to destroy robots with the power of electricity. It also worked on humans however, as she found when she attempted to block it.

Veronica screamed as the glove electrocuted her, and he kicked her to the ground, before drawing his sawn off shotgun with his free hand. Before he could point it down however, he sensed a presence behind him, and span around while attempting to punch the aggressor. Layla leant back to dodge the strike however, before aiming a stab at his neck. He batted it away with his armoured hand, before pointing the shotgun at her, only for her to send it spinning from his hand with another rapid slash. He tried to draw his ripper but she slashed his belt, causing it to fall to the floor along with the stealth boy, grenades, and ripper holstered there. _Shit. _He thought, narrowing his eyes as he backed off. Realising he had no idea what Veronica was doing, he risked a look over his shoulder, and saw her power fist coming at him. He rapidly swayed under the strike, before worming his way behind her and kicking her towards Layla. Now that both the girls were in his sights, he drew his grenade launcher again, only to pause as his opponents both drew their respective sidearms (That Gun and 10mm). As everyone pointed their guns, the trio once again found themselves in a Mexican standoff. Combat ceased as he stared the ladies down and they did the same to him, all three of them panting tiredly from the exertion of the lengthy battle.

"Give it up Campbell." Layla said forcefully.

"You're not using a stealth boy or smoke grenades or flashbangs to get out of this one." Veronica added, nodding to his dropped belt and the grenades scattered everywhere as she did so. He let out a half laugh, and a small smirk formed on his face as he replied.

"You may have a point there." He took a step back, putting both the girls on edge and causing them to grip their guns tighter. "After all, Layla cleverly cut my belt, causing me drop my stealth boy…my **only **stealth boy." Despite his defeatist tone, he was still smirking. "Let's face it, without the ability to turn invisible at will, I don't stand a chance." He looked right into their eyes, before surprising them by lowering his gun. "I give up; victory is yours." The girls looked at each other, both not quite believing his words. "As I said before, if I had to be killed by anyone, I'm glad it was you girls." He held his gun over his shoulder and relaxed his stance, making him look far less threatening but doing absolutely nothing to relax his adversaries. "Before you do me in though, can I just…put my gun away?"

"No." Veronica snapped. "Drop it." His grin didn't falter in the slightest, and he obediently dropped the explosive firearm to the floor.

"Now then…" He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "…which of you will do it? Which of you will finish me off?" That question seemed to knock the girls off guard, and they both looked at each other for a split second. That split second was all Campbell needed. He'd always been quick on the draw, and right now was no different; by the time they were looking back to him, his hand was in his trenchcoat.

"Stop him!" Veronica yelled, but it was too late. Before either of them could fire, his finger found the backup stealth boy he kept in his coat pocket, and he vanished. "Fuck!" The former scribe cursed as she shot the area where he'd been standing, and hit nothing but air. While she shot the ground in frustration, Layla cast her eyes around, searching for any sign of Campbell's location. Her ears, the tools she usually used to spot an invisible opponent, turned up nothing, but her eyes managed to spot a pebble rolling across the ground…as if brushed by an unseen foot. She immediately fired in that direction. At the same time, Campbell reappeared, and dived to the side, while throwing something at her.

"Oh shit." She said as she realised it was a flash grenade, moments before it went off in her face.

"Did you girls honestly think I had only one stealth boy?!" He roared as Layla was deafened and blinded. Veronica hadn't been facing the grenade so her eyes were fine, but her hearing was still badly damaged as the flashbang went off. "Did you honestly think I'd keep all my grenades and my only stealth boy on my belt?! Did you honestly think I'd be that fucking stupid?!" Ignoring his words (She couldn't hear them that well anyway), Veronica turned towards him, ballistic fist hand clenched and the other hand gripping her pistol tight as she ran towards him. "You girls know how over-prepared I can be, and you KNOW I keep a fuck ton of guns and equipment in my trenchcoat! Did you honestly think I wouldn't have spare grenades in there, or a spare stealth boy?! Layla said it right earlier; YOU'VE GOT TO STOP FUCKING UNDERESTIMATING ME!" With that, he drew a pair of knives from his sleeves as Veronica closed in.

"Oh pardon us for thinking you're stupid; the fact that stupidity is your normal MO really threw us off!" She sniped as she got within striking distance, and threw a punch. Having seen it coming a mile away (With all the fights he'd watched her take part in, he could read her like a book), Campbell leaned back to dodge before slashing her face. Not about to be cut again, she moved her head back to evade, while kicking him in the chest. Besides stumbling back a short distance, he showed no reaction to the kick, and responded by slashing wildly with his twin knives.

"Yeah, that's me; the stupidest smart guy you'll ever meet." He said, still grinning as she struggled to evade his slashes.

"Since when did you start using knives anyway? You always had a fetish for guns, not blades." She asked as she dodged a stab aimed at her face, and pointed her 10mm at the hole in his armour. He ruined her shot by stabbing a knife into her forearm (Causing her to make an angry, pained noise), before gripping the handle tight and wrenching the blade to the side, moving her arm to the side too. She reluctantly dropped her pistol, and he stabbed with his other knife, only for her to grab his wrist, stopping his attack before it could find flesh.

"What can I say?" He asked as he struggled in her grasp. "I've broadened my horizons since my time with you. I used knives a little while in your company, but ever since switching sides I've…developed a taste for them." As he said the last five words, he yanked his knife out of her arm, sending pain signals flashing through the limb and stunning her for a few seconds, allowing him to free his wrist and slash with both blades. She weaved under his twin slashes however, before shooting a fist up, catching him in the gut with her power fist. That part of his chestpiece was still armoured, but he still felt the impact as he was thrown back. Just barely staying on his feet, he gritted his teeth before throwing a knife at her as she charged.

"And you throw things now too?" She asked as she moved to the side, causing the blade to scratch the side of her face instead of stabbing her between the eyes. "I distinctly remember you refusing to throw a hatchet."

"I've been practicing." He said with a wicked grin as he reached a hand into his jacket pocket. He ducked under her first strike, before slashing with his knife to make her back off. Too far away to punch, she shot her foot forwards instead, but he sidestepped it easily, before drawing something from his jacket and pointing it at her face. She just had enough time to recognise it as Daisy Whitman's gun before she was shocked. "I fucking love this gun." He commented as she collapsed to the floor, body coursing with electricity and screams leaving her lips.

Still grinning, he slid his knife back into his sleeve, before reaching a hand into his trenchcoat again. Finger in Daisy Whitman's gun's trigger guard, he spun the shock pistol around his finger as he drew his 12.7mm with his other hand. Despite usually needing both hands to operate the weighty submachine gun, this time he held it with only one hand as he pointed it down at Veronica.

"Any last words?" He asked casually as his finger neared the 12.7mm's trigger.

"I was about to ask you the same question!" A familiar voice responded, and he looked up. His eyes went wide as he saw that not only was Layla approaching, but she was rapidly nearing striking range. _Shit. _Recognising the bigger threat, he raised his 12.7mm, but the thing was heavy, and he was holding it with one hand in an effort to look cool (Looking cool really was one of his main passions in life), meaning he could only raise it so fast. In the time it took him to do so, Layla leapt into the air, before descending towards him, katana pointed down. He tried to move, but was rooted to the spot as Veronica's hand grabbed his leg._ No way! _He thought frantically as he looked down, and saw that the hooded girl was gripping his limb with every last ounce of strength she had. _The gun's supposed to fucking paralyse her, then knock her out for a few minutes. How on God's green Earth is she…_He ceased his thoughts as he remembered Layla, but looked up much too late to do anything about it. _Fuck…this is going to hurt. _He thought, moments before her sword stabbed into his left shoulder.

_I was right. _The blade went right through the shoulder, coming out the other side coated in his blood and causing him to scream in pain. _Damn…Med-X…wore off…_He thought, gritting his teeth as he started to feel his injured leg too. _IGNORE. IGNORE. _He couldn't feel his left arm anymore, and the thing went limp, causing him to drop his 12.7mm. He used his other arm to raise Daisy Whitman's gun, only for Layla to strike it with the back of her hand, sending it sailing from his grasp. _Shit. _His shoulder was in agony, but he did his damndest to ignore it. Instead, he clenched his right fist, and surprised Layla by punching her.

Even with a katana through his left shoulder and a useless left arm, he still found the strength to slug her across the jaw, causing her to lose her grip on her katana and stumble back a few feet. Seeing his chance, he used his right hand to remove the zap glove on his left hand, while she charged him. Veronica's strength was running out by now, causing her grip on his leg to loosen. He shook her off as the gun's effects finally took their toll and she passed out, while Layla drew her greatsword and charged. Ignoring her, he slid his zap glove onto his right hand, before rolling under her slash.

Ignoring his body's protests, he rolled into a crouch and climbed to his feet, before putting his right hand on the katana's handle and using all his strength to pull the thing out of his shoulder. _FUCKING HELL THAT HURTS. _He thought, shoulder in agony, but shrugged it off (As best he could with an injured shoulder anyway), before dropping the blade and reaching his right hand into his jacket to find another syringe of Med-X. Layla turned to him before stabbing with her greatsword, but he narrowly evaded (Instead of cutting him, she only cut his trenchcoat), before finding the vial and drawing it. She followed him as he backed off, before stabbing at his head. He evaded once again however, before stabbing the syringe into his shoulder. He then threw it at her, forcing on the defensive for a few seconds as she used her sword to block and giving him time to draw a stimpak. _No…that won't cut it. _He thought, before throwing the thing away and drawing a super stimpak instead. Before she could stop him, he stabbed the syringe into his shoulder, and though he didn't feel anything thanks to the Med-X, he soon found he could move the limb again. He chuckled, before putting a foot under the katana and kicking it upwards.

"Fitting isn't it?" He asked as he caught the katana by the handle with his now functioning left hand, and brandished it threateningly. "I gave you this sword; makes sense that I should kill you with it." Before she could react, he rushed forwards with impressive quickness and slashed. She blocked with her larger blade, only to spit blood as his right fist found her stomach…the fist wearing a zap glove. She cried out as she was electrocuted and hit with a hammer blow at the same time, and a dark smirk appeared on his face as he gripped the katana with both hands before slashing. Ignoring the agony the electricity was generating all over her body, she moved. Instead of slicing her head in two, his slash instead cut her left cheek, spilling her blood. Having had her blood spilled many, many times over her life, she was undeterred, and she gripped her blade tightly with both hands before fanning it around, forcing her foe to back off.

"You want to kill me…with a sword…at close range?" She asked in a low, vicious tone as she settled into a combat stance. "Haven't you been paying attention?" With that, she struck, and Campbell was quickly reminded why facing the Red Blade Witch in melee range was a very, **very **bad idea.

She fought like a wild animal, slashing her oversized blade incredibly quickly, as though it barely weighed a thing. After trying to block one of her slashes with his katana and not only being knocked off balance, but nearly having his arm broken, he settled with just dodging, but even with his knowledge of her, that proved difficult. This whole battle, she'd been fighting calmly, competently, with her rage restrained, but now…he could tell that she was cutting loose. He'd seen her fight like this before, when **extremely **angry, and it was a sight to behold. Despite not fearing death (At this point he welcomed it), he started to get mildly terrified as the red monster pushed him further and further back. The 'fight' (One could hardly call it that, since he hadn't attacked since she'd entered Feral Mode; she hadn't given him a chance) went on like that for what seemed like several minutes, her slashing wildly and without rest while he moved backwards, until their dance was interrupted as he stepped on something, it slid out from under him, and he lost his balance, causing him to fall ass first to the ground.

"Oh crap." He said out loud as her sword came down on his neck like a guillotine. Moving purely on instinct, he positioned his katana in front of his neck to block the attack, realising only too late that he'd have to push her back to have any chance of surviving, and he **was not **strong enough to do that. Looking around, he spotted his hunting shotgun, discarded by Veronica earlier, lying a few feet away, and realised that that must've been what he'd tripped on. _Just my luck. _

"You're out of chances Campbell." Layla growled as she pushed her sword forwards, effortlessly pushing his own back. "I was ready to forgive and forget; even your attacks on me didn't bother me. But when you hurt Veronica…" Burning fury blazed in her grey orbs, and though he'd known her for so long, he only just now saw why she was feared by each and every man and woman in the NCR. "…you crossed the fucking line." She pushed him back further and further, till he found his katana pressed against his own throat. "Before I met her, I never would've given you the chance. Back then, I didn't forgive, and I didn't forget. She's made me a better person." That familiar sadistic grin flashed across her face. "But she's unconscious right now…**so I think it's time to go back to my roots.**" With that last frightening statement, she raised her sword over her head, before bringing it crashing down. Running purely on adrenaline, he took one hand off the katana and desperately reached inside his trenchcoat. _COME ON COME ON COME ON! _The blade came closer and closer, and sweat drenched his face as he searched. _WHERE THE FUCK IS…__**THERE!**_ Having found the gun he was looking for, he drew the thing, before firing. Layla's eyes went wide and she dropped her sword in shock as a tranquiliser dart stabbed into her shoulder.

Her sword thudded to the ground next to Campbell, and she stumbled back as the dart worked its magic. Relief washing through him, Campbell scrambled back on his bottom, dropping the katana as he did so, before climbing to his feet, only to start sweating again as she remained conscious, seemingly by sheer force of will. _Oh great, another Boone. _She made a noise of animalistic ferocity, before running at him. She stopped in her tracks however as he fired another dart at her, followed by another…and another…and another. He fired dart after dart at her, and eventually they started to take their toll. She swayed on her feet, nearly a dozen darts pumping tranquilising drugs into her, and just managed to swear defiantly before flopping to the floor, utterly down for the count. _Wish I'd just done that with Boone. _He thought as he breathed a sigh of relief…which turned into a scream of pain as a knife flew into his chest. Even worse, he recognised it as one of his.

"Not so fun being stabbed with a knife is it?" Veronica said as she moved out of her throwing stance, before running forward and delivering a flying kick to his face. He was thrown back, landing in a heap on the ground, and sighed in annoyance as his tired body requested permission to stay down. He denied it, and forced himself to his feet, out of energy now and running purely on willpower.

"You threw…one of my own knives…at me." He commented, frowning as he ducked under one of her slashes. "That's just rude." He pistol whipped her with his tranq gun, only for her to grab his arm mid-strike and use the grip to flip him over her shoulder.

"Bite me." She replied as he once again landed in the dirt, dropping the tranq gun in the process. He recovered from the move swiftly, before getting up, turning to face her, and backing off. He'd been holding his own so far, but his whole body was starting to ache, and he was getting really, really tired. _Have to…keep going. _He thought, but his body wasn't on the same page as him. She struck again, and while he managed to dodge as usual, his dodge was much slower than usual, allowing her to clip him with the edge of her power fist. As much as he didn't want to rest, he knew he couldn't win like this. _Need…backup. _As the former scribe prepared to deliver another blow, he whipped out his radio, and brought it to his lips.

"Give me some covering fire." Right on cue, his backup bird descended from above the clouds and rained down laser fire, forcing Veronica to back off and giving him a moment to catch his breath. "Minigun!" He barked once he had some space, and the bird obediently lowered its boarding ramp. He smirked…until he saw that Veronica was running for his grenade launcher. _SHITSHITSHITSHIT! _He was too tired and too far away to do anything, so all he could do was watch as she picked up the gun, and fired a grenade into the hatch opened up by the boarding ramp's descent. The explosive projectile flew inside the vertibird, and a few seconds later the craft was decimated as it went off. An explosion tore the bird apart, and it sailed down to the ground before crashing a fair distance away.

"Just call me the Vertibird Slayer." Veronica said with a huge grin, before putting a threatening look on her face as she turned back to Campbell and pointed the gun at him. She looked like she was about to say something, probably a declaration of superiority, a request for him to surrender, or an inquiry as to what he wanted his last words to be. He was in no mood to listen however, so he cut her off by firing a tranq dart at her. She moved to the side to dodge, but while she was doing so he shot his free hand into his coat, found his stealth boy, and flicked it. He vanished from sight, and she blitzed the area where he'd been standing with a grenade, but failed to find him. "Dammit!" She cursed, before casting her eyes around. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD?!"

"Here." She froze as she heard his voice, speaking with an utterly chilling edge, right into her ear. Moments later, she felt not one gun barrel, but two press into the back of her head, and she guessed he'd probably drawn The Twins.

"Dammit." She said again.

"This has gone on way too long." He said quietly. "This was supposed to be simple, quick, painless, but you and Layla have made it far more difficult than it had to be. I just wanted to give you both a peaceful end; why the fuck did you have to complicate things?!"

"Well forgive us for not wanting to die!" Veronica snapped back.

"Any death I can give you is better than the agonising end **he'd **give you."

"Who?! Who'd give us an agonising end?! Stop leaving us in the dark, and just spill it already!"

"It doesn't matter now." He replied, voice nearly a whisper as he cocked his pistols. "You girls gave me a tough fight, but it's time to end this."

"I couldn't agree more." A familiar voice said, followed by an impact as something thudded into his back. He couldn't feel any pain, but whatever it was, it was sharp. _Another fucking knife. _He thought in frustration as he looked over his shoulder and saw Layla charging at him with her greatsword. _Perfect. Not only do I look like a fucking pincushion with these two knives sticking out of me, but she's back on her feet in no time when those darts are supposed to keep her down for several minutes! GODFUCKINGDAMN…_Deciding to finish his curse later, he moved back as Layla slashed, evading her strike but also freeing Veronica. She dropped the grenade rifle, before clenching her fists. The two girls nodded to each other, before rushing Campbell as one. As they closed in, he closed his blue eyes, before sighing, and opening them. There was a look of utter focus in those orbs; no distraction, no sentimentality, no humour, just pure focus. _Okay, enough screwing around. _He thought as they reached him. _Time to fucking end this._

***Layla***

The Witch and her scribe struck wildly at the mercenary, redhead in front of him and brunette swiftly moving to his back as they attempted to end him. To their utter astonishment however, none of their attacks hit. Despite being attacked by two close combat experts at once, Campbell dodged like a clairvoyant on Jet, rapidly dodging every single attack from them with complete and utter ease. After trying and failing to hit him for over two minutes straight, the girls backed off to get their breath back, while he just stood there, Twins in hand and arms folded calmly behind his back.

"Okay…what the fuck is going on?" Veronica asked, panting as she and Layla stared at Campbell.

"I don't know." The Witch replied. "I know he's been watching us fight for a while, so he can predict our moves, but this…this is insane."

"I don't get it. You beat him by yourself. I beat him by myself. Why the fuck can't we beat him together?"

"The guy I fought might as well have been a completely different person." Layla said gravely as she watched Campbell, standing perfectly still as his trenchcoat blew in the wind.

"What do you mean?"

"Campbell…he's always been good, but never this good. He was never this fast, this strong, this focused, this skilled. It's like…he's ten times more formidable than he ever was."

"But…how? Why?"

"Simple." He replied, startling the girls as he called over to them. "This is the most important fight of my life, and I **CANNOT **screw it up, so I'm giving it everything I've got." With that, he removed his hands from behind his back, and fired the Twins, one at Veronica and one at Layla. Both girls moved to either side to avoid being perforated, before charging him. Changing tactics, they both attacked from the front this time, and struck with everything they had. He continued to dodge expertly however, and despite their best efforts, none of their strikes found flesh. _This is ridiculous. _Layla thought as he ducked under one of her slashes, before sidestepping Veronica's punch, tripping her with his leg, and pistol whipping with a Twin to force the witch to back off. Veronica got up behind him, but even though she was striking from his blind spot, he still dodged every one of her strikes with little difficulty. _He's predicting our every move perfectly. How are we supposed to…wait. _It hit her like a bolt of lightning. If he was winning by predicting their moves, then they had to predict **his **moves.

Evidently getting tired of evading Veronica's strikes, he turned to her before pistol whipping her to the ground. Anger boiled up inside the red one, but she buried it, and forced herself to use her head. Now that the scribe was no longer a threat, he turned back to Layla, a creepily serene expression on his face as he watched her.

"You can't win." He said in a matter of fact tone.

"That remains to be seen." She replied, gripping her blade with both hands and rushing in to strike. He rolled his eyes, before easily sidestepping her. _Okay, after dodging, he'll go for an attack of his own if he sees an opening. _Instead of raising her blade with the kind of ease vast experience had given her, she instead left it in the ground, trying to look as vulnerable as possible. Something flashed in his eyes, and she realised he'd taken the bait. He raised both the Twins, and his fingers went for the triggers. _NOW! _He put all his brain power into firing, and fully expected her to stay down, which meant there was nothing he could do to protect himself where she suddenly raised her blade with no difficulty whatsoever, knocked the guns from his hand with a mighty swing, and shoulder barged him. He was knocked off balance for a few seconds, giving her plenty of time to strike. She briefly considered skewering him, but something stopped her. This man was trying to kill her and the girl who meant more to her than anything in the world, but he was still her friend, and as long as she had a choice, she would **not **kill him. _HE DOESN'T __**DESERVE **__ANY MORE CHANCES! _An enraged voice yelled inside her mind, but she ignored it, instead adjusting her grip on her blade, before striking him across the face with the pommel. A tooth flew loose as the crushing blow connected, and blood ran from his mouth, down his chin as he collapsed.

***Veronica***

Layla had done it…she'd beaten him. _Woah. _Veronica thought as she saw Layla dispatch Campbell, hitting him with her pommel and causing him to fall like a bag of rocks. She stood up, and though she knew she must look like an idiot, she couldn't help but gawk at the girl she was in love with.

"Layla, that was amazing!" She said, a wide grin on her face as she ran up to the red haired one. "You did it, you actually beat him!" Layla looked like she was about to reply, when a familiar voice suddenly cut her off.

"No she didn't." Campbell said, before vanishing, leaving an active flash grenade behind.

"Oh that fucking…" Veronica didn't get to finish, as the flashbang went off, assaulting her and Layla's senses with light and noise. They recovered quickly, but when they did, they saw no sign of Campbell. _Shit! _Both girls frantically looked around for him. Surprisingly, he didn't take that long to spot.

After a few seconds of searching, they spotted him on the far side of the clearing, next to the crashed vertibird. As they ran over to him, he went inside the wreckage, and emerged with a strange gun, likely taken from his weapons chest.

"Enough is enough." He said forcefully as he pointed the weapon at them. "This ends now." The weapon was large, and possessed an unusual design that neither of the girls had ever seen before. The main part of its body was a glowing orange tube, and inside it, something akin to electricity could be seen. Noticing their confused glares, the merc decided to talk about his new toy. "This is the Tesla-Beaton Prototype. It's a tesla cannon, a gun I bet you girls have never heard of. Understandable; they're rare weapons, to be sure. Well you're obviously curious, so why don't I show you what it can do?" Before either of the ladies could react, he pulled the gun's trigger, and the orange tube started to glow even brighter. The electricity inside moved, and Veronica's jaw dropped as he fired a massive blue beam of energy. The beam hit the ground just in front of them, exploding with staggering force and sending both girls flying through the air.

Veronica cried out as she and Layla were tossed back, landing several feet away from the blast in a crumpled heap. Her head was spinning, her vision was blurry, and she tasted copper, but she shook her head to get her bearings and forced herself to her feet. Standing was difficult, but she managed it, and looked over to Layla. Concern flooded her like an overflowing bathtub as she saw the red one lying face down in the dirt, completely unmoving. She'd been thrown further than Veronica, and had been standing just in front of her when the beam had hit, meaning she'd probably gotten the brunt of the blast.

"Layla!" The hooded girl shouted over, concern filling her voice. The witch didn't move however, and Veronica looked angrily at Campbell as he walked closer.

"Impressive little toy isn't it?" He commented wryly as he neared.

"You're fucking dead!" She spat.

"Perhaps." He replied evenly. "But not before Layla." With that, he turned the tesla gun to the unconscious girl (Hopefully she was unconscious, and not…the other thing), before firing.

"NO!" Without thinking, Veronica ran over to the red haired one, before jumping right into the path of the blast. It hit her dead on, and she screamed her lungs out as her pain receptors practically exploded from the agony. It felt like Daisy Whitman's gun times a hundred; the pain was indescribable, and her voice quickly went hoarse as she screamed. As the blast exploded she was thrown back, barely conscious as she flew all the way across the clearing, landing on the opposite side. She rolled a little, before ending up lying on her stomach. She felt like she'd just been dipped in liquid magma, and while she'd been dizzy and had blurred vision before, that was nothing compared to how fucked her head felt now. With the way everything was spinning she felt like she was inside a tornado, and she couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. _Ow…_She thought, before shaking her head. Instead of clearing her thoughts however, doing that only caused more discomfort, and she moaned in pain before pressing her face further into the dirt. Slowly, her vision returned to normal and the world calmed down, prompting her to try and get up. She only managed to get to her knees before collapsing however; her body was simply in too much pain to support her.

Staying on her knees for now, she looked around to take stock of the situation, and quickly found that she was a mess. Her robes were burnt and torn, leaving her in tatters (Fortunately she was wearing underclothes underneath), and her hood had been completely destroyed, leaving her head (And hair) completely exposed to the elements. Casting her attentions away from herself for a moment, she looked up, and saw that Campbell was approaching. _Shit._

"Wow…I can't believe you survived that." He remarked, clearly surprised.

"Must be…disappointing for you…huh?" She said, struggling to speak.

"Veronica…"

"Shut up!" She growled. "Don't you **dare **keep pretending you're my friend."

"But I am!" He said in a pleading tone. "I'm doing this for you and Layla because I care about you both; can't you see that?"

"Just…stop talking and get it over with." She said brusquely, before looking down at the ground as she rested on her hands and knees. "If you're going to kill me, then just do it." He looked at her for a few seconds, before sighing and pointing the Tesla-Beaton Prototype at her.

"For what it's worth…I really am sorry." He said quietly as he pulled the trigger.

"You will be." Veronica looked up as she heard Layla's voice, and Campbell turned to the voice, just in time for the red one to charge in stab the tesla cannon, right in the glowing orange tube.

"Oh shit." Campbell said as the gun started making a disconcerting, high pitched noise. "That can't be good." Whatever Layla had stabbed, the gun didn't like it. As Veronica watched, the orange tube cracked, and the gun exploded in a flash of blue light.

***Layla***

_Ow…_The witch thought weakly as she regained consciousness. That...had been a most…**unpleasant **experience. She'd been blown up before of course, but that had been something knew. _Note to self…never stab a machine if I don't know how it works, especially if it's an energy weapon. _Ignoring the dizziness and nausea that wracked her, she got up, and looked around.

The Tesla-Beaton Prototype was now little more than a pile of scrap, the ground around where it had exploded was scorched, and there was no sign of Campbell. Veronica lay on her back a few feet away with her eyes closed, and Layla ran to her, only to find the girl quiet, and unmoving. Trying not to panic, she put an ear to the girl's chest, and was relieved to hear a heartbeat. _She's alive…thank god. _Acting quickly, she drew a stimpak from her bag and injected it into the unconscious girl. A few seconds later, she started breathing again, and Layla sighed in relief.

Now that she knew Veronica was okay, she looked around for the other human she'd been interacting with for the past few minutes, and spotted him on the far side of the clearing, climbing the cliff that she had dropped down to get here. She ran over, but he successfully reached the top before she'd even made it halfway, before walking away. His trenchcoat was utterly wrecked; it was badly burnt, most of it seemed to be missing, and like Veronica's outfit, the hood was completely gone. In addition, he seemed to be walking with a limp, making his escape slow. Even with the limp however, he managed to get away long before she reached the cliff. Though tempted to run and get her katana or That Gun, Layla didn't want to give him the chance to escape, so she quickly scaled the cliff before running after him, armed only with her greatsword. _You aren't getting away._

***Campbell***

Beyond the walls of the Legion fort, on a cliff overlooking the Colorado River, Campbell was in pain. He looked like hell, which was fitting, because he felt worse. He had unknown amounts of shrapnel in his stomach curtesy of Veronica's ballistic fist, a hole in his left shoulder, a knife in his stomach (Thrown by Veronica), a knife in his back (Thrown by Layla), blood around his mouth, a black eye from one of Veronica's flying kicks (His left eye), a missing tooth, and undoubtedly more injuries that he couldn't quite recall at the moment. Even worse, his latest dose of Med-X was starting to wear off, allowing him to feel his wounds all too well. _Fuck my life. _ He thought as he weakly sat down, before drawing another Med-X syringe and injected himself again. The pain started to fade, and he took a moment to catch his breath. He didn't get long. As he sat cross-legged on the ground, he heard a noise behind him, and sighed.

"Your stealth skills need some work Layla." The witch behind him halted her approach, clearly annoyed that he'd spotted her. "Come to finish me off huh?"

"No, I've come to try and get you to stop this." She said from behind him.

"I told you; that isn't happening." Putting both hands on the ground, he pushed off, and rose to his feet. "This whole thing will only end when one of us dies."

"But…I don't want to kill you." Now on his feet, and still facing away from her, he reached for the Ratslayer on his back.

"And you think I want to kill you? I think I want to kill Veronica?" His hand found the rifle's butt. "I don't, god knows I don't, but I have no choice." He pulled the gun from his back, before holding it in one hand. "Like I keep saying: it has to be this way."

"This 'employer' of yours…who the hell is he anyway? Who are you so scared of?" He adjusted the rifle in his grasp, and put another hand on it.

"Telling you will just put you in more danger."

"Campbell, you're trying to kill me; how can I possibly be in any more danger?" To her surprise, he chuckled at that. "Is something funny?"

"No, no…it's just…Veronica said something similar earlier. You two really are made for each other." He smiled wanly as he turned to face her. "If you win this fight…if you…you know…kill me…" She looked away, failing to meet his gaze. "…promise me you'll take care of Veronica." She slowly turned towards him, clearly struggling to make eye contact. "Arcade made me promise to take care of her before he…well, you know…and now I want you to promise the same."

"Of course I'll take care of her." She said, without needing so much as a second to think about it. "After all I've been through with her, did you honestly think I **wouldn't **take care of her?" Still smiling, he shook his head.

"No, I know you'd do anything to protect her; I know she means the world to you. Yet you still can't seem to figure out you're in love with her." She blushed, while sheepishly scratching her sword arm with her free hand. "I…I just wanted to say it, you know? Arcade passed the duty on to me, and now I'm passing it onto you. Sort of a…changing of the guard, sort of thing…if that makes sense." She smiled.

"It does…in a weird way." He grinned. "Like a lot of things you say." Switching his grip so that he held his rifle in one hand instead of both, he performed a mocking curtsey.

"I aim to please." Layla laughed a little, but afterwards, she just felt sad.

"…I'm going to miss you." His smile faded.

"Yeah…I'm going to miss you too." With that, he took a step back, before holding his rifle with both hands again. "You know…I think this is probably the best gun for the job. Not only is it my favourite weapon, but its…history…makes it appropriate to use here. Had to kill someone very dear to me with this; makes sense to use it when I have to kill another person who's dear to me." Before Layla could respond, he gripped the Ratslayer tightly, rapidly aimed, and fired.

If not for her armour, Layla would have died then and there. The recon armour she wore saved her life, but the bullet still managed to draw blood, and the impact knocked her back a few steps. Ignoring the dark red blotch appearing around her chest, she rushed in. He was soon ready to fire again, but she quickly got too close for him to fire effectively, causing him to back off and duck as she aimed a slash at his head. He leaned his head back to dodge a second slash, before striking her in the face with the rifle's butt, knocking her back. While she was dazed, he kicked her to the ground, before pointing the rifle down. His finger soon found the trigger, but her foot found his leg with a sweep kick, tripping him and causing him to not only miss, but also fall face first to the ground. He was rolling as soon as he landed, and found his feet at the same time as her, before firing.

She evaded with a quick roll, before throwing a knife at him. He surprised her by knocking it out of the air with a swing of his rifle however, before firing again. She hissed in pain as his round hit her left shoulder, but ignored it and charged forwards before swinging again. He didn't let her get close enough however, instead drawing an incendiary grenade, arming it, and jumping back while throwing it at the ground.

She was thrown back as the device detonated in a fiery explosion, while he holstered his rifle, drew two more incendiary grenades (One in each hand), and armed both before throwing them. She got up quickly, and ran before diving to escape as the grenades went off, before springing to her feet and throwing another knife. The merc dodged it easily before firing again, forcing her to go drop into a prone position to avoid being perforated. While he adjusted his aim, she threw a third knife, and though he couldn't still feel anything, he still gritted his teeth as the blade stabbed into his leg, just above his knee. Doing his best to ignore it, he looked back at Layla, only to see that not only had she gotten up, but she'd somehow closed the distance again and was swinging at him.

Moving quickly, he managed to evade the slashes, before pointing the Ratslayer's barrel at her at point blank range. The gun's silencer pressed into her nose, and for a second she looked alarmed. She reacted quickly however, batting the gun away as he fired, causing his bullet to fly off in a random direction while she slashed at him. He brought his rifle up to block, but she kicked him in the gut, knocking him back, before aiming a stab at his throat. He brought up his rifle to block again, and while her blade would simply cut through most guns, the Ratslayer's strong materials allowed it to take her hits quite effectively. While blocking, he brought his knee up, hitting her in the stomach, before striking her with the butt of his rifle again. She stumbled back, and he shot her in the stomach at point blank range, causing her to cry out in pain and knocking her back. At this range, her armour wasn't much use, and the shot went right through her stomach before coming out the back. She landed back first on the floor, dropping her sword and in a world of pain, while he slowly approached, reloading the rifle as he did so.

Well aware that she was bleeding heavily, but determined not to let it slow her down, she scrambled to her feet. He finished reloading the rifle and pointed it at her, only to get punched in the face. His head snapped back, and she grabbed the rifle, before easily wrestling it from his grasp with her superior strength. Before she could fire however, he swung his zap glove fist, slugging her in the face and causing a loud shriek of pain from her.

The electric punch scorched her cheek and sent daggers of agony through her body, while he lunged forwards and attempted to deprive her of the Ratslayer. Despite being stunned however, she was still stronger than him, and refused to let go. Growing rapidly sick of this, he took his zap glove hand off his rifle, and punched her in the throat with it. Her eyes went wide as she was electrocuted again, while he freed his rifle and once again swung it at her face.

The attack knocked her right to the floor, but she drew a throwing knife as she fell, before slashing his leg the moment she hit the ground. He was knocked off balance, and she got up as fast as she possibly could, before locating the hole in his chestpiece and stabbing directly into it. The pain actually got through his Med-X, and he winced as the blade dug in, but pushed Layla away before raising his rifle…only for her to surprise him by kicking it from his grasp. It flew away, spinning through the air before landing several feet away to his left, and the moment he turned back to Layla, she punched him square in the jaw with all her strength.

"It's over." She said as he hit the floor, blood running from his mouth. Ignoring her, he stood up before throwing a punch. She grabbed his arm however, before shooting a knee up into his gut and flipping him over her shoulder like Veronica had taught her, causing him to land face first on the ground behind her. "We both know you can't beat me up close." She said as she turned to him, while he managed to get to his knees. "Let's just stop this."

"No." He said darkly, face still turned away from her. "I'll kill you with my bare hands if I have to." She took a step closer, failing to notice that, since he was turned away from her, she couldn't see what his hands were doing. As such, he managed to draw a knife from his right sleeve (His only remaining knife, since Veronica had thrown the last one at him) without her noticing. "Fortunately, I won't have to." Before she could ask him what he meant, he turned to face her, and slashed her leg.

She hissed as his blade easily cut through her recon armour, and he shot to his feet before aiming a stab at her face. She managed to grab his hand and used her superior strength to keep the knife away from her, but he promptly punched her in the stomach with the zap glove. Weakened for a second, she loosened her grip, allowing him to slash her cheek. Ignoring the blood running down her right cheek, she threw a punch, only for him to dodge with little difficulty. His tattered trenchcoat billowed behind him like a cape as he rapidly slashed and punched, forcing her on the defensive. She brought both arms up to protect her face as she backed off, allowing his blade to cut her arms and his punches to painfully electrocute her limbs. Swiftly running out of room, she stopped on the cliff edge, while he gripped his knife tight enough to leave indentations on the handle, and stabbed forwards. Seeing her chance, she moved her head to the side to evade his stab, before grabbing his left arm (The arm that held his knife). A few seconds later he screamed in pain as she broke the arm, before punching him in the throat and hitting him with a crushing headbutt. The attack knocked him back, causing him to drop his knife and land painfully in the dirt.

_Damn…Med-X wore off. _He thought as he started to feel the uncomfortable sensations of every injury he'd sustained in this fight. _Can't…give…up. _He let out a feral growl, before kip-upping to his feet, charging, and punching with his zap glove. She darted to the side to dodge however, before shooting her fist up directly under his chin. He bit his tongue as his head was knocked up, while she grabbed his zap glove. He wrestled with her, but she was stronger, and forcibly removed the zap glove before throwing it over her shoulder, while her free hand wormed its way inside his coat. It flew off the cliff, and she took something from inside his coat, before lunging forwards and delivering a crushing punch to his midsection. He spat blood, and she prepared to deliver another punch, only for him to back off, draw the Twins, and point them at her. He stood there, panting tiredly, before letting out a half laugh.

"Never…could…beat…you." He said, sounding absolutely exhausted. He didn't have a single drop of energy left in his body, but regardless, he was determined not to lose this. "At least…not fairly." She stood perfectly still as he prepared to end this. "Sorry to…fight dirty."

"That's alright." She said amicably, as she held up a device he recognised. "I was going to fight dirty anyway." _Oh shit…that's my stealth boy! _Before he could react, she activated the stealth boy in her hand, and vanished. _She must've swiped it while she was removing my zap glove! DAMMIT! _He looked around for her, far less used to fighting a stealthed opponent than he was being stealthed himself. He turned towards the cliff, failing to notice as Layla's greatsword suddenly levitated into the air, as though being lifted by a pair of invisible hands. He noticed soon enough, letting out an ear-splitting screech of pain as she slashed his unprotected flank, bypassing his chestpiece, cutting his back open, and causing blood to spray everywhere. The pain was unreal, and he actually dropped his guns before falling to his knees. _FUCK that hurts…_Desperately trying to play through the pain, he drew his 12.7mm pistol…only for Layla to stomp on the wrist of the hand that was holding it. Left with no choice, he dropped the gun, and she scooped it up before pointing it at the back of his head.

***Layla***

"I win." The witch said quietly.

"Yeah…I guess you do." The mercenary replied sullenly. "You know…I'd actually managed to delude myself into thinking that maybe…just maybe…I might actually win this time. Shows what I know huh?"

"So…what happens now?" He answered her by getting to his feet, and turning to face her.

"I think you know." He said seriously.

"I…I can't…"

"You have to."

"Campbell, please don't make me kill you. I already got Arcade killed; I…I can't have you die because of me too."

"What happened to Arcade isn't your fault." He said softly, but she shook her head.

"Of course it is!" She snapped. "He was **my **friend, **my **responsibility! I was supposed to protect him, but instead I let him down. He died because of me."

"He died **for **you, not because of you." The merc said gently. "The choice to save you was his own; you didn't **make **him take a bullet for you, he did it because he wanted to, because he cared about you…because you were his friend, just like I am."

"Campbell…" He took a step back.

"And like him, I want to die **for **you. If I die, my employer loses any chance he has of killing you. You can't kill you himself, because there are too many witnesses here at the fort, and no other hired gun in the Mojave would be a match for you. If I die, he loses, and you win."

"But…"

"No buts." He shocked her by shrugging his trenchcoat off, the same coat he never removed for **anything. **With the coat off, she could see that he was wearing his chestpiece over his black shirt, and he removed the piece of armour before putting his ruined coat back on again. "My armour's gone, I'm defenceless. Do it."

"I…"

"One bullet is all you'll need." She looked at him for the longest time, before sighing.

"I…I promised Veronica I'd get you back." He looked down at the ground, clearly ashamed. "I promised I'd free you of your commitment to the NCR, and we'd be a family again. I believed it too, when I told her." She looked up at the sky, tears in her eyes. "I guess I should have known better. I was just being stupid and naïve. What we had…that family…that bond…we can never have it again."

"I'm sorry Layla." He said unexpectedly, causing her to look at him. "All of this…everything…it's my fault."

"No it isn't." She said reassuringly. "This 'employer' of yours…it's his fault. He's the one who's forcing you to do this."

"Yeah, but it's my own stupid fault for aligning myself with him in the first place."

"If you hadn't…then we never would've met." He looked up; blue eyes met grey as she spoke. "And honestly…that would be a shame. My life is richer from having known you Campbell, and…I'm sorry that our journey has come to an end."

"My journey, not yours." He said with a sad smile. "Your journey won't end till the NCR is crushed beneath your boot." She smiled back. "Now go on. Finish this, then go and beat the NCR in the battle at the dam. Put an end to this whole thing once and for all." She stared at him for a few seconds, before nodding.

"Okay…I'll do it." Slowly, she raised the 12.7mm in her hand, before pointing it at him. "I…I'm not used to killing people I actually like." Despite the situation, he couldn't help but snicker at that. "Is there a procedure or…"

"Just ask if they have any last words, make sure they're comfortable, then end it quickly and painlessly. That's how I've always done it."

"Okay…" She said nervously. "Do…do you have any last words?"

"Honestly, I've been talking up a storm tonight, and I feel I've said everything I need to say." He smiled a genuinely happy smile, which rose her spirits slightly.

"Alright. Then…are you comfortable, or…"

"Actually…is it alright if I get the Ratslayer and my Twins?" She eyed him curiously. "Relax, I'm not planning on fighting; don't think I could if I wanted to. It's just…they're my favourite guns, and I'd rather die with them on me. I always wanted to be buried with them, but this is the next best thing I guess. Better than leaving them here for some Legion bastard to loot." She nodded, and he walked over to the Ratslayer, before holstering it on his back. With that done, he strolled over to the Twins, picked them up, and slid them into the holsters on his hips. With that done, he walked to the edge of the cliff, before turning to face Layla.

"Anything else?"

"I always wanted to be buried in my trenchcoat too, but I'm wearing that, so no worries there." He looked around, and breathed in the lakeside air. "Yeah…I'm pretty comfortable." He stretched his tired arms (Well...arm...he couldn't stretch his right because it was broken), before cracking his neck. "This…this is a pretty good place to die, I think. It's quiet here…peaceful. I don't think I'll be disturbed."

"I like it here too." Layla said wistfully. "I usually come out here to think. I came here when I had to decide whether or not to kill Caesar, and I've come here many times since. I actually came here earlier tonight with Veronica, to talk about you."

"About Veronica." He said sheepishly. "Can you…tell her…I'm sorry?"

"I think she knows."

"Yeah, but still. I've done a lot of horrible things to her, and I just want her to know that I regret each and every one of them. I mean, my holotape last night probably told her, but still…"

"I'll tell her."

"…Thanks." They smiled at each other, and he took a deep breath, before letting it out. "Okay…I'm ready." Feeling her eyes getting wet, Layla gripped the pistol tightly, and took aim.

"Goodbye Campbell."

"Goodbye Layla." He gave her a mock salute. "It's been an honour." Unable to form a reply, she closed her tearstained eyes, and fired. A gunshot echoed throughout the area, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a large bloodstain around his heart. He smiled, blood pouring out of his mouth and staining his teeth, and gave her a thumbs up, before toppling back. Dropping the gun, she ran to the cliff's edge, and saw him fall down to the waters below.

***Campbell***

As he dropped from the cliff, and fell into the stygian waters below, the mercenary felt strangely…at peace. _So…this is what dying feels like. _He thought, as his vision started to darken. He was beginning to lose feeling in his extremities, which was nice, as it meant he couldn't feel his multitude of injuries. Unable to see anymore, he nervously gulped, before reaching for his coin. He hadn't drawn it all night; this had been his decision, and he hadn't wanted to bring his coin into it. Now though, he needed its comforting embrace. Honestly, he was scared. Of course he was; every man, no matter how suicidal, fears death's cold embrace. _This is it old girl. _He thought as he neared the waters. _It's been a hell of a ride. _He took the old coin out of his pocket, and kissed it. _Thanks for everything. _With that, he returned the coin to his pocket, before closing his eyes (He hardly noticed the change, since his vision had gone), and sighing.

"Arcade, can you hear me?" He asked quietly, as tears started to run down his cheeks. "It's me, Campbell." Hand in his pocket, he gripped his coin tightly. "I'm…" He had to choke back sobs. "…I'm coming to see you." With those last words, he hit the water, and knew no more.

***Layla***

_He's gone…_The Red Blade Witch thought as Campbell landed in the lake, and disappeared from sight. _He's…he's actually gone. _The tears were flowing freely now, and she didn't bother to stop them. One of her best friends, a man who had been with her through so much, a man who had made her laugh, a man who had always cheered her up when she'd been sad, a man who had always greeted her with a smile and a terrible quip, a man who had been willing to give his life for her…he was dead.

"Goodbye Campbell." She said quietly. Minutes passed by, and she just stood there, staring at the waters and pondering the gravity of what she'd just done. The tears stopped eventually, but the grief didn't fade. She'd lost two of her best friends now. Of their group, only she and Veronica were left. _Oh god Veronica. How's she going to react to this? _As if on cue, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Layla?" Veronica asked as she ran up to her. She skidded to a stop next to her on the edge of the cliff, before turning to her. "I talked to Lanius. He says the battle's over. Without Campbell leading the NCR troops, they broke ranks, and the Legion guys easily cut them down. We won! He told me to find you and…wait, what are you even doing up here? Where's Campbell?" The red one couldn't answer. Instead, she just gestured downward with her head. Following her, Veronica looked down at the waters below, and slowly, a look of understanding formed on my face. "Wait…is he…" Layla nodded.

"Campbell's dead." Veronica's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"I…I…" Fresh tears flowed from the witch's eyes. "I killed him." The former scribe looked at her friend, then at the waters below, and continued to look between them as her eyes started to well up with tears.

"No…" She said quietly. "No…no…no." She had an utterly despondent look on her face, and before Layla could stop her, she burst into tears. The witch wanted to offer some words of consolation, but she couldn't think of any. There was nothing she could say to make this better. Instead, she moved closer to the crying girl, and wrapped her in a hug. She held the girl tight as she bawled her eyes out, while looking down at the waters below, unable to believe that one of her best friends was now beneath those waves. On a cliff beyond a den of savages, a witch and her scribe mourned the friend they had lost. In his death, he had saved them both, and while his absence would be missed, neither of them would ever forget him.

_**IT'S DONE…IT'S FINALLY FUCKING DONE. 28887 words not counting author notes. Took god knows how many minutes, hours, days, months of my life to produce. I poured my blood, sweat, tears, and any other bodily fluids you'd care to mention into this. It pushed me to my limits, and took everything I had to complete, but it's done. At long last, it's fucking done. BEHOLD, MY LONGEST! CHAPTER! EVEEEER! :D**_

_**Let us pay homage to Campbell, my first OC, and a character very dear to my heart. When I first decided to put him into this story, I didn't expect much. He was just a guy with a gimmick based on a character with a gimmick that I made ingame; nothing special. Then…something happened. As I wrote him, his character evolved beyond my wildest dreams. He grew a personality, a backstory, and a soul, where before nothing but the gimmick had existed. He became the comic relief, his trenchcoat became a portal to hammerspace, and I knew I'd created something special. Well…I can't really say I created him. I came up with the gimmick and his appearance, but the rest…they came out of nowhere. In a way…I'd say he created himself. Beyond the jokey nature, the terrible quips, and his inexplicable ability to gather whatever miscellaneous items the group needed at the time, a…depth formed…depth that I don't think any other character I've created has…depth that, again, seemed to create itself. This goofy bastard…this guy who'd started out as a gimmick but had almost, to me, become a living, breathing being, somehow wormed his way into my heart. He endeared himself to me, and I started to enjoy his antics more than those of anyone else. He was fun to write; he could do anything and not seem out of character, because he's fucking crazy enough for anything to seem natural when he does it. I have no idea how it happened, but he somehow overtook Layla, and became my favourite character…which was a bitch, because I'd been planning to kill him off for ages. Eventually, it came to write this chapter, and when I wrote his death scene, I shit you not, I actually cried. Not 'bawling my eyes out sobbing like a baby' crying, but, my eyes got misty, I'm sure I shed a few tears and, I felt…sad, you know? Like, I was saying goodbye not to a character, but an old friend. It sucks, but I know he had to die. Goodbye Campbell. Rest in peace you magnificent bastard.**_

_***Clears throat and wipes away tears* WELL ANYWAY…that was sad huh? I'm usually pretty emotionally reserved (I EXPERIENCE emotions but tend not to cry when watching or reading stuff; the exceptions are the ending of To the Moon, the ending of Season 1 of the Walking Dead game, and some other stuff I'm forgetting), so if I cried, then it MUST be sad, right? Especially since there's no sad music like my last two attempts at being sad. Right? RIGHT? Oh fuck you, it's a damn tearjerker alright. **_

_**For the dubious few among you, YES Campbell's dead. He's not going to reappear in the next chapter, right as rain. He's gone for good. I didn't enjoy saying goodbye to my favourite character, but it had to be done. Without him, things are certainly going to change. The only major threats Layla has left are Boone and MAYBE Moore, and the Second Battle of Hoover Dam is just around the corner. Vulpes can't threaten the girls anymore, but they've still got a long way to go if they want to earn their happy ending. For those of you wondering, there are about…(Counts on fingers)…SIX chapters left now. Yep, definitely nearing the endgame. But with so many foes (Oliver, Boone, Moore, Vulpes…) you have to ask yourself, who'll be the final boss, the last foe Layla faces in her quest? Come on, it's me; you can bet your ass I'm going to do an epic final boss battle. And it will give me hand strain/carpal tunnel the likes of which the world has never known! My hands are hurting already…though that's probably because I've been typing for hours.**_

_**So…let's not say how many months this took. Just…don't mention it. It was more than FOUR FUCKING MONTHS, but beyond that let's not talk about it. Suffice to say, I'm back motherfuckers, and while I can't promise my update schedule will get much better, I'll try my damndest to make sure you don't have to wait HALF A FUCKING YEAR for the next chapter DAMMIT I TOLD YOU NOT TO MENTION HOW MANY MONTHS THIS TOOK!**_

_**By the way…I think the Layla and Veronica VS Campbell fight is probably the longest fight I've done in this story; maybe even the longest fight I've ever written in my life. I did it all in one sitting, it took somewhere between four and five hours (Maybe even longer), is somewhere in the region of 7300 words, and I was in IMMENSE pain when I finished it. My arms mostly; poor muscles aren't used to being exerted and they couldn't take it. Still…I'm proud of myself. Not sure if I should be, but I am. :)**_

_**Well, that's that. Campbell's dead, the future's uncertain, I'm back, and I'm sad because I just killed off my favourite characters. You know what I'm going to say next don't you? Well fuck you I'll say it anyway. PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE REVIEW! I'll be your best friend! Oh come on, have a heart! (Also if you could review these two chapters separately, that would be awesome.) Any who review will have my (Platonic) love, and a non-physical, possibly non-existent internet cookie. Regardless of whether you review or not, thank you so much for reviewing, and stay cool. All of you, you wonderful people who keep reading, reviewing, and putting up with my shit; you're the reason I keep writing this thing. I'm going to do a proper longwinded, sappy thank you message in the author's note for the final chapter, but just know I appreciate each and every one of you. You guys are awesome. :)**_


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